Aurora Community Pickleball Court Failure: A plan to upgrade an old tennis court into a pickleball court at the Willow Ridge neighborhood in Aurora, Colorado, has ended in a loss of more than $140,000. Residents say the court was poorly built and unplayable, forcing them to remove it completely.
In 2022, the community installed a new plastic tile surface over the 40-year-old tennis court using funds managed by the Homeowners Association. The project, carried out by Texas-based company PlayWell, was intended to turn the space into a usable pickleball court.
Court Looks Good but Doesn’t Work
At first, the court looked ready for games. Resident Carole Scott said, “It looked great! It looked like a pickleball court,” but quickly added, “but it wasn’t. The balls don’t bounce.” Players noticed that the court surface was uneven, making play impossible. There were also safety concerns. “There was a report that one woman had actually fallen and either broke or sprained her wrist,” said homeowner Teresa LeGare.
Questions About the Process
Teresa LeGare began looking into how the project was handled. She found that the HOA had no written agreement or warranty from PlayWell.
“When you’re going to spend $140,000, I would’ve liked to have seen a contract. What are your terms, conditions, warranties? What are we getting and what’s the playability of this product?” LeGare said. “And they got none of that, and the board apparently didn’t ask for it.”
LeGare said she contacted PlayWell to raise concerns. “They said, ‘Well, you didn’t tell us it was for pickleball. We didn’t know that,’” she explained. “And I said, ‘You striped it for pickleball, so I don’t know how you could claim you didn’t know the purpose.’”
No Response From the Company
According to LeGare, the HOA tried for years to get help from PlayWell, but the company eventually stopped replying. CBS News Colorado also tried to contact the company’s general manager and sales team but received no response.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” said LeGare. “It’s really disappointing.”
Court Removed, Trash Bill Adds to Loss
Unable to fix the court, the community removed it. “We literally just pulled in a dumpster and paid a company, and it cost us $3,600 to throw it all in the trash,” said LeGare.
She and Carole Scott blame both the former HOA board and the company. “It’s a 50-50 kind of thing,” said LeGare.
Lessons for Other Homeowners
LeGare said the experience taught her to pay more attention to HOA board meetings and spending decisions. “We all weren’t really tuning into the board meetings and what they were spending and doing,” she said.
Scott warned others about trying untested court surfaces. “We were being the guinea pig for this surface, and it didn’t work,” Scott said.
News in Brief: Aurora Community Pickleball Court Failure
An Aurora community lost more than $140,000 after a failed pickleball court project. Residents say the surface, installed by PlayWell, was unsafe and unusable. After no help from the company, the court was removed. Homeowners hope others learn to ask questions before making big decisions through their HOA.
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