On Friday, Angela Price was arrested for obstructing a peace officer and her two dogs and cat were turned over to the Humane Society after the 96 hours to move her illegally parked RV were up.
According to the Cortez Police Department, Price had moved her RV from where it was parked on First and Chestnut Streets to America’s Auto Care, but the shop was not equipped to repair an RV of that size.
After obstructing an officer, Price was arrested and her RV was towed by a truck and trailer provided by Able Towing.
At her outreach court hearing on Monday, Price was given 96 hours to have her illegally parked RV removed from its location, otherwise it would become property of the city, as ordered by the Cortez Municipal Court.
According to the court, Price’s RV has been illegally parked in Cortez for months, posing a hazard to those in the surrounding area, as well as to Price and her pets because the RV wasn’t fit to be lived in.
Price was asked to move the RV at her outreach court hearing in December, but the RV remained broken down on First and Chestnut streets behind the Social Services building. At her last hearing, she was given four weeks to relocate the RV.
In December, Price told the court that she was living in the RV in Cortez because her children are in foster care here. Before her children were placed in foster care, Price, her two dogs, a cat and children all lived in the RV, which allegedly doesn’t have a workable bathroom and is without a heater.
At the time, Price was on the parenting track for outreach court, but they changed the track to housing. Representatives from the outreach court told Judge Michael Wanger that Price is adamant about living in her RV and wasn’t interested in searching for alternative housing.
Originally, the court proposed giving Price 48 hours to move the RV or it would be towed. Price would be able to regain possession of the RV if she paid the towing fees, and if not, the RV would become property of the city after 30 days.
During discussions, a representative from the city told Wanger that if the city gained possession of the RV, it would need to be burned by Cortez firefighters “because of biohazards,” and it would be unsafe to dispose of it any other way.
When given a chance to speak, Price told Wanger that she had been working on getting the vehicle back in working order so that it could be moved, saying it needs repairs, such as a new tire and alternator.
She informed the judge that she has spoken with American Auto Care in Cortez to help with the necessary repairs.
When asked where she would live if the RV hadn’t been moved and was towed by the city, Price reiterated that she didn’t want to live anywhere else.
Wanger then asked Price where she would relocate the RV once repairs were made.
“I’ll just evaporate and fly it up to outer space and live there,” Price said.
The court approved Price continuing on with outreach court and the Piñon Project, asking that she continue going to Axis for mental health help.
Wanger gave Price 96 hours – noon Friday – to have the RV moved. Otherwise, it will become the property of the city, and they “can dispose of it as they see fit.”
He added that if things haven’t changed by the time her next court date rolls around and she violates the order to move the RV, she would receive five days of jail time.
“I want suspended jail at the end of this thing,” Wanger said. “This problem has been going on for months and months.”
Wanger set Price’s next court hearing for May 6 at 11 a.m.
“I’m rooting for you,” Wanger said to Price.
