A prominent South Florida commercial property owner said he is facing nearly $1 million in code violation liens from the City of Lauderdale Lakes, calling the situation “egregious” and blaming the city’s delays for driving up the cost of what he describes as “minor” infractions.
A code violation lien is a legal claim a city or county place on a property when the owner fails to correct a violation of local building, safety, zoning, or maintenance codes, including the following: overgrown lawns or trees, broken windows or peeling paint, unpermitted structures and unsafe electrical or plumbing systems.
Landlord says city delays inflated fines
Alan Levy, broker and president of Levy Realty Advisors, LLC, owns the Lauderdale Lakes Industrial Park — a business his family has operated for over two decades. While he has long viewed himself as a partner to city leaders, he said the handling of recent code violations has shaken that relationship.
“I don’t go after the government,” Levy said. “I don’t fight city hall.”…