Palindrome
Palindrome’s 2022 rendering of the finished Village Center
Palindrome is a “leading West Coast affordable housing developer.” Unfortunately, much affordable housing is poorly built with inadequate parking, poor management and shoddy maintainance, resulting in unhappy residents and a virus of deep discontent that can’t help but spread. These things become far more costly than higher-quality development practices. But for developers, affordable housing is appealing because there are generous funds available to help them turn a nice profit. Think feed trough.
Below are stories about developments managed by Palindrome’s management company, PacifiCap. These are just the ones we could find that made it into print in the last few years.
Their tenants are not happy.
July 2024: Albuquerque tenants struggle with flooding and fire aftermath Tenants who have been having property stolen from their damaged residences say “the property manager promised 24/7 security, but that hasn’t been the case.” Another says management “just keeps telling people things they want to hear to get them to stop complaining, but it just keeps getting worse.” Meanwhile at the Villa Nueva apartments for seniors after a rainfall caused a huge mess, “They’re concrete floors and with elderly people they can slip and fall, which is horrible,” said Jana Beasley.“
July 2024: Renters fed up with management’s response to storm damage KOB 4 showed you the problems for seniors living at Villa Nueva apartments in the Sawmill District. Tenants are dealing with collapsed ceilings and standing water after historic rainfall last weekend. Now, those living in an apartment complex across the street owned by the same people say they’re dealing with the same issues. One tenant “says the roof has leaked since September. She claims her property manager did not want to hear it, and threatened eviction.”
Dec 2019, Portland OR: Residents at low-income complex concerned for children's safety after flooding Residents were forced to live in unhealthy waterlogged apartment rather than provided with healthy accommodations (as the law requires) until remediation was complete.
Aug 2023: Albuquerque apartment residents form a union to protest ‘uninhabitable conditions’ These conditions included “fire hazards, overflowing trash bins, broken elevators and unsafe roofs that allow water into some apartments”, as well as failure to repair broken air conditioners. Residents are required to sign month-to-month leases which provide no stability and enable untimely rent increases. Also on KOB: Albuquerque tenants organize against out-of-state landlords
Jun 2023: Albuquerque tenants organize against out-of-state landlords One person writes: “I spent months with a hole above my shower filled with black mold. The AC was nonexistent most of the time, and the boiler kept having malfunctions.” Another writes: “A lot of good people and their families were priced out of housing and can be visited around town in various bosques and alleys these days. Some opposed their landlords and now they no longer have one.“
April 2024, Portland OR: With red flag raised, developer claims lesson learned One carpenter said: ““Palindrome Communities has past practices of hiring irresponsible general contractors and in turn hiring irresponsible subcontractors.” They also said: “Immigrant labor abuse, tax fraud, wage theft, extortion are things that we fight every single day,” he said.
Friends WINS!
The court has ruled in favor of one of the two lawsuits brought by FOLR against the Village for their violation of public trust and the Open Meetings Act. The second lawsuit, which more directly addressed the OMA, should obtain a similar ruling soon, as the facts have now been ruled upon.
FOLR, the Village, and Palindrome will meet on May 14 for a mediation to see if we can work out a solution acceptable to all parties that would avoid further litigation and legal expense. FOLR wants to align with the Village Trustees against Palindrome, which would give us the best chance for a successful mediation. The Trustees will be meeting in a closed door session Monday (May 6) to determine their response.
We ask the Trustees to put our Village’s future well-being before dubious promises of GRT from the VC project. We also believe that minimizing further cost to the Village depends on Trustee alignment with FOLR which gives us the best chance for a successful mediation, and that protracted litigation from not doing so will cost the Village far more than any GRT from future Village Center business.
FOLR thanks Mel Eaves and Joe Craig for their leadership in defense of our Village.
Albuquerque Journal 5/3: Judge: Development violated state law
Los Alamos Daily Post 5/8: FOG Applauds Court Decision Enforcing State’s Open Meetings Act On Village Of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque
Open Meetings Violation Letter to Village, July 19, 2023
Click on letter to see whole thing or download
Writ of Mandamus DENIED
On June 22, Judge Denise Barela Shepherd denied our request for a Writ of Mandamus. She gave no reason. Her ruling is below.
Help with our legal expense
Matthew Beck of Peifer, Hanson, Mullins & Baker has been retained to help us navigate the legal aspects of proposed high-density projects.
OR mail a check made out to FOLR to:
Bob Keers, 7037 Guadalupe Trail NW, Los Ranchos, NM 87107
