An Apopka restaurant has filed a lawsuit against the City of Apopka and a city code enforcement officer, claiming the business was improperly shut down during renovations and suffered financial losses as a result.
The lawsuit was filed on January 6 in Orange County Circuit Court by Valerie Sparkman, owner of Just Like Momma’s Soul Food and Wings (Website), which is located at 44 E. Fifth Street [GMap] in Apopka. The complaint seeks more than $50,000 in damages, plus costs, and requests a jury trial, according to a report by The Apopka Chief.
According to the lawsuit (which you can see below), Sparkman signed a lease with the city in March 2024 to open the restaurant. The filing alleges that later that month, a city code enforcement officer entered the space and told Sparkman to stop work based on a noise-related issue. The lawsuit claims the officer did not have the legal authority to issue a stop-work order, but Sparkman halted renovations anyway, hired new contractors, and made additional changes in response.
The complaint states the city did not issue the correct permit approval until May 29, 2024, more than two months later, delaying the restaurant’s opening and increasing costs. The lawsuit also claims city officials later acknowledged that no official stop-work order had been issued and that code enforcement officers do not have the authority to stop construction.
The filing references a September 2024 investigation by the Apopka Police Department, which allegedly found the officer acted outside his authority and that the work being done did not require a permit. Despite that finding, the officer was later recognized by the city as its 2024 Civilian of the Year, according to the lawsuit.
The claims against the city and the officer include negligence, misrepresentation, violation of due process and equal protection rights, and interference with business operations.
