Washoe County hearing: resident seeks permit reinstatement, alleges fraud and selective enforcement

Jonathan Belfort told a Washoe County administrative hearing on Nov. 19 that he completed significant work on his property and asked that the county reinstate two remaining building-permit extensions, citing pandemic-related stays and other “extenuating circumstances.” The hearing officer admitted Belfort’s 13 exhibits into the record and said an order noting code violations will be issued.

Belfort, the respondent in code-enforcement case WCAH2025-000045 (WVIOPLA24-0100), said his permits were approved on Nov. 28, 2019, and that COVID-19 emergency orders tolled statutory deadlines, leaving him effectively in a multi-year extension period. He told the hearing he spent “in excess of $30,000 plus” on materials and later estimated the work’s current replacement cost at roughly $80,000–$90,000. “I mounted to my allegations now of racketeering involving Washoe County employees,” Belfort said, asserting he has submitted evidence to prosecutors and filed federal suits and a quiet-title action.

Code enforcement staff, represented in the hearing by Brian Farmer, presented their timeline of enforcement actions: a first complaint in June 2018, subsequent permit activity in 2018–2019, a first administrative penalty followed by a December 2024 hearing, a Board of Adjustment ruling in 2025 that required removal of items within 25 days, and a restarted enforcement effort that led to the present penalty. Farmer told the hearing that county enforcement is complaint-driven, saying, “At the direction of the Board of County Commissioners, we are complaint based. So we do not proactively look for code enforcement violations.”

Hearing staff confirmed they had received Belfort’s exhibits and moved them into evidence. The hearing officer reviewed photographs submitted by code enforcement (identified in the packet as taken on Nov. 19, 2025) showing items remaining on the parcel and cited Washoe County Code sections alleged to be violated (see authorities). Code enforcement asked the hearing officer to note a corrective action consistent with the Board of Adjustment’s prior order — a 25‑day removal requirement — so that the county would have a clear compliance mechanism before pursuing further penalties.

Belfort raised additional claims beyond the administrative record, including allegations of embezzlement, title fraud and improper, ex parte communications involving county staff and a member of the Board of Adjustment. The hearing officer repeatedly cautioned that criminal allegations and some claims about third parties fall outside the scope of this administrative proceeding and suggested Belfort pursue those matters in the appropriate forum; court staff likewise noted that portions of Belfort’s complaints would be handled by other authorities or in separate legal proceedings.

At the conclusion of the session the hearing officer said parties will receive a written order reflecting the findings and any corrective action; the officer then dismissed the participants. Belfort told the record he will request an unedited copy of the hearing recording and said he would pursue additional legal remedies if his permit reinstatement is not granted.

Background Belfort disputed some dates and notice procedures tied to the Board of Adjustment appeal; he argued the county’s communications delayed his appeal filings. He also said he relied on his witness, Jeffrey Merritt Wilson, who was sworn and participated by telephone. Belfort asked that his permits be reinstated effective May 28, 2026, to account for weather and the period he described as stayed by emergency orders.

What happens next The hearing officer said a written order will be issued and provided to the parties; code enforcement recommended noting a corrective action (the 25‑day removal ordered previously by the Board of Adjustment) to clarify compliance obligations. Belfort may appeal the administrative order or pursue separate judicial remedies for the criminal or civil allegations he has raised.