A Prince William General District Court judge ruled Thursday that Delia Alvarez violated Manassas zoning laws when she allowed a large sign to be built on her property at 9500 Liberty St. in the fall.
Judge Wenda K. Travers found Alvarez guilty of three zoning ordinance violations and ordered her to pay $1,200.
Alvarez has 10 days to file an appeal.
In a trial Thursday, city officials testified that an illegal sign stood at 9500 Liberty St. in October and November 2009.
Zoning inspector James Gillie testified that he first saw the sign on Oct. 29 and sent a letter to Alvarez, advising her to remove it by 9 a.m. on Nov. 2.
The sign was not removed by then, Gillie said.
The sign was illegal because it was tied to a tree, because it was larger than 32-square feet and because Alvarez did not apply for the proper permits before erecting it, Manassas City Attorney Robert Bendall said.
Gillie said the sign was 99-square feet.
City zoning officials said neither Alvarez, nor anyone else associated with the property applied for a permit to build the sign in October or November.
Travers ordered Alvarez to pay $100 for posting a sign that was larger than 32 -square feet, $100 for tying the sign to a tree and $1,000 for failing to get the proper permits before posting the sign.
Bendall said illegal signs have been a recurring problem on the 9500 Liberty St. property.
The city took Alvarez and property co-owner Gaudencio Fernandez to court over zoning violations for a different sign in September 2008.
In that case, the charges were dropped, but a Prince William General District Court judge told Alvarez and Fernandez to follow the city zoning laws in the future, Bendall said.
"That simply hasn't occurred," Bendall said. "It's a long-standing issue at this point."
At least three large signs, some protesting Prince William County's anti-illegal immigration resolution, have been posted on the property since 2008.
Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014.
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