Sarasota Waives Fines On 90-Year-Old Widow's Home

Sarasota, FL — The 90-year-old Sarasota widow whose code enforcement fines had reportedly mounted to more than $150,000 is officially out of the woods with city officials.

The happy turn of events in Mary Louise Sikorski’s case came during a special magistrate hearing Thursday. City staff recommended that all fines and costs associated with the widow’s case be tossed out after a local contractor stepped in to bring the Sikorski’s Webber Street home into compliance with city health and safety codes.

Special Magistrate Richard Ellis agreed with that recommendation and closed the books on Sikorski's case with no fines or costs imposed, the city wrote in an email to media.

“Thanks to a Good Samaritan licensed contractor stepping forward and helping the homeowner, this matter was resolved in an amicable manner,” City Manager Tom Barwin said.

Barwin said the outcome is the one the city wanted all along: “for the property to be safe with healthy, livable conditions and to reduce the blight impacting the neighborhood.”

The city reportedly had tried to work with Sikorski for about two years to bring the property into compliance. Offers for help, the city contends, were declined.

“I’d like to thank the public for their concern and for allowing the process to play out once the facts of the case became known,” Barwin said.

Sikorski’s home in the 2100 block of Webber Street was vacant for six years with the utilities turned off, the city noted. The property fell into disrepair at that time and was reported as a code compliance issue back in 2014.

“After being away for six years, Mrs. Sikorski started living in the deteriorating house a few months ago,” the city’s statement said. “Revlis Construction, a licensed contractor based in the Sarasota area, returned the property to a safe, livable condition at no cost to the homeowner.”

The code enforcement case against Sikorski sparked outrage in the community over the Memorial Day weekend when it was believed the widow might lose the home she’d called her own for about 70 years.

A neighbor, Miles Gomis, stepped in to bring the home into compliance. His efforts, however, failed to meet city criteria since he isn’t a licensed contractor. A GoFundMe campaign was also kicked off to assist Sikorski. That campaign had raised more than $10,000 as of Tuesday.

Photo and video of Sikorski from YouTube.

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