NEW RIVER, Ariz. — Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify details related to the dispute.
It was supposed to be the best night of a newlywed couple's lives. Instead, the bride, Holliann Tran, was left in tears.
Back in November 2022, she and her husband had just finished their first dance surrounded by family and friends at Wrangler's Roost in New River — a self-advertised resort and venue that hosts weddings. The problem is, that the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said they aren't zoned to host these events.
That wasn't disclosed to the bride when she paid thousands of dollars to have her wedding there. Neither was the cease and desist notice filed against them by Maricopa County.
The cease and desist was meant to prevent the venue from advertising and conducting any commercial business on the property without first obtaining a special use permit, according to county documents.
Body camera video from the wedding night showed deputies arriving at the so-called venue and telling the bride and her parents that they needed to turn the loud music off due to noise complaints coming from neighbors. Tran asked if they could just turn the music down. The deputy said they couldn't because if deputies get called back out to Wrangler's Roost, they would have to give a criminal citation to them.
“I’m so sorry ma'am, I’m so sorry," one deputy said in the video. "We take no joy in doing this.”
The bride's mother pleaded with the deputies. She said in the contract they signed with the venue's owners Heidi and Reid Stewart, it stated they could play music until 10:00 pm. However, the deputies said that wasn't the case.
They made it clear to the family that they could still stay and celebrate. They just couldn't play music or be loud outside. However, Tran said her guests started leaving shortly after the deputies left.
Her dream wedding was cut short.
“It really is a day that I'll never get back," said Holliann Tran.
Over the years, MCSO has been called out dozens of times to Wrangler's Roost for the same problem of noise complaints reported by neighbors. They've had to respond to weddings and other events.
According to a previous interview with MCSO earlier this year, no guests have been cited. Neither were the owners.
It led to charges being filed against Reid Stewart— which were later dropped — and ultimately a civil lawsuit filed by Maricopa County against the owners. It claims the Stewarts maintained and used their property in violation of the Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance.
The lawsuit claims the dispute has been going on since 2016, centering on allegations that Wrangler's Roost lacked the proper zoning to host events. It led to zoning enforcement cases being opened against the property.
The lawsuit also alleged that on several websites, the venue is advertised as a resort even though Wrangler's Roost doesn't have the proper permit which violated the county zoning ordinance.
According to the lawsuit, in March 2024 a code compliance supervisor conducted an inspection of the property and noted zoning ordinance violations continued.
Part of the County's investigation included listening in on phone conversation with Reid Stewart. In April 2024, the documents claim Stewart told them the venue was available for a wedding in November but the music had to be kept low because they had received noise complaints.
The lawsuit called for penalties and fines against the Stewarts.
"I'm really, really glad that the county is doing something about it, because I think they should have done something even before my wedding happened," Tran said.
Then in September, the lawsuit was dismissed because a resolution was reached according to a spokesperson with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
Separate from the now dismissed lawsuit, a spokesperson for Maricopa County said since 2021, code compliance started to fine the Stewarts for violations. They racked up more than $106,000 in penalties. Then at a meeting last week, the county Board of Supervisors approved a settlement agreement with the Stewarts. The document wrote that the owners acknowledged they were violating zoning laws and agreed to several stipulations to fix the problem, which included getting the proper permits.
The agreement reduced the $106,200 amount owed to $750.
However, if the Stewarts violate the agreement, a spokesperson said they will have to pay the entire amount.
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
12News on YouTube
Catch up on the latest news and stories on our 12News YouTube playlist here.