In a significant legal move, a former employee has filed a class action lawsuit against a major real estate company, alleging widespread labor violations. Anselmo Plancarte, the plaintiff, submitted the complaint to the Superior Court of California for the County of Santa Clara on January 24, 2025, targeting Prometheus Real Estate Group, Inc. The case highlights alleged systemic breaches of California labor laws affecting numerous employees.
Anselmo Plancarte claims that during his tenure as an hourly paid Neighborhood Service Manager from February 2021 to January 2024 at Parker Palo Alto Apartments in Palo Alto, California, he and other similarly situated employees were denied proper compensation for overtime and minimum wages. According to the complaint, Prometheus Real Estate Group allegedly violated several sections of the California Labor Code by failing to pay overtime wages and minimum wages, not providing mandated meal and rest periods, issuing non-compliant wage statements, and not maintaining accurate payroll records. Plancarte accuses the company of having a centralized human resources department that implemented uniform policies across its locations in California, Oregon, and Washington that led to these violations.
The complaint details specific grievances such as an "on-call" policy requiring employees to be available for extended hours without adequate compensation. It also points out issues with the company's timekeeping system that allegedly prevented employees from accurately recording their work hours due to geofencing restrictions. Furthermore, it is claimed that management discouraged recording actual hours worked outside scheduled shifts to limit overtime accruals. Plancarte asserts that these practices resulted in employees working off-the-clock without pay. The plaintiff argues that these actions constitute unlawful business practices under California Business & Professions Code §§ 17200 et seq., seeking restitution for unpaid wages withheld by Prometheus Real Estate Group.
Plancarte seeks various forms of relief through this lawsuit including damages exceeding $25,000 exclusive of interest and costs. He requests class certification for all affected employees who worked as non-exempt hourly paid staff within four years prior to filing until trial date. The relief sought includes unpaid wages at appropriate rates with interest; statutory penalties; attorneys’ fees; injunctive relief mandating compliance with wage statement requirements; and any other equitable remedies deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing Anselmo Plancarte are attorneys Roxanna Tabatabaeepour (SBN 260187), Ryan Tish (SBN 274284), and Alexander Wallin (SBN 320420) from Capstone Law APC based in Los Angeles. The case is presided over by Judge M. Arechiga under Case No.: 29CV457375.