ORLANDO, Fla. – Neighbors of the popular restaurant Maxine’s on Shine are suing the business and the city of Orlando, claiming years of noise complaints, parking violations and nepotism.
The lawsuit was filed Monday in Orange County court.
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The suit alleges the restaurant took advantage of COVID-era policies in the city that allowed businesses to expand into their parking lots to create temporary outdoor seating; however, it claims Maxine’s built a permanent structure, which has created parking issues in the neighborhood and generated excessive noise for those living nearby.
Amid the pandemic, Maxine’s constructed an outdoor patio in its parking lot, which the lawsuit said was unpermitted and in violation of the COVID-era rules. The suit further states that this has led to more noise coming from the restaurant from both customers and performers brought in to put on shows that are then played over outdoor speakers.
The plaintiffs also claim the expanded patio area has led to more business, which in turn has led to more deliveries for Maxine’s. The lawsuit said because there is no longer a parking lot, the delivery trucks are forced to stop in the street which is causing traffic congestion for the community.
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The plaintiffs claim, according to the lawsuit, that they have complained about these issues multiple times to the city’s code enforcement, but have not received the relief they believe is due. The suit alleges that this is because of favoritism toward the business, saying that the restaurant is popular among city staff — including one, unnamed city council member and personnel from the mayor’s office.
The lawsuit accuses this favoritism as being the reason that Maxine’s was granted approval to keep its extended patio space permanently.
The lawsuit calls for the court to stop “defendants from continuing with violating and/or allowing the be violated pertinent city codes,” stop Maxine’s from obtaining and increase in capacity and “award costs and other relief the court deems appropriate.”
News 6 has reached out to Maxine’s for comment on the lawsuit. This story will be updated if we receive a response.
Read the full lawsuit below: