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Santa Fe County seeks authority to remove burned Chimayó house, place lien under nuisance ordinance
Summary
County code enforcement asked the hearing officer to authorize clean-up and lien enforcement for 94 Camino De Los Ranchos (case 25-8053), citing an unsecured, fire-damaged structure, repeated calls for service and delinquent taxes; decision pending within five working days.
Santa Fe County asked Hearing Officer John Ziegler on Thursday to authorize county crews to remove a fire-damaged, unsecured house at 94 Camino De Los Ranchos in Chimayó and place a lien to recover cleanup costs, county staff said. Joseph Martinez, Santa Fe County code enforcement supervisor, presented case number 25-8053 and recommended the county proceed under the nuisance abatement ordinance’s authority if the hearing officer finds a nuisance.
County inspectors documented a house severely damaged by fire on Dec. 14, 2024, a partially collapsed roof, broken doors and windows, open storage and trash throughout the yard, inoperable vehicles and repeated police calls to the site. Martinez told the hearing the dwelling had been unsecured and uninhabitable since the December fire and that notice letters and certified mailings were returned or remained unopened.
Why it matters: Martinez described the property as a continuing health and public-safety risk, a magnet for trespassers and illegal activity, and asked Ziegler to "authorize us to move forward with the clean and lien enforcement under section 10 c 5 of the nuisance abatement ordinance." County records presented at the hearing included inspection reports, photographs, a site video and fire and dispatch records.
Key details presented by the county: - Fire date: Dec. 14, 2024; the Chimayó fire response reports note the State Fire Marshal contacted investigators because of a suspicion of possible arson. - Repeated calls: County non-emergency dispatch records list 25 calls to the property from April 2023 through Dec. 2024, primarily for suspicious activity or closed patrols. - Utilities and taxes: Electric service was disconnected in October 2020 and county tax records show delinquent taxes dating to 2020. - Ownership and contact attempts: Records indicate the title lists Edward Raymond Moya; staff research and an obituary notice suggested Mr. Moya is deceased and no probate or legal successor has been located. County staff attempted to contact an "in care of" person listed in assessor records, identified as Ivan Moya; a neighbor told staff that Ivan had been approached about purchasing the property, but staff were unable to reach him by site visits and had no phone or address for him on record.
Martinez asked that the hearing officer authorize removal of the burned structure and cleanup and permit the county to maintain the property until cleanup costs are recovered through a lien filed under section 10 c 5. Ziegler confirmed that the county’s exhibits, including a video file, were part of the official record and said he would issue a written decision on the existence of a nuisance within five working days.
The county did not present a recorded vote or final order at the hearing; the request was entered into the record for review by the hearing officer.
