Nuisance Abatement Board - Regular Meeting

Are we ready to proceed with nuisance?

Yes. Okay.

Good evening, everyone. It's called the nuisance abatement calendar. It's three cases, all set for status. There was a publishing error regarding not proper service of the agenda. However, I can address at least one of the cases. I'm going to call out all three just to see if the owners are present. However, if they are not, I'm going to request a reset to next month. First case appearing on page five, 7001 Northwest 15th Avenue, apartment 19 and 21, owner Saha Building Corp. Calling out for the owner, Saha Building Corp, owner of 7001 Northwest 15th Avenue, apartment 19 and 21. Seeing no response based on what was previously disclosed. In a motion to move this or reset this case for status on March 25th of 2026.

Point of order. Do we have a motion? Before I ask the motion, these are apartment units, not the actual building owner?

The corporation owns the building, and these two specific apartments were the subject of the complaint. Got it.

Didn't he come in one time?

He was the manager. I don't recall if he had power of attorney. I did speak with him. I think it can be resolved. He's just not here, and I don't have any information to give you otherwise. If we were going to move to terminate it, I would make that recommendation. We have jurisdiction until May, so there's not much time left on it.

So I'm requesting just a one-month reset. Do we have a motion to reset this for March 25, 2026? So moved.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye. And one question before, Mr. Chair. What happens when we lose that following month to...

Naturally terminates.

It terminates.

Per code, we have one year of jurisdiction from the hearing, which was in May of 2025. Correct. It was found guilty. The property was found guilty. So then you just got a new complaint. You reinitiate a new complaint and start over again.

Right. You know, because I'm definitely familiar with this area. And it's a property that is problematic, for sure, in that area. And I know our officers are doing their part. So, you know, we got to do our part. And so I hope that, you know, we don't let this thing, the time run out. Because, like I said, it's an area that is problematic in this particular property. It's probably problematic as well.

Yeah, for whatever it's worth, there's been a little back-and-forth miscommunication between the officers and the owner or the manager, who I did take time to speak with last time. He was showing me pictures and other evidence of compliance. I just don't have an email from him, and he's not here to talk to, so I can't resolve it today, but hopefully next month. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Okay. Next case is appearing on page 103, 7101 Northwest 7th Avenue. The owner, Edward Bodyshop and Auto Repair, I did have prior communication with this owner and advised him of what was going to occur today. I do have the Neighborhood Resource Officer Lawson present to testify regarding the compliance and our recommendation to terminate the order. Ma'am, can you please say your name for the record?

Officer Lawson Serafin.

And officer, are you tasked with overseeing the property at 7101 Northwest 7th Avenue?

Yes.

Okay. And on January 20th of 2026, did you receive an email from the property owner regarding the compliance on that property?

Yes.

And do you have a list of the detailed information that the owner provided to you?

Yes.

And can you read that out just for the record?

Yes, he provided a copy of the lease for the tenants currently occupying the property. The body shop dealership is owner operated. Documentation confirming that the city has no trespass authority for the property, allowing officers to address trespassers on their premises. Confirmation that the facility is well maintained, well lit, and that there's no overgrown bushes or obstruction that would block visibility into or around the property. And information regarding vehicles on the premises. The only vehicles located on the property are those associated with the property's on-site dealership or body shop vehicles.

And did the owner additionally supply photographs corroborating some of the items listed in the email? Yes. And has the City of Miami independently corroborated the compliance with the conditions of the order? Yes. And at this time, is it the City of Miami Police Department's wishes to terminate the order for compliance?

Yes.

Okay. Based on the officer's testimony and the evidence provided to the city, the city would motion to terminate the order for compliance as to 7101 Northwest Seventh Avenue.

Do we have a motion to terminate for compliance?

So moved.

Do we have a second? Second. All in favor?

Aye. Thank you. Last case appearing on page 155, 1721 Northwest 55th Street. Owner Danny Felton. Again, this property was found guilty back in April 2025. Is that the wrong page number? 155? 155. No? I'm there. Sorry. Yeah. Or 156? Mm-hmm. You got it?

