City Of San Marcos Could Soon Evict Hays County Judge For Non-Payment Of Lease And Property Taxes

Terra Rivers, Managing Editor

The City of San Marcos could evict one of its tenants in the upcoming months for defaulting on their lease payments and property taxes.

Several properties along the Union Pacific Railroad in San Marcos are city-owned property currently being leased to local businesses.

According to the statement on his account dated Feb. 13, (see below) Hays County Judge and Business Owner, Ruben Becerra, has two outstanding balances with the city and one with Hays County.

In December 2018, the City invoiced Judge Becerra for the final installment of his 2018 lease payments for the property located at 201 S LBJ Dr.

According to an account statement received from the city, Becerra paid three of the four lease payments he agreed to at a May 15, 2018, council meeting. However, the fourth and final 2018 payment has yet to be received.

On January 9, the city issued an additional invoice for $3,550.08 for 2019’s land lease.

According to the lease, the city, as the lessor, “may terminate this Lease for Lessee’s default by giving Lessee notice of termination, if Lessee (i) defaults under any obligation of Lessee under this Lease and, after written notice is given by Lessor to Lessee specifying the default, Lessee fails either to immediately commence to cure the default, or to complete the cure expeditiously but in all events within thirty (30) days after the default notice is given…”

In May 2018, the San Marcos City Council instructed Becerra to pay the lease for 2018 and directed staff to draft a new lease for 201 S LBJ Dr.

The lease has an effective date of May 15, 2018. However, documents Corridor News received from the city state the lease was not executed until September 14, the same day Becerra made the first installment of his 2018 lease that the city directed him to pay.

The property was formerly sub-leased by Yogurt In Love, which permanently closed its doors on December 10, 2018.

According to the Hays County Tax Assessor’s office, Hays County Property Taxes for 201 S LBJ Drive property have not been paid for 2018; property taxes for 2018 were due on January 31, 2019.

The property, which is still listed under the name of the former owner, Daniel Anderson, has a balance of $1,400.51 for 2018.

During the May 15, 2018 meeting, former Council member Scott Gregson proposed an amendment to the lease requiring the “lessee to show proof of registration with all taxing authorities of the true and correct ownership of any and all personal and real property located on the premises within five days of execution” of the lease.

Ultimately, the amendment failed with former Mayor John Thomaides and former council member Gregson voting for it.

According to the current lease, Becerra has thirty days from the “notice of lessee’s default” to cure the delinquency. After 30 days, the potential termination of the lease could be brought to City Council for consideration.

According to the statement from the city below, in lease payments Becerra is 31 – 60 days is past due for $3550.08 and 61 – 90 days past due on $861.67.

During the May 15 meeting, City Attorney, Michael Cosentino, informed the council unless responsibility is delegated to an individual or staff member by city council, the responsibility for terminating the lease defaults to the city council and be brought forward to the dais.

An amendment proposed by Thomaides last May to name and authorize the city manager to terminate the lease failed on council by a 2-5 vote with Thomaides and Gregson voting yes.

The lease is set to automatically renew every year and is due, in full, on or before February 1.

[divide icon_position=”left” width=”short” color=”#”] [gview file=”https://smcorridornews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Becerra_Corp_Account_Statement_02-13-2019-with-Property-Tax.pdf”]

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10 Comments

  1. Is an in Debt judge corruptable? More easily than most I would say. Most of us are worried bought decisions can hinder our city. The Judge is already making money on the lease to a taco stand that took over for yogurt in love. Pay your bills dude!

  2. How can a Judge that can not pay his bills own a Tesla and other expensive cars????? And how can his close friends on the City Council go shopping, dining, hanging out, serve on the Judge’s County committees be a part of the conversation? Look at the Judge’s Facebook page and you will see conflict of interest written all over it. Maybe the Judge should spend a little less on fancy suits and hair product and a little more on paying his bills. And maybe the San Marcos City Attorney and Ethics Commission should be taking a look at certain Councilmember’s relationship with the Becerra family and the leniency she keeps giving them.

