Peacock Lane residents question developer’s intentions

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Peacock Lane residents fighting to protect a home from possible demolition say they’re not sure what to believe after a developer postponed a neighborhood meeting until next week.

Everett Custom Homes owner Vic Remmers tells KOIN 6 News his company is interested in purchasing a for-sale home on the block and splitting it into 2 lots.

The company also hopes to buy another property adjacent to the home.

While Remmers says he won’t demolish the home, neighbors say they’re still worried. They want more information about what will happen if the sale goes through.

“We’ve looked at the track record of the people behind the property purchase,” neighbor Tom Brockwood said. “Looking at the pictures online, those were houses with ‘good bones’ as my mother-in-law would say. So why were they demolished?”

Realtor Mary Mayther-Slac says situations in which developers deceive clients aren’t uncommon, especially in Portland. She says, it’s even happened to her clients.

“They told us their intention was to rehab the property and create a lovely place within the house to move into, which spoke to my seller’s heart,” Mayther-Slac said.

Within a couple months, Mayther-Slac says the developer took over.

“They leveled it,” she said. “It is now a pile of rubble.”

Mayther-Slac says money often drives developers to go back on their word.

Remmers provided KOIN 6 News with the following statement in response to neighbors’ concerns about the Peacock Lane property:

“In regards to Everett not being transparent, I respectfully disagree. I am always open with anyone about our plans on all of our projects and this one is no different. I am meeting with the neighborhood next week to discuss some ideas for the new home we are considering building.

Eden works with many builders and we have worked with them in the past. I want to be very clear that Eden is a separate entity from Everett in every sense of the word  – different  owners, operations, etc. We are in no way using Eden as a “front” for our own business, we are just purchasing the vacant  parcel from Eden in a simple business transaction and have no intention of doing anything to the house on their property.

In regards to the reschedule of the meeting. This has nothing to do with any stall tactic. I am on the ‘RIP SAC’ (Residential Infill Project, Stakeholder Advisory Committee) city committee and I have a very important meeting this evening at 6pm. I am excited about meeting with the neighbors and I feel bad that I have to delay it one week, but this committee has been almost a 1 year long process and it is imperative I attend the meetings.

The previous owners were 100% in the loop as to the parties that were purchasing their property as we had to disclose this in the sale and actually paid a premium for being a business as opposed to a resident. 

I have no knowledge of any of the other claims being made about investors who buy properties. At this time, we do not own either property. We will only buy the vacant homesite at the appropriate time.”

Everett Custom Homes plans to meet with Peacock Lane residents next Tuesday.