New owners of Jeffrey Epstein's New Mexico ranch protest property value
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – The new owners of Jeffrey Epstein's "Zorro Ranch" property in New Mexico are protesting the property's value.
In a complaint filed in Santa Fe County District Court just before Christmas, the new owners of the roughly 8,000-acre ranch in Stanley, New Mexico, are asking for a refund in taxes paid on the property.
The New Mexico ranch was sold to San Rafael LLC last year for an undisclosed amount. However, according to the property's Notice of Value statement from 2023, Santa Fe County values the property at $21,130,201. The most recent estimated property tax amount listed is $151,475.
Court documents show the new owners are now arguing the property is worth much less than that, at $9 million.
"We like to see any information they have," said Isaiah Romero, Santa Fe County Assessor.
"I know this sold last year, we want to see the closing documents, we want to see what was included in the sale, and that's a lot of the work that the Assessor's Office does," Romero added. "We want to break down all information possible to get to a close scope of value, as all appraisers do."
Nexstar's KRQE reached out to the representative for San Rafael LLC but had not received a reply for comment at publication time.
The Zorro Ranch is one of the highest-valued properties in Santa Fe County.
Epstein purchased the Zorro Ranch in 1993 from former Democratic Gov. Bruce King. Epstein built the 26,700-square-foot mansion with a sprawling courtyard and a living room roughly the size of the average American home. Nearby was a private airstrip with a hangar and helipad. The property also included a ranch office, a firehouse and a seven-bay heated garage.
While Epstein never faced charges in New Mexico, the state attorney general’s office in 2019 confirmed that it was investigating and had interviewed possible victims who visited the ranch.
Epstein was found dead in August 2019 in his Manhattan jail cell, where he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The county assessor said generally, it could take weeks or sometimes years to conclude a property value dispute.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.