Cimarron Case Update: MEDC Swore No One Limited Roof Repairs. A Recording Tells a Different Story.
MISSION, Texas — If you have been keeping up with the Cimarron case in Mission, Texas, here is the latest.
Quick catch-up: the Mission Economic Development Corporation bought Cimarron Country Club for $5 million in February 2024, pitching it as the revival of a landmark club. One of the tenants left in those buildings, Uncommonly, LLC, which rented office and storage space there, is now suing MEDC over a roof it says was never fixed.
The newest developments come from deposition clips, meeting audio and court filings, and they put MEDC's own sworn words under a spotlight. Here is where things stand.
Uncommonly filed suit against MEDC in Hidalgo County's 464th District Court on Dec. 5, 2025. The company alleges MEDC let a failing roof go unrepaired while it collected rent and pursued a sale of the property. The case, Cause No. C-5860-25-L, is set for a jury trial on Feb. 1, 2027, before Judge Joe Ramirez.
At the center of the dispute is a question MEDC has answered under oath, and a recording that appears to answer it differently.
THE SWORN ANSWER
In written discovery, MEDC was asked whether anyone directed that repairs be limited. According to deposition excerpts posted publicly by Uncommonly's attorneys, MEDC's sworn interrogatory answer reads:
"No decision, directive, or instruction, was made by MEDC's board, CEO, or staff, to limit, delay, or decline repair of the roof or other expenditures on the premises."
Uncommonly's attorneys state that the answer was verified under oath by MEDC acting CEO Joe Salazar.
THE RECORDING
On Nov. 18, 2025, then-MEDC Chief Operating Officer Belen Guerrero-Aguirre met with Uncommonly representatives. Audio from that meeting, released by Uncommonly's attorneys as part of a series of deposition clips, captures her describing her instructions in Spanish and English.
"Mis instrucciones han sido: 'Tú no tocas nada ahí, y ni de ninguno de los tres edificios,'" she says on the recording, which translates to: "My instructions have been: 'You do not touch anything there, or any of the three buildings.'"
She also says, "We're not putting in anymore money," and gives reasons: "Por cuestiones de que no estaba en el budget o por cuestiones de que es caro," or "Because it was not in the budget or because it was expensive."
Then: "Y fueron cosas que no se consideraron cuando se compró la propiedad... shame on leadership." In English: "And those were things that were not considered when the property was purchased... shame on leadership."
According to the attorneys' description, she also said on the recording that if the decision were hers, she would fix the roof.
THE TESTIMONY
In a deposition, Guerrero-Aguirre read MEDC's sworn interrogatory answer aloud. Asked whether that written answer was incorrect according to what she had been told, she answered twice, "That's correct," according to the clips.
She testified that instructions restricted repairs and further investment at Cimarron. She also testified, according to Uncommonly's attorneys, that MEDC hoped to sell the property as soon as possible and sought to facilitate Uncommonly's relocation because a prospective buyer did not want to buy with the lease in place.
Former MEDC CEO Teclo J. Garcia was also deposed. In clips released by the same attorneys, Garcia agrees that a commercial landlord should promptly address major roof leaks, that the lease required MEDC to repair and replace the roof, and that the lease contained no exception for expensive repairs, budget constraints or a pending sale. After hearing the "shame on leadership" audio, Garcia agreed he was part of MEDC leadership and that MEDC pursued the sale while the roof problems continued.
WHERE THE MAYOR COMES IN
Guerrero-Aguirre testified that the directive on repairs came initially from former Mission City Manager Mike Perez and was reinforced in discussions with MEDC Board President Richard Hernandez, former CEO Garcia, and Mission Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza, who also sits on the MEDC board, according to Uncommonly's attorneys. She agreed that Garza had "a lot of involvement" and was "very involved" in the sale and lease of Cimarron.
Asked whom she meant by "shame on leadership," she identified people involved in the property's purchase, including Garza. When asked whether the remark concerned the purchase or how Uncommonly was treated as a tenant, she answered, "Both."
