The City of Albuquerque’s Planning Department has started foreclosure proceedings on two properties, Motel 6 at 6015 Iliff Road NW and CVS at 7105 Central Avenue NE. According to the city, both properties have accumulated significant fines for not complying with municipal code standards, and the owners have not responded to repeated notices.
Mayor Tim Keller stated, “We have done everything we can to try and get these property owners to clean up their act, but they continue to neglect their responsibilities. These two properties have been hotbeds for crime and a drain on resources, and that’s going to stop.”
Motel 6 was closed on March 11, 2025 after an inspection found several violations and safety risks for tenants and neighbors. The site had become known for criminal activity such as narcotics trafficking, assault, and theft. The Albuquerque Police Department recorded nearly 600 calls for service at this location within one year.
The CVS property has been closed since early 2019. Since then, Code Enforcement has made efforts to work with the owners to maintain the property, but received no response. This resulted in Code Enforcement responding to 62 calls for service since its closure.
Planning Department Director Alan Varela said, “These property owners are neglecting their properties, and it is harming their neighborhoods and the City will not stand for it.”
The city began piloting foreclosure actions in court two years ago with other abandoned or dangerous properties that required demolition funded by the city.
