Edit: It is IMPORTANT that you read and share this humanitarian crisis. But just in case you’re not much of a reader, we added a video that illustrates this company’s sales transactions in 25 seconds.
You might have mentioned to a family member you were thinking of buying land outside of the city. Perhaps started a slight Google search to see what your possibilities were. There are so many options in Texas. Then you start seeing ads all over your social from Terrenos Houston or Terrenos Santa Fe or Lotes y Ranchos or Terrenos Baratos because they advertise with so many different names. But all ads show the same scenario a young girl in heels, in her very early twenties giving you a thumbs up or if it’s a video, dancing or raving about the schools and freedom for your kids. Mentioning being free from “toxic rent.” Or a young couple, in front of a new school or a freshly built house, and an aerial view of the land. These ads let you know you don’t need credit to qualify. No social security. They tell you to hurry. To get land to build your home or just bring your trailer. You only need two forms of ID and with $500 down, boom, you’re a landowner. “Okay, let’s see what this is all about,” you tell yourself.
You set up an appointment and drive up to New Caney from Houston – since they target the Houston market so heavily in some of their brand names and drive up to a big yellow building with big bold Texas-sized letters that say “Terrenos Houston” – meaning land in Houston. You are asked to pull up in your car to a designated area where they will check their system and log in your information. Once you are inside the building and past the greeting area, you are welcomed with a smile, offered coffee, and asked to wait for your salesman. You see other families waiting. Some with toddlers, a senior couple, a mom with teenagers. No looks of concern.
Once your salesman arrives he starts making small talk with you. “What do you do for a living?” “What brings you here?” Asks you questions about what you’re looking for, your family, and starts tickling your ears about what a great decision you’re making and what a great investment these plots of land are. He boasts about how the 99 Parkway is being built by the land and that you’ll be able to drive in and out easily in no time and how that will increase the value of your investment.
Then you’re driven out to see the land they are pre-selling because they’ll be ready in months, maybe even a year but they are selling “like hotcakes.” You check some of the boxes in your head out as you drive for around 25 minutes behind the salesman – never during traffic hours of course.
Peaceful country road? Check. The 99 Parkway is being built? Check. Freshly manufactured houses as you enter into the colony? Check. How nice.
He drives you up to their new school and shows you their infamous splash pad – the only entertainment for kids in the area. Your salesman tells you how the area will soon have shopping centers, hospitals, firefighters, and you are told that most people have a mobile home as they build their homes without pressure.
You’re taken through the nicest areas of the colony and wonder about that abandoned trailer you saw along the way. But mainly, you’re trying to retain a sense of direction. Since there are so many roundabouts until you reach the newest concrete roads, surrounded by freshly dug out ditches that you happily soil your shoes into so you can walk into what could be your very 1/3 of an acre of the USA. Heck, you could buy 2 or 3 plots of land with such a low down payment as so many people do. Could it really be that easy? If you ask if the area floods, you’ll get a “no” as they have told so many people.
You go back to their office with a head filled with possibilities of leaving behind your “toxic rent”, as they advertise so heavily, and finally having a place you can call your own. Where your kids can run around and play. Where you can maybe set up a place for their grandmother and grow some of your own food. Where you can slowly build your house and your white-picket-fence surrounded by red and yellow flowers.
You spend a few hours at their busy office where you pay the initial $100 to hold your land. Sign all the pre-sell documents and head home with a later date to go sign your official documents at 10 am or 1 pm or 2 pm or maybe on a Saturday. You know, when you won’t really see what traffic is like once you move there.
This is the story of so many people who fall into the pawn of Colony Ridge and its many connected names – this predatory company that links back to John Harris. Here is a list of things you will never be told throughout this misleading sale transaction in disguise of a family-friendly decision and screenshots of e-mails that have been sent to us. These are the stories we are sent daily:
1. The Area Floods
This company will not only not disclose that their land floods. We’ve so many reach out to us telling us they’ve had to rebuild or have suffered from flooding even after bringing truckloads of dirt to try to elevate their homes. They also fail to mention that they have been in a legal battle with the surrounding community of Plum Grove who is flooding like never before due to Colony Ridge’s poor planning.