Garza has given a different account under oath. In a September 2026 affidavit filed as MEDC and Garza sought to quash Uncommonly's attempt to depose her, Garza stated she had no role in MEDC's day-to-day operations and "did not participate in the administration of the lease," according to the attorneys.
The two accounts are not identical claims. Involvement in a sale and lease is not the same as administering a lease day to day. Where they appear to meet is the repair directive itself, which Guerrero-Aguirre places in discussions that included the mayor.
Court records show Uncommonly noticed Garza's deposition on Sept. 4, 2026. MEDC and Garza moved to quash it five days later. Judge Ramirez heard arguments on Oct. 20 and took the motion under advisement. As of Nov. 7, the docket shows no ruling, and no record indicates Garza has been deposed.
Garza is currently in a runoff for Mission mayor against Rick Salinas.
MEDC'S SIDE OF THE CASE
MEDC denies Uncommonly's claims. It filed an answer in March 2026 and a counterclaim against Uncommonly in June, amended in August.
Uncommonly stopped paying rent, taking the position that MEDC's failure to repair the roof allowed it to suspend rent under Texas law. MEDC treated Uncommonly as the defaulting party. In a separate case, MEDC pursued an eviction in justice court. Uncommonly appealed to County Court at Law No. 9 (Cause No. CL-26-2213-I). On May 19, 2026, a notice of abandonment, mootness and surrender of possession was filed, the scheduled bench trial was canceled, and MEDC took a nonsuit without prejudice on June 10, the same day it filed its counterclaim in the district case.
MEDC has also moved for sanctions against Uncommonly's counsel, according to a July 23, 2026 docket entry. The basis of that motion is not stated on the docket.
Uncommonly's claims include breach of contract, violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and constructive eviction. None has been decided. All of the allegations remain for a jury to weigh.
A FIGHT OVER DOCUMENTS
The case has also turned into a fight over what MEDC has handed over.
Uncommonly says it requested communications about its complaints, the condition of the premises, and relocation or lease buyout discussions on March 27, 2026. Guerrero-Aguirre testified that she provided requested documents to MEDC's lawyers.
According to Uncommonly's attorneys, the court ordered MEDC to supplement its discovery responses by Aug. 4, 2026, and ordered MEDC's contracted real estate broker and the broker's company to produce documents specific to Uncommonly by Aug. 18. Uncommonly alleges that MEDC's supplemental responses left out communications the broker later produced, including texts with Guerrero-Aguirre and emails involving MEDC staff. The attorneys themselves note those alleged omissions "remain for the court to consider."
The docket reflects a long discovery battle: motions to quash depositions of MEDC, Guerrero-Aguirre, and board president Richard Hernandez; a motion to compel completion of Guerrero-Aguirre's deposition; and a nonparty subpoena dispute.
A NOTE ON SOURCES
The deposition excerpts and meeting audio quoted in this story were released publicly by Uncommonly's attorneys, Gerardo Acevedo Jr. and Simran W. Singh, as a series of case updates. They represent one side of active litigation. Case dates, filings and hearing results come from the public registers of action for both court cases.
SOURCES
1. Register of Actions, Uncommonly, LLC v. Mission Economic Development Corporation, Cause No. C-5860-25-L, 464th District Court, Hidalgo County. Public case portal: pa.co.hidalgo.tx.us
2. Register of Actions, Mission Economic Development Corporation v. Uncommonly, LLC, Cause No. CL-26-2213-I, County Court at Law No. 9, Hidalgo County (JP appeal; related case LT26-0878-J31).
3. Instagram deposition clips and captions, @attorneysimran (counsel for Uncommonly), series of case updates on Uncommonly v. MEDC, including the Guerrero-Aguirre deposition, Garcia deposition Parts 1 and 2, and Nov. 18, 2025 meeting audio.
4. "Mission EDC, City of Mission Acquire Cimarron Club," Texas Border Business, Feb. 24, 2024: https://texasborderbusiness.com/mission-edc-city-of-mission-acquire-cimarron-club
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