Saratoga, Calif. – In a developing story, a vineyard owner in California is taking legal action against Santa Clara County following significant fines imposed for allowing a long-time employee and his family to reside in an RV on his property.
Michael Ballard, the owner of Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards located south of San Francisco, claims he has been fined over $120,000 due to alleged violations of local zoning laws prohibiting RV habitation on both public and private land.
The vineyard’s manager, Marcelino Martinez, explained that his family lost their previous housing arrangement and faced difficulties finding affordable options in the region. As a result, the Ballard family permitted Martinez and his family to live in an RV on the vineyard since 2013.
“I couldn’t make a family homeless for arbitrary reasons,” Ballard stated. “The human impact exceeded any damage or nuisance that their continued living in the trailer was going to create.”
In July 2019, the county commenced daily fines of $1,000 for the RV, later reducing the penalty to $250 per day. However, county officials have disputed the total amount of fines, asserting that Ballard refused to meet deadlines to remedy the situation and offering reduced penalties if the RV were removed.
Ballard’s attorney has accused the county of imposing “excessive fines” and violating constitutional rights through their actions against him. Ballard has raised concerns about the county’s focus on punishing him amid broader issues in the area.
“Just drive anywhere in the county; there are mobile homes parked all over the place. There are encampments everywhere you go,” he remarked. “The problem is obvious and overt, yet they’re choosing to prosecute us in probably the least intrusive example of this.”
This case highlights the ongoing challenges surrounding housing solutions in Santa Clara County and the implications of local zoning laws on community welfare.
