Agenda 09/09/2025 Item #16A 2 (The release of two CE Liens in the CE action titled BCC vs. Maria L. Ramirez - CEB Case Nos. CESD20090000972 and CEROW20090000973)9/9/2025
Item # 16.A.2
ID# 2025-2494
Executive Summary
Recommendation to approve the release of two code enforcement liens with an accrued value of $1,391,600.00 for a
reduced payment of $10,061.70 in the code enforcement action titled Board of County Commissioners vs. Maria L.
Ramirez, in Code Enforcement Board Case Nos. CESD20090000972 and CEROW20090000973, relating to the property
located at 3440 35th Ave NE, Collier County, Florida.
OBJECTIVE: To have the Board of County Commissioners accept an offer to release two code enforcement liens with
an accrued value of $1,391,600.00 for a reduced payment of $10,061.70 in Code Enforcement Board (CEB) Case Nos.
CESD20090000972 and CEROW20090000973.
CONSIDERATIONS: The CEB ordered impositions of liens against Maria L. Ramirez for code violations at 3440 35th
Ave NE:
1. In Case No. CESD20090000972, the violation consisted of an expired Permit 2007052601 and failure to obtain
a Certificate of Completion for a fence located on the property. The lien was recorded in the Official Records
on May 9, 2012, at O.R. Book 4795, Pages 737-738, in the amount of $14,250. Fines continued to accrue for a
total of 3,420 days ($150 per day from January 23, 2012, through June 3, 2021), totaling $513,000. The owner
abated the violation by obtaining a Certificate of Completion (Permit CDP2011031318) on June 3, 2021.
2. In Case No. CEROW20090000973, the violation consisted of an expired Right of Way Permit 07-0945-E for an
incomplete driveway, and construction debris on the
property. The lien was recorded in the Official Records on May 9, 2012, at O.R. Book 4795, Pages 735-736 in the
amount of $19,000. Fines continued to accrue for a
total of 4,393 days ($200 per day from January 23, 2012, through February 1, 2024), totaling $878,600. The owner
abated the violation by obtaining a Certificate of
Completion (Permit PRROW20230313403) on February 1, 2024.
Pursuant to Resolution No. 2023-90, a request for a reduction of fines may be considered when payment of the liens
would impose a severe financial hardship on the owner. The property is being actively maintained, and Maria L.
Ramirez has offered to pay $10,061.70 to release the liens.
The recommended payment of $10,061.70 is ten percent of the Collier County Property Appraiser’s Assessed Value of
$100,617.00 and meets the criteria outlined in Resolution 2023-90. There are currently no known violations on the
property.
This item is consistent with the Collier County strategic plan objective to preserve and enhance the character of our
community.
FISCAL IMPACT: Acceptance of a payment of $10,061.70 to settle the lien will correlate to what is outlined in Collier
County Resolution 2023-90.
GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT: There is no growth management impact associated with this action.
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed this item and approved it as to form and
legality. Majority support is required for approval. This item conforms to the Board’s policy contained in Resolution
2023-90. RTT
RECOMMENDATIONS: To approve the recommended reduction of fines in the amount of $1,381,538.30, accept
payment in the amount of $10,061.70, release the liens, and authorize the Chairman to sign the attached releases and
satisfaction of liens for recording in the Official Public Records.
Page 542 of 2661
9/9/2025
Item # 16.A.2
ID# 2025-2494
PREPARED BY: Tom Iandimarino, Director, Code Enforcement Division
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Code Lien Relief Application - 3440 35th Ave NE
2. Worksheet - 3440 35th Ave NE
3. Hardship Letter - 3440 35th Ave NE
4. CESD20090000972 IOF 5.9.2012
5. CEROW20090000973 IOF 5.9.2012
6. signed releases(5)
Page 543 of 2661
真』5)Collier County RECE|YE0 Jt t l0 ifri
Code Enforcement Divisron
2800 Horseshoe Drive N, Naples, FL 34104
Phone: (239) 252-2440
Name of Applicanti興 ヽじ′しOriginJ Vblator 6fdlffCrcnt):3mt
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Property Owner(s) Name (if different from applicant):Sinへ ヽ
Applicant's relationship / affiliation with the violator named in lien(s):0い )ハ も、
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回ⅢOn Ofun……江bAPPLICAT10N FOR LIEN REDUCT10N PURSUANT TO RESOLUT10N 23‐90
Date: 全墾基主主、ぎギ町lnfお
°de Case Numbers:QE5D乙 00つ 0000972
L Applicants must fill out and sign the form below and provide all required
supporting documents.
