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Colony Ridge to Pay $68 Million, Halt New Direct-to-Consumer Development for Three Years

The deal resolves federal and Texas lawsuits alleging predatory land sales that targeted Hispanic buyers.

Overview

  • Federal officials and the Texas attorney general coordinated the settlement, closing cases filed in December 2023 and March 2024 over alleged discriminatory and deceptive practices.
  • Terms require $48 million in infrastructure work, including $18 million for drainage, plus $20 million to bolster law enforcement presence in the development.
  • Developers must adopt ability-to-repay underwriting, create default-avoidance and credit remediation plans, and ensure accurate advertising and pre-sale disclosures about utilities and habitability.
  • The agreement imposes a three-year halt on new residential plats for direct-to-consumer sales, with a court filing also noting a pause on future construction and new plan submissions.
  • Purchasers must present specified Texas IDs or a valid passport and visa under an intrastate land sales exemption, while developers deny wrongdoing and an independent compliance specialist oversees adherence.