Commissioners table John Black subdivision exemption over missing trustee authority

The Dolores County Board of County Commissioners on Dec. 15 tabled final action on a subdivision-exemption application for John Black after staff reported that the trustee authority on the draft plat did not match county records.

Staff member told the board they had circulated a draft plat and later discovered the trustee name was wrong and that Mr. Black had not filed documentation establishing his authority as trustee. “He had not filed his authority as the trustee,” Staff member said, and added that Dr. Huddleston reported a mylar and an authority form had been delivered to Mr. Black the previous day and that the applicant said he would bring the signed documents to the clerk’s office.

Because the board had no evidence the trustee authority was in place, the board declined to approve the exemption. The Chair moved to lay the item on the table and revisit it at the next meeting with documentation in hand.

The board asked staff to request formal proof of trustee authority before reintroducing the plat and to confirm the trustee name on record to avoid future title mismatches. Staff cautioned that incorrect vesting information can cause problems years later when parcels are sold or titles are cleared.

The board placed the item on the Dec. 22 agenda for further consideration; no final approval was recorded Dec. 15.