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Landmark condominium owners accuse board and STR operators of fraud, elder abuse; council hears repeated pleas
Summary
Multiple homeowners from the Landmark condominiums testified that short‑term rentals and management practices have driven the building into disrepair, imposed excessive assessments and fines, and forced long‑term residents into financial hardship; council members pledged to follow up.
Homeowners and long‑term residents of the Landmark condominiums came to the April 21 council meeting to report what they described as systematic financial abuse, elder abuse, harassment and conflicts of interest tied to short‑term rental (STR/Airbnb) operations inside the building.
Why it matters: Dozens of homeowners and multiple speakers said their building's homeowners association (HOA) has been run in ways that favor profitable short‑term rental operators and investors, that assessments and special fees have spiked multiple times in short order, and that elderly residents on fixed incomes face eviction or foreclosure through financial pressure. Several speakers said that the HOA had been cited by courts and that fiduciary protocols were not being followed.
Testimony highlights Residents described monthly HOA assessments that they said rose steeply (multiple increases were alleged in November and January). Witnesses alleged deceptive or retaliatory DocuSign communications, threatened key changes to unit access policies (including fines for not providing unit keys) and reported safety and water-ticketing billing irregularities. Nikki Buggs and Nadir Panjwani, both longtime residents/owners, detailed alleged patterns of harassment, suspicious special assessments, lack of transparency in HOA bookkeeping and the inability of elderly homeowners to sell or leave their units because of the cost.
Council reaction and next steps Council member Liliana Bakhtiari, whose district includes the Landmark, told the meeting she has been working on the issue for years, that the building has descended into “chaos,” and that she will press to curtail STR operators in the building. Other council members, including Mary Norwood, acknowledged ongoing constituent work. Council took no immediate ordinance vote or executive action at the meeting, but council members said they would pursue administrative and enforcement options and press Airbnb and other platforms to enforce rules where operators violate city or HOA regulations.
Ending The repeated public testimony underscores a regulatory and enforcement gap that the council may address through code enforcement, STR rules, HOA oversight and targeted legal remedies. Residents asked for immediate help avoiding foreclosure and for enforcement of fiduciary accounting standards; neighborhood staff and legal counsel will be expected to coordinate follow-up with council offices.
