HUMBLE, Texas – Have you ever been the victim of a bait and switch?
You know, sold on the idea that you were getting one thing, only to find out you were getting something else, a lot different.
Several families with homes in the Humble area have reached out to KPRC 2 upset. They said they bought into a Balmoral community where they thought they were going to have their own private crystal clear lagoon and water park, the Balmoral Crystal Clear Lagoon And Beach Club.
Now they said they feel like they were duped.
Yirandy Neris said she and her husband thought the lagoon would be their own private paradise, strictly for residents of the Balmoral neighborhood alone.
“We are completely outraged. The lagoon is the key selling point of this community and it was offered to us as we came here as a private amenity. Not to be shared with the public,” Neris said.
In addition, Neris said residents of the neighborhood have to pay between $1,200 and $1,600 a year in POA fees for that lagoon and the rest of their amenities.
“We, as homeowners, are being charged this high tax rate and these HOA fees and we are not even able to enjoy the lagoon and bring our kids over. Why? Because it is too crowded a lot of the time with non-residents from the public,” Neris said.
Residents pointed to a wild party that took place at the lagoon Wednesday night, involving dozens of teenagers and other nonresidents.
“They were loud and abusive. They were running through our yards, they were speeding, parking everywhere, all over the place, they were cursing,” said Anita Jones, a homeowner in Balmoral.
KPRC 2 Investigates reached out to the developers of this community, Land Tejas. The company released a statement Friday, which reads in part:
“From time to time, the general public is invited to events at the lagoon meant to showcase the beautiful community. Showcase events are the events that allow limited paid public access to the lagoon and are generally one of the only times a non-resident can purchase a day pass to enjoy the lagoon. It was unfortunate that some members of a privately booked resident group party, as well as members of the general public, chose to act in ways unbecoming of Balmoral’s community.”
As for Neris, her husband and their four children, they said they are moving out. She said they have already put their house on the market, after only living here a little over one year.
“This is the end. We are outraged that we lied to this way. This is not what we came here for. This was our dream home”, Yirandy said.
You can read the entire statement from Land Tejas directly below:
“As part of the normal course of business, Balmoral community residents are encouraged to book private events at the lagoon for birthday parties, reunions and weddings. From time to time, the general public is also invited to events at the lagoon meant to showcase the beautiful community. Showcase events are the events that allow limited paid public access to the lagoon and are generally one of the only times a non-resident can purchase a day pass to enjoy the lagoon.
Yesterday, it was unfortunate that some members of a privately booked resident group party, as well as members of the general public, chose to act in ways unbecoming of Balmoral’s community guidelines when the lagoon was closed due to deteriorating weather conditions. We do not condone this behavior.
As a precaution when weather conditions deteriorate, management closes the lagoon and requests attendees to return to their cars to seek shelter as a best practice to keep patrons safe. Yesterday when the lagoon was closed due to lightning striking in the area, the facility was closed and patrons were ushered outside away from the lagoon. Some of these patrons became unruly, most of whom were teenagers upset that the day was over. At that point, additional law enforcement was called and the area surrounding the lagoon and the community were secured as quickly as possible.
This is not a common occurrence in Balmoral but after this occurrence, the lagoon management team, the property owners’ association management team and the development team have decided to cancel the remaining days for the public-access showcase event that was scheduled to take place through this weekend. They are also examining current operating procedures to help ensure resident safety during any future private or public events at the lagoon.”