2. Applicants should provide the completed application to the Code Enforcement Division
at the address listed above.
3. Payment of$150 is due at the time ofthe application
4. All administrative fees and hard costs must be paid at the time of submission of
this application
5. The applicant must have no other active code violations on any other property in
Collier County.
6. All ad valorem property taxes, special assessments, Collier County utility charges or other
Collier County fees or liens against the subject real property and all other properties
owned by the applicant must be current.
7. There must be no expired permits on property owned by the applicant or managing
member of the applicant.
8. The Countv mav reouest further documentation
Page 544 of 2661
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Are there any active (Code) violations on these properties? Yes- Noz/
Is the property current listed for sale? Yes No ~
Does this property have a contract for sale pending: Yes No- z' tf yes, attach the
contract and all relevant documenls. Anticipated closing date:
whatisthecurrentuseoftheo.ro"*,
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applicant:_
Was this property sold or transferred after the lien was recorded: Yes-No /IJ yes,
pleose attach all closing documents including the purchase agreement. Ifyes, was the property
obtained via:Tax Deed Foreclosure Sale Other (i.e. traditional
purchase, received via inheritance),
If yes, was a title insurance policy issued at the time of sale? Yes- No 4f ves, ptease
attoch title insurance policy. Ano title insurance wos procured, please provide an explonation as
to why no title insurance is available for the property:
Number of liens submitted as part of this application:乙
State the amount you are requesting to pay for each lien:口ヽiniγ っttn
The reasons, if any, compliance was not obtained prior to the order of imposition:
Provide the factual basis as to why a reduction ofthe lien should be granted. Please describe
the extent to which payment of the full lien would impose a severe financial hardship, the
measurable expenses incurred to bring the property into compliance, and the diligence of
the pursuit to bring the property into compliance. All supporting documents to show the
measurable expenses shall be attached. (Attach additional pages / documents if necessory)
Page 545 of 2661
Select all documents that are being submitted in support ofthe application.
_Title insurance
_Closing documents
_Contract for pending sale
_Pgoof of expenses to bring prop?rty into co{npli
STATE OF FLORIDA
COUNTY OF COLLIER
The foregoing hstrument was
I swear or affirm that all information is true to the best of my knowledge as of the date of
this signature
ビ取`r4し
_閑 薩.(Print, Type, or StamP Commissioners
Name of Notary Public)
ot y'pnysical
Florida)
retpresence or
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online notarization, this
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_PersonttyKnownORttProducedmeniicaion
Signature of Appli6ant
Type of Identification Produced:
Page 546 of 2661
Code Enforcement Lien Relief Program
Resolution 2023-90
1
Maria L. Ramirez
3440 35th Ave NE, Naples, FL 34120
Folio # 39956600004
Legal: GOLDEN GATE EST UNIT 65 E 75FT OF TR 54
Section 1: Property Overview
RESOLUTION NO. 2023-90
Case Number: CESD20090000972, expired fence permit 2007052601 without CO. Fence construction
started on property.
• 1/29/2009 - Original Date Case Opened
• Order Imposing Lien OR 4795 PG 737
• 6/3/2021 Violation abated, permit CDP2011031318 finaled.
Case Number: CEROW20090000973, expired Right of Way permit 07-0945-E, construction debris still on
the property driveway, not complete.
