City to Motel Owners: Bring it Down

EL CAJON, CA-Eufemia and Clemente Cristobal will have two weeks to tear down the Cortez Motel, or the city will do it for them and send them a bill. The council first ordered the structure to be demolished in April, giving the couple 45 days to do it.

The edict came after regulators found nearly 300 health and safety violations. In May, the company refused to pay the $55,000 it would cost to demolish the 25-unit building.

The Cristobals have been told they owe more than $470,000 in fines from the city for the violations, which included filthy rooms, insect infestation and broken plumbing.

The motel’s longtime residents were evicted because of the unsanitary conditions, which included bad plumbing, insect infestation and filthy rooms. The couple has been incurring fines daily since the June 10 demolition deadline passed. The grand total is roughly $470,000 to date. The council agreed to the delay Tuesday.