Santa Fe County staff seek authority to remove burned structure at 2805 NM 14 as resident reports cleanup progress

John Ziegler, the county's nuisance hearing officer, heard testimony and evidence on a Santa Fe County nuisance case involving five contiguous parcels at 2805 NM 14 that staff say contain a fire‑damaged, substandard dwelling and extensive open storage.

Frank Jones, code enforcement staff, told the hearing that a July 30, 2025 site visit documented fire damage, a partially collapsed roof, “multiple inoperable and abandoned vehicles distributed throughout the parcels” and debris across about 1.3 acres. Jones said the county issued a notice of violation on Oct. 22, 2025 and a written order on Nov. 17, 2025 requiring contact with code enforcement and corrective action; a follow-up inspection on Jan. 8, 2026 found the property “remained unchanged with multiple abandoned vehicles and open storage violations.”

Jones summarized the documentary evidence the county entered into the record — inspection reports, site photos, a fire report, probate filings identifying a personal representative, correspondence acknowledging service, and the legal notices advertising the public nuisance hearing. He told the officer the county's concern is public safety, not punishment, and requested the hearing officer to maintain authorization under section 10(c)(5) of the county nuisance abatement ordinance to allow the county to remove the burned structure if voluntary remediation is not completed in a reasonable, clearly defined timeline.

A resident who addressed the hearing said he had been incarcerated and in rehab, and that since Feb. 5 he had been working to clean the site. The resident provided photos taken between the previous afternoon and the morning of the hearing and said most vehicles had been removed: “The progress from February 5 to date... I'm amazed at what's happened,” he told the hearing. He acknowledged two trucks remained — one awaiting title transfer and one scheduled to be picked up in May — and said the outhouse and a collapsed shed had been removed.

During questioning, Ziegler and county staff confirmed the burned structure's interior had not yet been repaired and that debris and some inoperable items remained on site. The resident said a camper on the property was being used as a construction office and that he had registered some vehicles that month.

Frank Jones acknowledged the resident's cleanup efforts but said the primary life‑safety concern remains the fire‑damaged, structurally substandard building. He told the officer the county would prefer to allow voluntary completion but recommended retaining the authority to act promptly if the structure remains unremediated.

The hearing officer closed the record and said he will issue a written decision within five working days.

Next steps: the officer's written decision will state whether the county retains clean‑and‑lean authority for removal of the burned structure and any conditions or deadlines for voluntary compliance.