Two of Coral Gables’ historic properties return to the Code Enforcement Board on Wednesday after the city issued notices of intent to lien both addresses — one in a demolition-by-neglect case approved just five months ago, the other in an enforcement dispute dating to 2021.
The cases at 134 Florida Avenue and 1104 Malaga Avenue have very different histories, but both show how code violations involving historic structures can move through years of notices, permits, repair deadlines and hearings before reaching compliance.
Demolition by neglect at 134 Florida Avenue
At 134 Florida Ave., AEBP Services Corp. faces four violations that were consolidated into an agreed order approved by the Code Enforcement Board on April 15. Andres Barboza is the corporation’s president and registered agent, according to Florida corporate records.
The property is a contributing resource in the MacFarlane Homestead Subdivision Historic District. One of the four cases invokes Section 8-108 of the Coral Gables zoning code, the city’s demolition-by-neglect provision for historically designated properties. The provision is intended to protect historic buildings from deterioration that threatens their structural, architectural or historic integrity.
The other violations concern property maintenance, the condition of floors, walls, ceilings and roofs, and work performed without required permits.
Under the April agreement, the owner received 60 days to apply for and obtain necessary permits and 240 days — through Dec. 11 — to bring all four cases into full compliance and close the permits. Failure to meet any of the deadlines could trigger a $150-a-day fine.
The city issued a Notice of Intent to Lien on July 3, after the first 60-day deadline but before the Dec. 11 deadline for full compliance. The owner requested a second administrative hearing in response.
A case dating to 2021 at 1104 Malaga
The history at 1104 Malaga Ave. stretches considerably further back.
The property is a designated Local Historic Landmark. Its current lien-stage case originated in 2021 and concerns failure to maintain and register a vacant property, repeated maintenance violations and an abandoned Jaguar sedan. City records describe a roof, chimney, exterior walls, steps, patios and porches needing cleaning or repair, fading or damaged doors and boarded windows.
The Code Enforcement Board approved an agreed order in May 2022. It gave the owner, Nicholas V. Soane, 120 days from March 7, 2022, to apply for and obtain necessary permits and another year to close them. The city issued a Notice of Intent to Lien on Aug. 19, 2026, and Soane requested another administrative hearing.
The property has moved through a separate historic-review process as well. In April 2024, the Historic Preservation Board approved, with conditions, a design for additions and alterations to the residence and site.
Wednesday’s agenda also contains a new and separate case at 1104 Malaga. Code Enforcement says building permit BLDR-23-11-4594 has remained open for more than a year without construction and inspections being completed, potentially violating the city’s rules governing incomplete buildings.
Unlike the Florida Avenue case, the current Malaga lien proceeding is not listed under the demolition-by-neglect provision.
One Ponce property reaches lien stage, another faces a new case
At 2000 Ponce de Leon Blvd., owned by 2000 Ponce Owner LLC, the board found the owner in violation in January for work performed without permits, including window and door replacement, exterior and interior alterations and electrical work.
The board gave the owner 180 days to obtain and close the required permits, with a $500-a-day fine after the deadline. The city issued a Notice of Intent to Lien on July 16, and the owner has requested a second administrative hearing.
A separate case at 804 Ponce de Leon Blvd. is at an earlier stage. The city alleges that work in Unit 808 — including an interior buildout, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work and exterior signage — was performed without required permits. The Sept. 16 agenda lists that matter as a new violation rather than a lien proceeding.
Other lien cases on the docket
Several other properties are returning to the board after receiving Notices of Intent to Lien.
At 931 Roderigo Ave., the earlier order gave the owner 120 days to obtain and close a roof-repair permit and remove a tarp, followed by a $150 daily fine. At 1129 Sevilla Ave., an earlier board ruling imposed fines connected to making the structure watertight and completing necessary permits. And at 3894 SW 8th St., an April agreed order established a series of deadlines for registration, permitting and inspections, with final compliance due Oct. 12.
The owner of 1221 Milan Ave. is also seeking an administrative hearing after receiving a lien notice in a case whose compliance deadline dates to 2022.
The remainder of Wednesday’s agenda includes newer cases involving unpermitted work, incomplete construction and property-maintenance violations across the city.
How to participate
The Code Enforcement Board meets at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, in the Police and Fire Headquarters Community Meeting Room, 2151 Salzedo St. The city’s meeting calendar lists the hearing at that location, and meetings are available through the city’s online meeting and broadcast system.
People who wish to address the board during a public hearing are required to record their name, address and the item they intend to address on the sign-in sheet at the recording secretary’s table. The board’s published procedure calls for staff presentation, applicant or agent presentation, public comment and then board discussion and a vote.
