DEL MAR — The former owner of a property adjacent to Surf Cup Sports Park in Del Mar has filed a lawsuit alleging he was deceived into selling his property to an individual affiliated with Surf in 2021.
Corwyn “Cory” Ha’o is the previous owner of the property at 3995 Via de la Valle, a 2.5-acre parcel that features a home and horse stables. The property directly borders Surf Cup Sports Park, which Surf leases from the City of San Diego, to the north and a 20-acre vacant lot previously known as the Milan property — purchased by Surf in 2022 to develop a sports complex — to the east.
In June 2021, Ha’o sold the land for $2.9 million to Encinitas resident Wendy Naerbo, who has the same residential address as Surf’s vice president Rob Haskell, although their exact relationship could not be confirmed. The Coast News first reported news of the sale in spring 2022.
At the time of the sale, however, Naerbo never mentioned any connection to Surf and represented herself as an equestrian who would use the land as horse property, Ha’o alleges in his April complaint.
By the end of 2022, Naerbo had transferred the property to Surf Del Mar Two, an entity related to Surf Cup Sports, of which Haskell is also an executive, for the same amount of $2.9 million, San Diego County assessor records confirm. Ha’o is now suing Naerbo and Surf Del Mar Two for fraud and breach of contract.
“It is now clear that Naerbo’s representations regarding her identity and intended use of the Property were false and made to obtain the Property for the benefit of Surf Del Mar, and ultimately, for Surf Cup,” the lawsuit states.
Neither Naerbo nor Haskell responded to requests for comment.
The most recent legal action comes as Surf Cup Sports battles a separate lawsuit alleging that their activities at the former polo fields violate the terms of the land’s grant deed due to excess noise, vehicles and commercial activity.
The Fairbanks Polo Club Homeowners Association filed the suit in 2023 against the City of San Diego, which leases the land to Surf Cup and is responsible for enforcing the terms of the grant deed. Surf Cup joined the suit as an intervening party later that year.
In his complaint, Ha’o said the transfer of his land to Surf was especially upsetting because it followed years of personal frustration about Surf Cup’s disruptive activities at the former polo fields. He said it was important to him to sell to someone who would preserve the character of the land, and he believed Naerbo was a good fit.
“It was critical to Ha’o that he locate a buyer that would use the Property in a manner like his and would not contribute to Surf Cup’s ongoing violations of the Grant Deed or further disrupt the community,” the lawsuit states. “Had Ha’o been aware of Defendants’ true intentions in purchasing the Property at the time he negotiated the Purchase Agreement, he would not have sold the Property to Naerbo.”
Jeff Singletary, the attorney representing Ha’o, said Ha’o passed up better offers from other buyers in order to sell the property to Naerbo, who the lawsuit alleges is Haskell’s partner. The two never met in person but communicated through their respective agents.
“She was a total strawman,” said Singletary. “Cory was very visible in the neighbor’s fight with Surf Cup. That’s why they had to hide who they were.”
Ha’o and his attorney reached out to Naerbo to request mediation in late March but were ignored, Singletary said. They have yet to receive a response to their lawsuit.
There do not appear to have been any major changes to the 3995 Via de la Valle property since its transfer to Surf, with the gated estate continuing to sit quietly on the edge of a vacant parcel containing wetlands and brush.
That vacant space was previously slated for an intermediate care and nursing facility before Surf purchased it from Milan Capital Management.
The soccer organization is currently working with the city of San Diego on their application to develop a two-story, 48,000-square-foot sports complex with indoor and outdoor courts and hundreds of parking spaces.
Anna McPherson of Atlantis Group Land Use Consultants, the firm working with Surf Cup on the project, said their application is only focused on the 3975 Via de la Valle parcel and that no other properties are proposed to be included in the project.
Atlantis Group is currently working to address criticism and inquiries regarding their application that the San Diego Development Services Department sent back in January.
“The project team is reviewing what was received from staff and looking at what needs to happen to the project plans in terms of revisions to address any of the issues that were raised,” McPherson said.
