Juan R. Sandoval, former Raisin City Elementary School District superintendent, will have back five acres of property for a horse ranch he formerly owned that was sold through a tax auction. Image by Juan Sandoval via Fresno County

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday revoked the tax sale of a 15-acre parcel near Reedley, saying the property owner who lost a 33.3% interest in the property was “hoodwinked.”

This was the second time that Juan R. Sandoval had appeared before the board this year. The first was in May, after his ownership stake in the property was sold for $102,913 in a public auction for nonpayment of taxes.

Sandoval, former superintendent of Raisin City Elementary School District, said he never received notice that he was delinquent on his share of the taxes. He laid out a story about a business arrangement gone wrong that convinced the supervisors to unanimously rescind the tax sale.

Sandoval purchased the property in 2010 with the intention of creating a horse training facility. Around 2015, he conveyed 10 acres of the land to Jose Michel, owner of the JC Michel western apparel store in Reedley. Sandoval said he and Michel had an agreement — Michel would pay the parcel’s full property taxes (under $500 annually), while Sandoval would pay the water assessment and usage.

Sandoval said after the grant deed transfer, he no longer received the property tax bills, which were sent to Michel.

Around 2017, Michel requested that the property tax bill be split in two — 66.7% to Michel and his spouse, and 33.3% to Sandoval and his spouse. After the split was completed, and with Sandoval’s understanding that the taxes would be paid by Michel, the first tax default on Sandoval’s five acres took place in 2019. Defaults continued until July 15, 2024, when the tax collector issued notice it intended to sell the property.

The county tax collector sent out 18 letters noticing the impending sale in January, including to Sandoval. But Sandoval said he never received notice. He said the letters were instead sent to addresses associated with Michel.

The one county notice with a confirmed receipt was sent to Michel’s Reedley business address, signed by a person Sandoval said was Michel’s son.

The property was purchased at auction by Michel and granted to his daughter Clarissa, who appeared at the meeting and acknowledged that her family had received Sandoval’s tax default notices. But she said they believed that Sandoval was also receiving duplicate notifications and never forwarded them to him.

She apologized to Sandoval, but Sandoval believes there was premeditation to the events that led to the sale.

“I feel like I’ve been double-crossed by the person I grant deeded,” Sandoval said Tuesday.

Fresno County Supervisor Brian Pacheco agreed, saying he found Sandoval credible.

“His partner changed the terms on him,” Pacheco said.

Sandoval provided the county a letter he received dated April 23, 2025, from Michel’s attorney to remove personal property, “including car parts, equipment and what Mr. Michel considers to be ‘junk,’” from the land that Michel intended to farm.

The fact that the property was then purchased by the Michel family informed his motion to rescind the sale, Pacheco added.

“That’s the bad part,” Pacheco said. “They hoodwinked him.”

With the decision, county staff intends to issue Jose Michel a refund plus 3% interest.

Efforts to reach Jose Michel were unsuccessful Tuesday. Reached after the vote, Clarissa Michel said the decision made by the board to rescind the sale was fair.