  3. Y’all back offa Ruben the “Manske Roller” Becerra.

    Because he’s been reduced to strict poverty imposed under governmental standards, he must now weigh each private business transaction based upon the old Sears-Roebuck equation of “Good – Better – Best”. Namely, getting clear on how much and how soon his new customers want something, whereby he can arrive at the number of bagmen required and size of bags involved.

    The good news is, that some people are innately born with such powers of abstract. The bad news is, Ruben is one of them.

    He’s gonna pay even if he’s gotta do it in Bobcat Bucks.

  4. In no world is someone “in strict poverty” when they have numerous cars including a TESLA, live up on the hill in a large house (it has on the home tour last year) and has a job that pays with travel allowance over $100,000 a year. How stupid do you think we are? Look at his social media, his family is off on some excursion constantly. It is his irresponsibility that spends money on fun instead of paying his bills. His long history of money mismanagement is obvious. Yet, City Council continues to coddle him. Something stinks here and I can not believe that people are not more concerned.

    Why is this and other news outlets not looking into this?

    1. Mr. Smith,

      We can’t answer your question about other media outlets. But we can answer about our coverage, and we have written about this issue on multiple occasions. Below you will find links to six different stories we have published on this issue.

      In the stories that our team has written, we included ALL of the official documents where our readers can go and verify the information and our sources for themselves.

      Mr. Becerra does have a close relationship with a couple of city council members. We don’t have an answer why our city or city council “coddles him”, but we can tell you we will continue our coverage on their present/future dealings.

      Where our coverage of Mr. Becerra is concerned, we have been accused of “picking on” or “playing favorites”, however, we believe it is and will continue to be NEWS as long as Mr. Becerra is an elected official and/or he continues to owe the taxpayers money.

      May 4, 2018: Did San Marcos City Council Just Give Local Business Owner A Dixie Cream Sweetheart Of A Deal?
      May 11, 2018: An In-Depth Investigative Look At ‘The Dixie Cream Sweetheart Of A Deal
      May 17, 2018: San Marcos City Council Shows Great Divide, Infighting In The Dixie Cream Sweetheart Of A Deal Finale
      Oct. 22, 2019: Documents Show Hays County Judge Candidate Lacks Personal, Business Financial Responsibility
      Oct. 26, 2018: Hays County Judge Candidate Appears To Owe Additional Debt To Local Nonprofit
      Feb. 26, 2019: City Of San Marcos Could Soon Evict Tenant For Non-Payment Of Lease And Property Taxes

      Thank you for reading,
      Your Corridor News Team

    2. You sir, have offended the Manske Roller family. You have no respect for privilege or immunity. Incapable of hiding your racism behind a name like Smith, you now attack Ruben Becerra for the color of his skin.

      1. DearGeneral,
        I do not believe I have ever once alluded to the color of any one’s skin color or the color of my own. Nor has any thing I said been anywhere near racist. I suggest you remove yourself from a debate unless you can get the facts straight.

  5. Naw, I need to tell you bout the latest scam.
    You DO know the City of San Marcos (in its proprietary capacity, —not governmental capacity) owns the entire section of a public street
    go to Hays Cad website
    then do a Property Search by ID Number 141268
    .
    .
    Yes this property embraces Ruben’s lease of tax-free property, (which BTW expires May 2020 if I recall) but several days ago I came across a lease at City Hall between the City and Ted Breihan (who I know you won’t touch so I’m not getting into it besides saying the lease is renting from him rather than the other way around because this property also subsumes several buildings of his) yet it nevertheless jogged my recollection of how this tax map does accurately reflect how City owns this property without having dedicated the street for public ROW. Yet people are driving on it and any accident there takes place on private property (remember the City owns it in a proprietary capacity whereby you can sue the sh*t out of them). That’s nothing compared to the scheme the City has in mind for this area, and that’s why the property remains as it does. Because they know that people like you won’t do a thing and that’s why on second thought, I don’t need to tell you

  6. so…uh, is Wendy now saying that males who identify as pregnant females should have the right to abortion?

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