A picture is worth a thousand words.
And sometimes a small chunk of change.
Anna Maria special magistrate Gerald Buhr continued a code violation hearing Sept. 21 against Bradenton resident Rosemary Polermo to a later date due to technical issues with the electronic images she brought to defend herself at the hearing.
Polermo’s vehicle was cited at 7 a.m. Aug. 21 on North Bay Boulevard by Manatee County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Boos for parking where prohibited.
Polermo appealed the citation, leading to the magistrate hearing.
Sandy Olson, the city’s code enforcement manager, requested Buhr require Polermo pay the $50 parking citation, a $15 late fee and $157.85 in costs and administrative fees.
Polermo said she parked at the beach while it was still dark in the early morning to watch a sunrise, so she may not have seen signage prohibiting parking in the area. She added that the city’s signage isn’t clear about where and when not to park.
Polermo said she brought pictures to show the visibility of the signage around the time she parked her vehicle.
Buhr asked for the digital photos to be submitted into evidence but, even after delaying the case to tackle another, the images could not be printed.
The case was continued to the city’s next special magistrate hearing.
Another person cited for a parking violation didn’t have to wait for a decision — but also didn’t receive a favorable ruling.
Miami resident Jose Luis Castillo, who attended the hearing via Zoom, received a citation around 11 a.m. June 30 on Archer Way for parking
his vehicle on a paved surface and facing the wrong direction.
Castillo appealed the citation the same day.
Olson asked Buhr for the same fines and fees she requested in Polermo’s case: payment of the $50 parking citation, a $15 late fee and $157.85 in costs and administrative fees.
Castillo said he had parked in the location for less than five minutes to deliver groceries and left the vehicle running while he stepped away.
Buhr said city code does not provide a time threshold for parking citations, ruled Castillo violated code and ordered him to pay Olson’s requested fines and fees.
Buhr also ruled on a third case, involving Odessa resident Yosmany Cuellar, who did not attend the meeting.
Cuellar owns property at 714 Jacaranda Road, which he uses as a vacation rental despite not having registered its use with the city.
In July, Buhr ordered Cuellar to comply with city code by registering the property and to pay $165.95 in costs and administrative fees by Aug. 10.
Olson said Cuellar failed to comply with the ruling by continuing to rent the property without registering it with the city and had never paid the aforementioned fine.
She requested Buhr order Cuellar to pay the unpaid $165.95, $157.85 in additional costs and administrative fees, as well as a $250 daily running fine from Aug. 11 until compliance is obtained.
The fines would amount to $12,323.80 as of Sept. 28.
Buhr ruled to issue Olson’s suggested fines due to the presented evidence, as well as Cuellar’s failure to appear at the hearing and his lack of an attempt to comply with code.
The city’s next special magistrate hearing had yet to be scheduled.