Miami drops case against Little Havana homeowner who faced $55,650 lien for violations she didn't commit
A Little Havana homeowner who was hit with a five-figure lien for code violations committed before she bought her house is free from trouble after city officials dropped the case.
The City of Miami's code enforcement board dropped the case and waived all fines against Angelica Martinez during an appeal hearing.
Martinez and her attorney, Ari Pregen, had prepared to argue the case regarding the $55,650 lien on her property, but the board resolved the matter almost immediately.
"Before I could even eeek out my last name, it was here you go," Pregen said.
Martinez expressed relief over the ruling, which spared her from crippling fines and potential foreclosure.
"I feel relieved," Martinez said. "I feel happy. I'm excited this is over. I can move on with my life."
In 2024, code compliance officers accused Martinez of building a fence and concrete driveway without permits. Martinez insisted she did not install the fence or order the concrete pour. Her attorney sent city officials a letter explaining that the fence and driveway were in place five months before Martinez bought the house.
City records showed the previous owner renovated the property, though there were no records of permits for work on the fence and driveway. Still, code compliance officers found Martinez guilty of violations in January and ordered her to pay $55,650.
Two months after filing an appeal, Martinez turned to CBS News Miami for help. Two months after CBS News Miami shared her story and asked city officials for an explanation, the code enforcement board dropped the case and waived all fines.
"I was shocked," Martinez said. "We barely were able to say anything."
Pregen noted that while city officials faced criticism initially, they ultimately did the right thing once the record was clear.
"In the first story they kind of took some heat, and some of that was fair, but I think it's important to be fair back, and I think when the record was clear they did the right thing," Pregen said. "There was really very little for the board to argue about. So, they quickly and quietly reduced it to zero."