CONEJOS — Land use issues are interesting, but few take place due to a court order from another state.
On April 4, the Conejos Board of County Commissioners finalized a division of land that had been in the process since June 16, 2009 and tied up in a New Mexico divorce court.
Laura M. Martinez, Antonito, asked the county to divide 40 acres of land so she could own the one-fourth interest she was awarded in her divorce.
While the case was an order from the First Judicial District in Santa Fe, N.M., Laura had to register the land division through Colorado and Attorney Raymond Valdez worked the matter through the court system.
It took 10 years to work it out and it was finally approved on April 4.
A partial decree of divorce was entered on Dec. 7, 2003.
In 2009, the other owners of the property were Alonzo F. Martinez, who owned 20 acres or half the land and Clyde R. Martinez, Laura’s former husband, who owned the remaining 10.
All parties involved signed the survey plat and the land use administrator processed and recorded the plat through the land use office, recommending approval in December 2009.
As it came before the current BOCC, this was a division of a tract of land containing approximately 41.393 acres, with one tract containing some 30 acres and the other 10 acres, more or less, which would be Laura’s.
Colorado law prohibited the transfer or sale of subdivided lands prior to approval of a plat by the BOCC.
The subject parcels will not be eligible for re-subdivision through a division of land/subdivision exemption process for a ten-year period from the date the division of land was approved on April 4, 2019.
 Any further attempt at a division or re-subdivision of the property may be subject to a complete review under the Conejos County subdivision regulations and construction is subject to any and all requirements now in effect or which may be established by county, state or federal law.