The Florida Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal of Sandy Martinez, a South Florida homeowner ordered to pay more than $100,000 in municipal fines related to her driveway. She accrued $250-a-day penalties for nearly a year after two tires touched the grass beside her driveway and was also cited for driveway cracks and a storm-damaged fence. Town officials say repairs were not done properly; Martinez says her repeated requests for an inspection were ignored, allowing the fines to grow into six figures.
Florida Supreme Court Won't Hear Case of Homeowner Fined Six Figures Over Driveway Violations
Brickbat: Cracked
The Florida Supreme Court declined to review the appeal of South Florida homeowner Sandy Martinez, who was ordered to pay more than $100,000 in municipal fines related to conditions on her own driveway.
What Happened
Martinez was issued $250-per-day fines for nearly a year after two of her car's tires were found touching the grass beside her driveway — a violation of local zoning or property codes. Officials also cited her for cracks in the driveway and a fence damaged in a storm. According to court filings and local reports, the penalties ballooned into the six-figure range because town authorities said repairs were not completed properly.
Dispute Over Inspections
Martinez says she made repeated attempts to schedule a town inspection to confirm repairs, but her requests were ignored. The municipality maintains it did not receive satisfactory evidence that the violations had been remedied, which led to continued accrual of daily fines.
Outcome: With the state Supreme Court refusing review, the lower-court judgment — and the six-figure fine amount — stands unless further legal relief is sought.
Context and Reactions
The case has drawn attention for the scale of the fines relative to the underlying violations and has prompted discussion about municipal code enforcement practices and homeowners' ability to obtain timely inspections and due process. The original report appeared on Reason.com.
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