New Lawsuit Twist

We couldn’t have predicted this turn of events, so let’s rewind a bit. 

You may remember the case against the Lincoln County Tax Assessor we mentioned—a case filed by a STR owner challenging the reclassification of his property as commercial. 

Lincoln County was the first to make such a move. After sitting in limbo for over two years, the case finally saw a hearing in June before Judge Daniel Bryant of the 12th District Court.

(The ruling is attached below for your reading pleasure)

Liz Emmens, founder/director of The STR Fellowship immediately got our key stakeholders and new attorney Blair Dunn involved. 

In a small world twist, Blair is friends with Zack Cook, who originally filed the case and is former law partners with Judge Bryant. Reports suggest Judge Bryant isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed.

Blair’s review revealed that the ruling missed crucial points of the complaint, making it a strong candidate for appeal. 

Zack and Blair are now appealing to the NM Appellate Court. This move, while lengthy, could set a favorable precedent for our upcoming Santa Fe County case.

Why pursue Santa Fe if Lincoln County’s appeal is successful? 

Given the stubbornness of local officials like Romero and the County Commissioners, we expect they’ll resist change. Thus, a lawsuit will be necessary to force them to stop..

We know many have suffered due to the county’s actions—from forced home sales to financial strain. 

Rest assured, we’re committed to see this through, even if it takes longer than anticipated.

Your efforts have been instrumental in pushing this issue to the forefront. 

You’ve rallied local STR owners, 

garnered state and national backing from key stakeholders, 

challenged misleading media narratives,  and 

raised awareness of the inadequacy in our local leadership....working with key community members to seek office this term and in the next....Yes, we have our eye on the 2026 commissioner election cycle.

No other group in the state of New Mexico has accomplished so much.  

You started this effort and we will finish it together.

You are a strong testament to the strength of our community.

What's immediately next for the STR Fellowship?

For now, we’re cutting costs by transitioning from Brevo to standard email updates (blind copy, of course) . 

Please add strfellowshipsfc@outlook.com to your contacts to ensure you receive our updates.

We will continue to maintain the website and post updates there.

Thank you for all you’ve done. 

We’ll keep you updated and hope for a swift hearing on the Lincoln County appeal. 

Wishing everyone a wonderful summer!

Best,

The STR Fellowship of Santa Fe