You might have heard of South Padre Island or perhaps heard of Padre Island, but who is the Padre, and what connection does he have with the island? Padre Island got its name from Jose Nicolas Balli a Catholic priest from Spain who owned it for nearly thirty years. Padre is a word defined as a traditional form of address for Catholic priests. After being granted the island by King Carlos III Padre Balli established a ranch on this island raising over one thousand longhorn cattle, horses’ mules and sheep with his nephew Juan Jose Balli as foreman by his side.
Aside from ranch raising Padre Balli also established cathedrals and missions to Christianize the Karankawa Indians and to serve the people who worked on the ranch. In 1821 Mexico won their Independence from Spain. During the revolution all of Padre Balli’s letters and exclusive right documents that gave him title to the island were lost or destroyed. Therefore, Padre Balli had to reapply this time to the Mexican government to confirm the titles of the island to him, only now he names his nephew Juan Jose Balli as partner. His request was granted December 1829.
However, Padre Balli had died on April 15, 1829, eight months before his petition was approved due to a rupture cerebral artery. His nephew Juan Jose Balli continued to operate the ranch with his family. The saga started around 1938 when Gilbert Kerlin a graduate fresh out of Harvard law school was given a task that would change the course of history for the Balli’s. Mr. Kerlin arrived in South Texas with the instruction from his uncle, Frederic Gilbert, to purchase the barren stretch of sand that has since become a popular Texas beach Resort.
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It was then, when Mr. Kerlin received a tip that it may be possible to purchase the land from the Balli’s. He came across an individual by the name of Primotivo Balli who did not speak any English but was paid $750 to sketch out a family tree and to assist in rounding up the signatures of the island heirs. It was called to mind that the Padre Island heirs carefully copied down their addresses, and waited for a check that they were promised. In doing so Mr.
Kerlin promised that he will give the Balli’s money from all the royalties and minerals that is hiding beneath the island, but Kerlin never handed the money over nor was he ever seen again by the Balli’s. Meanwhile, Kerlin leased drilling rights to Padre Island and sold its sandy surface to developers. While Mr. Kerlin was earning millions the Balli’s struggled to make ends meet. Kerlin walked away with 61,000 acres and the Laguna Madre which is a band of water between the island and the mainland. For many decades the Balli’s have tried to get back what was rightfully theirs to begin with.
Kerlin never came through on his promise to the Balli’s. The Balli’s have their theories as to why so many different lawyers all of the sudden would stop representing them. The Balli’s believe that Kerlin would pay the lawyers off so a trial would not take place. Of course there was no proof of this, however, it was always very coincidental how the lawyers would back out and not represent the Balli’s as it would get closer to trial time. Finally, in 1983 a San Francisco attorney Melvin Belli told Fred Balli of Ponca City, Okla. hat he was very interested in the case and wants to send them documents related to their claim. It is now year 2000 and descendants of the early owners of Padre Island gathered in the courtroom waiting for justice to be served. This long awaited lawsuit will determine whether or not they were scammed out of their land and riches. When Gilber kerlin now a 90-year-old retired lawyer took the stand he defended his decision not to give the Balli heirs any shares of the mineral royalties after his 1938 purchase. Kerlin stated on the stand, “The Balli’s did not own Padre Island when they sold it. Kerlin was speaking of when Santiago Morales bought the land form Juan Jose Balli, but what Kerlin did not know is that Morales suffered from buyer’s remorse and sold the land back to Juan Jose Balli, and there is documentation that can prove this fact. After many days of deliberation the jurors awarded the heirs $1. 2 million in lost property and oil royalties. The juror also found that Kerlin owes decade’s worth of income to about 300 Balli descendants for fraud and conspiracy. The battle is won but the war has just begun.
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Even though the jury’s verdict was in favor for the Balli’s this is just the first step in the final process of winning a lawsuit. Kerlin can very well appeal the decision and ony until that solution is exhausted nothing will be paid out to the family. After winning the decision in 2000 now it is five years later, and the time limitation of an appeal is over. It seems like a deja vu back in the Brownsville courtroom waiting for the jurors to release their decision. Waiting anxiously, in the courtroom filled with over 300 descendents of Padre Nicolas Balli.
The Texas appeals court has upheld a decision to award mineral royalties from land on Padre Island to the balli heir compensation exceeding $50 million. At first glance it seemed that this battle to get the land back was unwinnable, but as the truth comes out the Balii’s won the war by simply out gunning their enemy with evidence proving that the Balli’s are the rightful owners to Padre Island. Throughout the trials and tribulations history had been made and the Balli’s were very happy that the courts had ruled in their favor.
The Balli’s knew all along what the truth was and was glad others saw it too. This popular vacation spot has so much history behind it that no one ever thinks about what this island was really meant for or what went someone went through to get back what was taken from them. It is an honor to have met and known my wife’s grandfather Fred Balli the sixth generation Balli and was the last living heir of Padre Island. It is a privilege to know firsthand the Balli family and share in their successes with the sixty five year trial that was long overdue.
My wife’s family is Balli and to hear the stories about Padre Island from Trudy Balli Morin a seventh generation Balli and the daughter of Fred Balli that at one point was a paradise lost, but then returned to its rightful owners is unbelievable. I leave you with this the ending of the chant that made history possible. “Across the valley, and across the sea, the bells will ring, Viva Balli! ” Work cited Balli, Cecilia. “Return to Padre. ” Texas Monthly Jan. 2001: 99+. Web Balli Morin Trudy “Who is Padre Balli and What Connection Does He Have with you? ” Personal interview. 28 Nov. 2012 .
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