By: Las Vegas Now Staff
Ken Lanier moved into a house on the side Sun City Aliante's Golf Course for the ambience and the scenery. Now, he and his wife feel like they live in a war zone. Their home, their bodies and their neighbors have been hit by stray golf balls multiple times. The couple is tired of not being able to enjoy their patio and want some changes to be made on the course.
“Why do we have to wait until somebody is seriously injured before something is done?”
This is the question Lanier has asked Pulte Del Webb, the master home owner's association, the sub-association, O.B. Sports and even North Las Vegas Councilwoman Shari Buck. Everyone but Buck told him the same thing: you chose to live on a golf course, so you have to accept responsibility.
“I expected occasionally maybe somebody would hit a golf ball, but I've repaired in the almost four years that I've owned this house, about 100 golf ball strikes. I never expected that. I never expected to be hit by a golf ball or my wife to be hit by a golf ball or to see the damage done to the houses around me by golf balls. And I never ever, ever expected the association not to care,” Lanier said.
Pulte Del Webb home buyers are required to sign a disclosure that says neither the developer, seller nor the home owner's association is responsible for any damage. Lanier claims he never saw or signed a disclosure.
The Pulte Del Webb sales office can't confirm the Laniers claim, but they did find that the couple signed an Aliante Homebuyer Information Statement. Section D of that statement says that “errant golf balls may result in a certain loss of privacy and/or damage to neighboring homes.”
Randy Weigman, the general manager of Aliante Golf Club said in a written statement that “the staff at Aliante Golf Course staff is well trained to provide assistance in making every attempt to connect a homeowner with a golfer when an errant golf ball causes damage to a residence. However, the golf course operator and its staff assume no liability for unintentional errant golf balls that are hit by a golfer and have no authority that would force either of the parties involved to accept responsibility.”
Lanier believes there is a simple solution to reducing the number of by 90-percent. “We don't want the golf course shut down. The thing that we requested was that they shut down the two furthest tees and just use the third and the fourth tee to tee off,” Lanier said.
When people tee off from the furthest tees on the sixth hole, the Lanier's home becomes situated directly under a dogleg. They believe this is why so many strikes have hit in their area.
“I've seen them slice a ball completely over my house into the street out front. Could you imagine driving down the street and having a golf ball come through the window of your car?”
The Laniers say that netting may help protect them further. They installed an aluminum cover in front of their porch — it cost $3,000 and still doesn't make them feel safe when they're outside.
“It's just very, very, very frustrating because nobody wants to take the time to show some compassion or to deal with you.”
Email your comments to Neighborhood Guide Reporter Shannon Onstot
