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Code violations causing concern in Old Northwood

Posted at 6:56 PM, Sep 20, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-21 06:03:49-04

Louise Stoney takes pride in her front yard. Each space is carefully crafted.

"Oh my gosh I love everything about my yard," she said. "We've created a butterfly garden there."

For four years she has called home the Old Northwood neighborhood in West Palm Beach.

"We look after each other we care for each other," Stoney said.

Around the neighborhood, it doesn't take long for news to spread. Recently code enforcement has been making the rounds causing some tension among neighbors.

"Code it's a complicated thing and people need as much information as they can get," Stoney said.

"It was pretty much like a warning ... but it was a wrong warning because it was the wrong house," Humberto Lazo said.

A couple of weeks ago Lazo got a warning for a code violation -- his first after living here for 16 years.

"That we had debris, garbage and things that were not supposed to be out here," he recalled.

Humberto says that wasn't the case, so he says he called and filed a complaint.

"The guy called and he just kind of apologized and said that he might probably make a mistake," Lazo said. "So, I tell him how can you make a mistake like that."

WPTV reached out to code enforcement and asked about the violations concerning residents.

"Sometimes one thing can just lead to another," said West Palm Beach code enforcement supervisor Mike Posner. "I think he came across a few violations and it snowballed." 

Posner said his job is to make sure every homeowner is doing their part.

"In West Palm Beach enforcing the code is a mixture of patrol versus complaint," Posner said. "It's not like here's this piece of paper that said you did this wrong by the way you're fined, doesn't work that way at all."

Posner said all codes are posted on the city's website and if you have questions you can call their office for more detailed information.