2. Traffic is a Nightmare and Unsafe in Case of an Emergency
The 2-lane road that once peacefully led a handful of residents into the Plum Grove community is now forced to serve thousands who have to leave home at 5 am if they want to get to work or high school on time. When Savanah Crihfield, Harris’ niece, head of Houston El Norte POA, Inc. mentioned Plum Grove on Facebook, she fails to mention how the developer’s poor planning has affected this community’s form of living and how they have affected the very people they pawn into their own colonies. Instead, she accuses Plum Grove of hate crimes and entices them to call the media. When in reality, everyone is suffering and the culprit is Colony Ridge.
3. Foreclosures, Payments Disappear and Re—Sold Lands
We’ve had several reports of customers who have received letters saying they have not paid their lands and are going into foreclosure. Then they are asked for a lump sum in order to keep their property. We’re being told of cases where Colony Ridge’s tellers will not accept payments. During the sales process, they encourage their customers to pay by leaving their money orders in a dropbox. So when they are told their land is going into foreclosure they have very little evidence to prove their payments. Does that explain why there have been thousands of foreclosures happening at Colony Ridge? Does that explain why when Dolcefino went to a so-called auction he didn’t find any taking place? Is this a common practice taking place to pocket more money? That is what some of our sources have been saying. Time will tell. We can only ask questions. It is interesting though how Leslie Lane was in charge of foreclosures and related to Brent Lane, Colony Ridge’s attorney. Who a source said is also related to the Harris family.
4. Toxic Water
They’ve taken samples of water from their ditches and it is contaminated with fecal matter.
5. Constant Gunshots
Gunshots can be heard at all hours throughout the lands developed by Colony Ridge and we’ve had reports of innocent people getting hurt by stray bullets.
6. You’ll Find Trash Everywhere
There is no trash pick-up. Everyone is forced to pay a yearly POA fee. Trash is not included. They do not inform their buyers.
Today’s mission is to let the people of Plum Grove and those who have been lied into buying land by Colony Ridge and their salespeople that you are NOT ALONE. If you have not reached out yet, we are many, united and we welcome your story. We will continue to expose your suffering.
We also want to call out several people and institutions.
To the Local Hispanic Media in Houston, Texas – Telemundo and Univision:
Why are you not covering this? This is BREAKING NEWS. We have reached out to you several times. Where is the loyalty to your viewers? Does it lie in the few advertising dollars spent by John Harris and any of his numerous companies? We hope not. Don’t come rushing to us once the national media start exposing this. There are thousands of stories. There are many of us who are willing to talk. This is a HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.
To Judge Knight and the County of Cleveland, Texas:
Why do you keep approving the development of land to Colony Ridge? Why have you not stepped in to stop this? The people of Plum Grove have cried out to you. Wayne Dolcefino has presented plenty of evidence, including environmental evidence of why this company cannot continue carelessly developing and selling. Why do you continue giving the Harris’ the green light? Does it have to do with the sudden influx of taxes the county now collects? This is not about the people of Plum Grove putting a dent in your day with complaints. You have blood and tears in your hands. This is a HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.
To Current Employees:
You know you are misleading people. You might not have known in the beginning, when you first got hired, but you know now. This is not the story you want to be told about yourself. If it weighs heavy in your conscience. Get out while you still can. Continue to inform the authorities. We know many of you have. This is a HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.
To the Authorities:
We know you have been watching and taking notes. We know you have informants and infiltrated people. It’s time to act. This is a HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.
To the Churches and People Who Have Been Praying for all the Parties Involved:
This is not a call out. It is a thank you. Please continue to do so. You have no idea how important that is to us. This is a HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.
To our Thousands of Silent Readers:
Share! Share as much as you can. We appreciate your interest, but YOUR VOICE is important. Your voice is needed. Don’t send your thoughts and prayers only after this goes viral. We need you NOW. This is a HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.
English
What about the 1000s of stray animals that are so horribly neglected. Shot, ran over, poisoned, ripped apart by each other fighting over females are eating each other. Not to mention the breeding of so many dogs to be thrown out with their trash. And let’s talk about the dog fighting and cock fighting. It’s disgusting. So many gunshots and women being kidnapped. This is a hell hole.