‘Being beat on with a sledgehammer’: Florida couple speak out after city issues ‘mind-blowing’ $366K fines for code violations they fixed — and they’re not the only ones facing excessive fees

"I feel like I'm just being beat on with a sledgehammer, and I don't understand it," Kenneth told CBS News.

Their lawyer Ari Pregen says the city’s actions are completely unfair.

“It's absolutely mindblowing to say 'We're going to hold your property hostage and we're not going to allow you to do what you want with your property, to pass it on to your next of kin and your loved ones, because of window cranks and plastic covers,’” he said.

Now, their efforts — and the media attention — may have borne some fruit.

How minor violations turned into major fines

It all started last year when the Bordeauxs — who rent out part of their duplex to cover bills — evicted a tenant.

When inspectors visited the property following the eviction, they fined the Bordeauxs for six violations, including broken window frames and handles; cracked outlet covers; peeling paint; minor interior door and wall damage; and smoke detectors needing replacement.

The Bordeauxs say they promptly addressed all the issues and made the required repairs.

The problem? City inspectors took 222 days to verify that the repairs had been made. Meanwhile, for every one of those 222 days, the city levied additional daily fines of $1,500 per violation — resulting in the $366,142.70 total.

Their attorney, Ari Pregen, said the situation is unreasonable.

"You can't charge someone $65,000 for a broken window crank, $55,000 for a broken [cover] plate,” he said.

The couple applied for a lien reduction, a process allowing property owners to request a lower payment on fines or fees owed to the city.

Inspectors only offered a 10% reduction, meaning the Bordeauxs would have to pay more than $300,000 to remove the liens on the property, one the couple want to leave to family members.

"It's just been absolutely terrible,” Kenneth Bordeaux said.

CBS Miami has since discovered that other Lauderdale Lakes property owners have been hit with excessive fines and liens due to code inspection delays.

The news outlet revealed that in its 2025 budget, the City of Lauderdale Lakes is counting on a 161.4% increase in revenue from fines and forfeitures compared to 2024.

The Bordeauxs’ lawyer notes that levying excessive fines is illegal.

“We have the excessive fines clause for a reason,” Pregen says. “It prohibits excessive fines.”

He continues to negotiate with the city — not only to lower the Bordeauxs’ fines and remove the liens on their duplex, but to urge the city to change its policy to protect other homeowners in similar situations.

In a CBS followup to the original report story, City Attorney Sidney Calloway rejected the idea that the City of Lauderdale Lakes "acted improperly, has (dragged) its feet or slowed the process" for the Bordeauxs.