Sorry. Proceed. Okay. Okay.

This property was found guilty back in April. There's been multiple resets. Owner's never been present. There's been fines issued. Fine at the last time. There is no compliance, but based on the publishing issues, I'll talk to you after. Based on the publishing errors and no proper notice, request a reset to next month. for status March 25th.

Mr. Chair, I have a question. Do we know what the total fines have been on this property?

On this property, I can tell you there has been only $1,000. There was a fine issued in December and a fine issued in January. Even though he was found guilty in April, there was no quorum in June. I didn't have a status for you in July. There's no hearing in August. I think we reset it to October. October, no quorum. And then there was a posting issue in November.

Mr. Chair, and the reason why I'm asking that question is because this is my neighborhood and you know, it seems like this owner kind of knows the process. If there's failure to notify, failure to get in contact with, it runs a course here, constantly reset, reset, push back, and then terminate. But this activity continues to go on, and I would encourage my board members to look at the, particularly page 160, and discover what was found at the property in terms of the types of drugs that's being used and sold out of that place. This is the problem that we have with Liberty City. This is a problem that we have in the city of Miami in our neighborhoods, and particularly District 5. And so I know our commissioner, and I know our officers are doing their part, and I just think that we need to do our part as well. So I will hope that we don't just let this case get terminated as a result of failure to notice, failure to compliance, or any technical issues that goes on. But I do know this is something that we have to deal with, because this is right in the smack of single-family homes. in that neighborhood and i know there's a lot of home buying that's taking place in that area and so i would hate for new owners and folks who've been living there to continue to continue to get terrorized by properties like this that are from what i perceive is taking advantage of of these loopholes right and you know the code limits us as far as what we can do there is a section of the code for the enforcement of the orders that the city attorney can initiate contempt proceedings however that's not something we just

talk about you know it takes a little more than just we'll have to have a detailed discussion about that initiate that within the 11th traditional circuit but that's our remedies are pretty much limited fines for for purposes and do they become they become a lien on a nuisance or no that's my understanding that it becomes a lien on the property so

Even after it terminates?

Yeah, it's not forgiven. The lien's going to run with the property. Yes.

So in theory, if you wanted to take it a step further, you could always try to put something on the agenda or take it up with the commission because the city attorney needs authority from the commissioners, I think, to then take, like if you're going to take some kind of injunctive action or something.

I'll put it down as a...

I guess you just have to wait until the property's sold and try to collect on that lien. Yeah.

But the lien is not running. It's just a one-time, what's it, just $1,000 fine, right? It's not like how on code side, we set a lien and it runs. Right. See, that's part of the other problem. Minimal.

Yeah.

Okay.

Do we have a motion? For a reset for March 12th? That's what you wanted.

25th, yeah.

25th, sorry.

March 25th. Someone? Do we have a second? Second. All in favor? Aye.

Aye. That does conclude the agenda. However, the owner for the first case, 7001 Northwest 15th Avenue, did show up late. He is talking to the officer. If there still is a conflict in the compliance, then we'll just keep it as reset for now. If we want to do something with the order and a favorable outcome for him, I'll readdress it, but that concludes the

But there's still not compliance on it.

Well, it depends who you ask, I guess. I need a little more information.

Okay. So that concludes the nuisance abatement? Yes, thank you.

Real quick before we end the meeting. So April 29th, there was scheduled nuisance abatement and code enforcement meeting. The chambers aren't available, so they're rescheduling. the cases that are on for code enforcement, but the director has asked me if, with the consent of the board, if the nuisance abatement meeting could be moved to April 22nd, which is the week before. I have no problem.

I mean, would it be a separate nuisance meeting, or would it be a... No, it'd be combined, right? It'd be combined.

Yeah, I don't have a problem with that.

Need a motion?

Just... We have a motion.

So moved. Second.

All in favor? Aye. Aye. combining both meetings into the April 22nd meeting.

Do you change the tape?

All right, hold.