KRGV.com

PHARR - Fequiere Agustin says a real estate development company took his money and left him standing in an empty lot.
Agustin put down $5,000 to build a new house with RRC Developments.

"To buy the land, they asked me for $5,000 in advance, so they can put toward the owner to hold onto it," says Agustin.

Agustin says construction was supposed to start in April but it never did. "Since then I've been trying to contact them to see if I can get my money back. I call. I sent certified letters. The letters have returned, not because of the address. They just don't want to pick it up," he says.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS tried to track down the owner of the company. We went by the office listed on the company's website and found an empty computer store. The building did have a sign advertising RRC Developments.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS went to the subdivision that was supposed to be handled by the company and found it was being built by a company called Frontera Homes. The company's owner says he bought the lots in the subdivision more than a year ago and he had never heard of RRC Developments.

County tax records show the owner of RRC Developments Ray Canales owns the computer shop at the address on the company's website. He also owes thousands in back taxes.

For now, Agustin and his family have moved into another house. Two doors down from the lot he thought his home was going to be built on.

Agustin has filed a lawsuit in hopes of getting his money back from RRC Developments.