Hearing officer finds Maestas and Magana responsible for Coconino County zoning violation; 30-day compliance and $600 fine ordered

At a Coconino County zoning hearing held at Thomas Auditorium and by Zoom, Hearing Officer Brown entered a finding of responsibility in zoning citation PCC-23-0012 against respondents identified as Wendy Maestas and Leticia Magana after they failed to appear and did not file an admission-or-denial form, the officer said.

The finding followed testimony from a county representative, Mr. Stento, who described service attempts and evidence from an inspection. Mr. Stento said the citation dated April 23, 2025, and a final notice were sent to a San Diego address and that tracking showed delivery; the final notice was signed for by Leticia Magana, he said. Code enforcement officer John Cole delivered a copy of the citation to a tenant at the property, identified in the record as Leonard “Lenny,” left it on the door and later spoke with Lenny during a May 28 follow-up inspection; Lenny told Cole he had received the county paperwork, Stento said.

The county presented photographs from a June 3, 2025 inspection. "I took those photos myself," Stento said when asked to verify the images. He described the site as containing vehicle parts, household items, secondhand materials and refuse governed by section 4.7 of the county zoning ordinance. Stento said there were no inoperable vehicles observed on June 3; the county believes the tenant removed items of value, including inoperable vehicles.

Hearing Officer Brown said the respondents' absence and the lack of a completed admission-or-denial form were treated as an admission by default. "I have no choice but to enter a finding of responsibility and to impose a penalty," Brown said, modifying the finding to reflect the county's stated categories of violation.

The hearing officer ordered a 30-day compliance period beginning the day of the hearing and directed the county to return for a recall hearing after July 7, 2025 so the officer could determine compliance. Mr. Stento said the county was seeking a fine of $600 (calculated at $20 per day for the 30-day period) for the unlawful storage of secondhand materials, refuse, vehicle parts and household items. He added that if compliance was not achieved after the initial period, the county would seek an additional $20 per violation per day and could consider an abatement notice and cleanup where trash posed a health hazard.

The hearing officer and county agreed to schedule the recall hearing for July 10, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. The hearing officer said he would issue a written order following the hearing.

The record shows the county did not receive a signed admission-or-denial form from the respondents; the citation and inspection exhibits are listed in the case file and were presented into evidence at the hearing. The county's stated next steps are to monitor for cleanup during the compliance period and to pursue abatement and additional penalties if compliance is not achieved.