• 1/29/2009 - Original Date Case Opened
• Order Imposing Lien OR 4795 PG 735
• 2/1/2024 Violation abated, permit PRROW20230313403 finaled.
Has the applicant been found to have repeat violations in the past five years: No, owner since 12/19/2005.
History of other violations:
• CEV20090000971: 1/29/2009, inoperable vehicle; abated; case closed 8/17/2009.
• CESD20090000975: 1/29/2009, structures on property without Collier County permits;
CEB hearing on 11/18/2010, OR 4629 PG 253; extension of time granted 4/28/11, OR
4681 PG 2031; extension time granted 8/25/2011, OR 4718 PG 1663; abated; case closed
10/14/2011.
• CEPM20090000976: 1/29/2009, storm shutters on windows without boarding certificate;
abated; case closed 7/6/2009.
• CEPM20090000977: 1/29/2009, broken windows/doors; abated; case closed 10/1/2009.
• CENA20090000978: 1/29/2009, reported remodel/conversion consisting of, but not limited
to electric rewire, plumbing, walls removed/replaced; CEB hearing on 11/18/2010, OR
4629 PG 256; abatement of fines granted 4/28/2011, OR 4681 PG 2049, home restored to
original condition; abated; case closed on 6/13/2011.
Page 547 of 2661
Code Enforcement Lien Relief Program
Resolution 2023-90
2
Section 2: In order to qualify for the Lien Relief Program, the following criteria must be met by the
applicant:
• Property taxes paid 11/26/2024; well water - no Utilities account
• Other Collier County liens: None
• Expired permits: None
• Other properties owned by the applicant in Collier County: None
• Property use in compliance with Zoning laws: Yes, Residential
• New owner title insurance policy and/or closing documents included: N/A
• 7/10/2025 - Code Lien Relief application received
• 7/10/2025 - $150 Application fee paid.
• 3/18/2011 - All hard costs, administrative fees, and operational costs were paid.
Section 3: Eligibility
Lien Relief Application
Hardship Letter
CESD20090000972 Code Case Details Report
CEROW2009000973 Code Case Details Report
Section 4: Collier County Property Appraiser’s Assessed Value as of July 17, 2025
Land $41,040
(+) Improvements $184,544
(=) Total Just $225,584
(-) Save our Homes $124,967
(=) Assessed $100,617
Page 548 of 2661
Code Enforcement Lien Relief Program
Resolution 2023-90
3
• Total Fines Accrued: $1,391,600. This amount is fixed and no longer accruing.
• Fine Accruals:
Case CESD20090000972: Code Enforcement Board imposition of fines order fines start
date 1/23/2012 through compliance date of 6/3/2021:
Order Items:
$150/day fine x 3,420 days $ 513,000.00
plus $79.72 in operational costs $ 79.72
3/18/2011 Paid costs $ (79.72)
Total Fines: $ 513,000.00
Case CEROW20090000973: Code Enforcement Board imposition of fines order fines start
date 1/23/2012 through compliance date of 2/1/2024:
Order Items:
$200/day fine x 4,393 days $ 878,600.00
plus $80 operational costs $ 80.00
3/18/2011 Paid costs $ (80.00)
Total Fines: $ 878,600.00
Total Fines for 2 Cases: $ 1,391,600.00
Recommended reduction amount: $(1,381,538.30)
10% of Assessed Value: $ 10,061.70
Applicant’s offer: $ minimum
Page 549 of 2661
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to you not only as a homeowner but as a mother, a caregiver,
and a woman who has spent the last two decades doing everything in her power
just to keep her family safe and together under one roof. Today, I humbly ask for
your understanding and compassion as I request forgiveness for the fines that have
been placed on my property at3440 35th Ave NE, Naples, FL 34120. The total
amount currently due, over a million dollars, is an overwhelning burden that I am
unable to overcome, despite my best efforts and intentions over the years. I
respectfully ask that you consider my request for forgiveness oi these fines based
on the circumstances my family and I have endured and I hope you will take a
moment to hear my story, not just through facts and dates, but through the very real
struggles and sacrifices that brought us here.
