Board continues contested hearing in Univision tax‑sale dispute, sets Sept. 15 follow‑up

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 11 continued a disputed public hearing over a May 2025 tax sale of a parcel that houses a Univision broadcast tower, giving the petitioner and the purchaser until Sept. 15 to seek a negotiated settlement or return with additional findings.

Univision representatives argued the company never received legally required notices because certified mailings were returned to an out‑of‑date Dallas address after a corporate reorganization; counsel Belinda Vega urged the board to rescind the sale to protect due‑process rights. "The bottom line here is that you have Univision who's been in the property for a very long time," Vega said, urging the board to consider Jones v. Flowers and other case law on returned notices.

Kingdom Capital, the winning purchaser, argued the county made extensive, reasonable efforts to notify the defaulting taxpayer and that rescission would be improper because the purchaser is a bona fide buyer who has paid taxes and operated the site. Gabriel Green, representing Kingdom Capital, said the purchaser has continued Univision’s on‑site operations and noted that the legal standard centers on the county's notice efforts, not on whether Univision itself received the mail.

County staff outlined two options for the board: affirm the sale or rescind it (in which case Univision would need to repay back taxes and the county would refund Kingdom Capital). Vice President Arenas moved to continue the hearing to Sept. 15 to allow direct negotiations and preparation of written findings; the motion carried 5–0. The continuance preserved parties' access to the transmission site during the negotiation period, and county staff said they would draft findings to support a future board determination.