Imagine having to pay a $150 a day lien on a metal structure that has been outside your home for years but is deemed by the city to be in violation of city codes. That is the case of a Coral Gables resident who has lived in his house for almost 35 years.
Orlando Capote’s house is located in the middle of a luxurious building, literally. And to access his patio, he has to go through the back of the building in Coral Gables.
“Construction closed the street in front of our house for almost five years,” Capote recalled.
This is The Plaza in Coral Gables, one of the largest housing and retail projects in the city, built in 2019. Capote preferred to stay at home, with no neighbors around.
He also claims that he never received a good offer to sell the property.
“The numbers, when I did the analysis of everything, they never worked, they never gave us an offer that would have worked,” he said.
But in addition, Capote now faces another situation that began in November when the city of Coral Gables notified him that he was in violation of city codes, for a fence and the metal structure for an awning where he parks his car.
“That structure was there when I bought the house in 1989,” Capote said.
“They tell me no, today’s code does not allow it and it is correct. But when I investigate a little bit, I say wait, but the code from 35 years ago allowed it.”
In June, Capote appeared at a Coral Gables Code Enforcement Board hearing, resulting in a $150 lien pending resolution.
For its part, the City of Coral Gables said its code compliance program “is important to maintaining the aesthetic character of the city.”
The city stated that they received a complaint regarding multiple violating issues in November 2022 and that a team from the city met with the resident to advise them of what needed to be rectified. “Six months have passed and the resident has not complied.”
Capote says that he is doing everything possible to reach an agreement. The city gave her 30 days to make the repairs on his property and they’ve already expired.
Capote has not yet paid the first $150 because he is waiting for a second hearing in September.