When I purchased this home in December of 2005, it was with the dream of
giving my chil&en the one thing I never had: stability, security, and a place to call
home for life. It was our forever home, filled with hopes and promises. But shortly
after moving in, my world fell apart. I became a single mother, navigating a painful
divorce while raising three small children on my own. At the same time, my
mother and my youngest sister were forced to move in with us after experiencing
their own life-altering hardships. I suddenly found myselfas the sole provider for
six people, trying to make ends meet while keeping a brave face for the children
who depended on me.
Just as I began to recover and rebuild, life dealt another cruel blow. ln2012,
my youngest sister, whom was just 14 at the time and more like a daughter than a
sibling, was diaposed with an aggressive, late-stage lymphoma. The news
shattered our lives. She was admitted to Golisano Children's Hospital in Ft Myers,
Page 550 of 2661
where she remained for six long and terrifying months. I had to quit my job, as did
my mother, to be by her side every day while still trying to care for my own
children and travel back and forth to the hospital, which was a two hour commute
every day. I was emotionally drained, physically exhausted, and financially
devastated. Every dollar I had went toward trying to save her life and hold our
family together. Bills fell behind, payments were missed, and foreclosure
threatened the only home we had left. In the end, I was forced to declare
bankruptcy just to keep us aIloat.
To avoid losing our home, I had to rent it out temporarily. Unfortunately,
during that time, I was not living on the property and was unaware of, or unable to
address, the code violations that ultimately resulted in liens and fines from the
county. I dido't abandon my responsibilities out of carelessness; I simply had no
other choice. Every day felt like a battle between surviving and drowning. I was
doing everything I could with what little strength I had left.
Life didn't slow down after that. In fact, it only became harder. Soon, I
became the unexpected legal guardian to four more children, my nieces and
nephews, after a family crisis left thern with nowhere else to go. They were at risk
ofbeing separated in foster care, and I couldn't bear to let that happen. Overnight,
I became a mother to seven. I took them in with open anns, even though I had no
idea how I would manage it. My love for them was greater than my fear, and I
knew I had to keep them safe.
Then, in 2019,my daughter, was hospitalized for over a week and diagnosed
with a rare and life-threatening congenital heart condition: cardiomyopathy and
heart failure. Since that day, our lives have revolved around hospitals, specialists,
and treatrnent centers across the state ofFlorida. There have been countless
1≧_Page 551 of 2661
appointments, sleepless nights, and terrifying. Every ounce of energy I had went to
keeping her alive and making sure the other children didn't feel forgotten.
Throughout all ofthis, I had to put the property's needs second. Projects
such as the expansion of our driveway and repair of our concrete fence, which had
been started in better times, had to be paused. I always intended to complete these
improvements, but my family's health and survival took precedence. I never
imagined life would keep throwing obstacles in our path.
But somehow, through all the hardship, we survived. We are still standing.
And I'm proud to say that I have now completed every one ofthe projects and
corrected all code violations. The home is finally in compliance. I did what I set
out to do, but I am now facing the crushing reality of fines that are more than I will
ever be able to repay. These fines were not the result ofneglect or disregard, but of
a mother making impossible choices in impossible circumstances.
All I have ever wanted is to provide my children with something that I never
had, a safe, loving, stable home that they can carry with them into the future. I
want to leave behind a legacy not ofdebt and struggle, but ofstrength, sacrifice,
and love. This home is all we have. And now that it's finally whole again, I am
terrified that it could be taken from us because ofthe years it took to get here.
These fines are not just numbers on paper; they represent a threat to the very home
I've fought so hard to preserve for nearly two decades. This home is not just a
structure; it's the heart of my family's history and future. It is where my children
have grown up, where I've cared for sick loved ones, and where I hope to someday
leave behind a legacy ofperseverance, love, and security for my children.
