Criminal probe is sought over Las Lomas housing

Smith released a Dec. 7 letter from McHaddad to county officials saying that Palmer had incorrectly identified himself as the sole owner. In the letter, McHaddad, 77, said he had become worried after seeing a notice from the county stating that he had given Palmer permission to represent him. He wrote that he had not agreed to have his property merged with other nearby parcels.

"I became scared and I still am," he wrote. "I called Mr. Palmer and I could not reach him. I sent Mr. Palmer a message of inquiry and concern and I received no reply."

Contacted Thursday about the letter, McHaddad declined to comment. But Klink responded by faxing a copy of an 8-year-old agreement signed by McHaddad that authorized Palmer to obtain the "necessary public permits" to develop the land.

Politicians at City Hall have been quarreling over the project for months. In December, City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo issued an opinion stating that the city of Los Angeles must process the application because it began reviewing the matter years ago.

That opinion showed up on the website of a neighborhood council in December, prompting another politician -- Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon -- to call for an investigation into whether attorney-client confidentiality was breached at City Hall.

Smith was unhappy with Delgadillo's opinion and retained his own attorney, Lloyd W. Pellman, a private-sector lawyer who spent years representing Los Angeles County -- the entity that has been asked to annex Palmer's land into Los Angeles.

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david.zahniser@latimes.com