もPage 552 of 2661
My greatest hope is to leave this home to my children as something of true
value, free of burdens, free ofliens, a gift they can use, live in, or pass down as
they choose. I don't want to leave them with a home saddled by debt, but with an
opportunity for stability and freedom that I've spent my life trying to build. They
are my reason for everything, and my deepest wish is to provide them with the
stability I never had growrng up.
I understand that the rules and fines exist for a reason, and I accept
responsibility for what occurred. However, I hope you can see that these violations
were never due to negligence or disregard, but to exhaordinary and uncontollable
circumstances that demanded everything from me as a mother, caregiver, and
provider. I am simply asking for a chance, a second chance, to move forward with
my life and leave something meaningful behind for my children.
I am pleading with you, not just as a property owner, but as a mother who
has fought for everything she has, to please consider forgiving these fines. Please
consider my request for relief from these fines with empathy and trnderstanding. I
have done everything in my power to make things right, and now I am asking for
your help to finally close this long, difficult chapter and begin a new one.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your time and consideration.
With deepest sincerity,
Maria Ramirez
(239)9861299
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This lnstrument Prepared By:
Ronald T. Tomasko, Esquire
Collier County Attorney's Office
3299 E. Tamiami Trail-Suite 800
Naples, FL 34112
(239) 252-8400
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That the BOARD OF COUNTY COMMTSSTONERS
OF COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA is the owner and holder of a certain lien against all real and
personal property owned by:
Maria L. Ramirez,
Respondent
The lien was recorded on May 9, 2012, in Official Records Book 4795, Pages 735-736, in the
Official Records of Collier County, State of Florida. The lien secures the principal sum of nineteen
thousand dollars and zero cents ($19,000.00), plus accrued interest and penalties, if any, and
imposes certain obligations against real property situated in Collier County, Florida.
Collier County, a political subdivision of the State of Florida, by execution of this Release and
Satisfaction of Lien, acknowledges payment as approved by the Board of County Commissioners
as satisfaction of the lien and hereby cancels and releases said lien.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court is hereby directed to record this Release and Satisfaction of Lien in
the Official Records of Collier County, Florida, to acknowledge that the lien ceases to exist.
ATTEST
CRYSTAL K. KINZEL, Clerk
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA
Date
By
Ap
Date
S
Deputy Clerk
ality
[2s CE]01932/1959518/11
RELEASE AND SATISFACTION OF LIEN
By:
Burt L. Saunders, Chair
and
gt^
Ronald T. Tomasko
Assistant County Attorney
Page 558 of 2661
This lnstrument Prepared By:
Ronald T. Tomasko, Esquire
Collier County Attorney's Office
3299 E. Tamiami Trail-Suite 800
Naples, FL 34'l '12
(239) 252-8400
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That the BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA is the owner and holder of a certain lien against all real and
personal property owned by:
Maria L. Ramirez,
Respondent
The lien was recorded on May g, 2012, in Official Records Book 4795, Pages 737-738, in the
Official Records of Collier County, State of Florida. The lien secures the principal sum of fourteen
thousand two hundred fifty dollars and zero cents ($14,250.00), plus accrued interest and
penalties, if any, and imposes certain ob gations against real property situated in Collier County,
Florida.
Collier County, a political subdivision of the State of Florida, by execution of this Release and
Satisfaction of Lien, acknowledges payment as approved by the Board of County Commissioners
as satisfaction of the lien and hereby cancels and releases said lien.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court is hereby directed to record this Release and Satisfaction of Lien in
the Official Records of Collier County, Florida, to acknowledge that the lien ceases to exist.
ATTEST
CRYSTAL K. KINZEL, Clerk
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA
Burt L. Saunders, Chair
Date:
Ap
Deputy Clerk
nd egalitya
(h
Ronald T. Tomasko
Assistant County Attorney
[2s cr]01932/19s9636/11
RELEASE AND SATISFACTION OF LIEN
By:By:
Date:
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