Alone and our voice is small.
—
Together we will be heard.
”
Barbara Bowen, NAM
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Bankruptcy
and the Campground Member
Bankruptcy Fraud?
What is the biggest asset of a bankrupt campground or camping club?
Not the campground(s). Not the equipment. Not the unpaid “initiation fees.” It is, emphatically, the list of dues paying members!
It is ironic that, in a bankruptcy, no camping club or campground identifies the membership list as an asset in their bankruptcy filings. Why? This list is a qualified marketing tool that is valuable to other camping clubs and campgrounds.
Too often these ‘members’ are passed from campground to campground as though the ‘members’ were the private chattel of unscrupulous operators. The members are told that they must continue to pay their annual dues, often at higher rates, to campground after campground.
The “true nature” of the campground membership list is either concealed from or misrepresented to the courts.
Are “Unpaid Initiation Fees” Assets in a bankruptcy?
We submit that this is true ONLY if the campground survives the bankruptcy intact. All considerations that induced you to purchase the membership must remain to your benefit if you are to be expected to pay the balance of your “Initiation Fees”.
A Campground is a Campground — NOT!
Every campground is unique. They are not interchangeable, as some bankruptcy courts have been led to believe. It is neither proper nor acceptable for memberships to be arbitrarily assigned from one bankrupt camping club/campground to another without the member’s permission. The unique qualities and locations of specific campgrounds was a deciding factor in the member’s decision to purchase a membership. (You purchased a membership in what you considered to be a “Cadillac Campground”. Who, even a court, has the right to decide that a “Kia” or “Honda” campground should have equal value to you?)
Membership Campgrounds Owe Future Services
Members are CREDITORS in the bankruptcy. Members are entitled to future services promised at the time of purchase – or a refund of the fees paid for those services.
Who Represents the “Members” in a Bankruptcy?
Certainly not the bankrupt campground. Not the court. Not the other creditors. (Yes, “other” creditors.)
Campground members are creditors in the bankruptcy of a campground. The campground owes members future services that they probably cannot deliver. Members’ interests in a bankruptcy are unique and separate from every one else involved in a bankruptcy. What is the value of these undeliverable services that should be recovered by the members? Campground members should be “Priority” creditors in the bankruptcy.
Members should quickly establish a “Committee of members” to act on their behalf very early in the bankruptcy. This Committee should seek to convince the court to establish a separate “Creditor’s Committee for Members” of the Bankrupt Campground. It would be wise to ask a local attorney to help with this effort. If successful, the fees for this attorney will be paid from the assets of the bankruptcy. Members often know things about the assets of the bankrupt campground that others will be reluctant to reveal to the court.
Lifetime Membership Does NOT Equal Lifetime Dues
Some campers are promised, at the time of sale, that they will never have to pay another ‘Initiation Fee’ if they will advance an additional few thousand dollars. This is sometimes referred to as a ‘Lifetime Membership’. None are told that they will be expected to pay annual fees UNTIL THEY DIE or convince someone else to do the same. Some courts have ruled that such an alleged commitment would be against public policy and not permitted. Any victim of this scheme should fight back. We have posted some tips on this web site.
Travel America vs Campers — Again!
NAM still gets complaints about Travel America’s and their continuing efforts to intimidate (Extort?) money from members of bankrupt campbrounds.
[ Still More Complaints [ Click Here ]
Do You Owe Annual Fees to Them?
Here’s the bottom line: If you use the campgrounds - you must pay the fees. They maintained some campgrounds for your use - it’s only fair that they be compensated for that effort.
On the other hand, if you never signed a contract with Travel America; you do NOT use their facilities. You do NOT owe them money!
They simply obtained a membership roster
from a bankrupt campground and started
demanding that you send them money. They
never promised to provide all of the
services and facilities that you originally
purchased.
Travel America and their accomplices
have been repeatedly notified by NAPIER,
WOLF
&
NAPIER that they must stop such harassment.
See copy of the letter [ Click Here ]
What should you do if Travel America or their accomplices come after you?
Get Angry - Fight back!
File formal written complaints with:
-
The US Federal Trade Commission:
US Federal Trade Commission
Re: Unfair/Illegal Practices Across State Lines
600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20580
ftc.gov/ftc/cmplanding.shtm -
The US Postal Service:
US Postal Service
Re: Using Mail to Fraudulently Extort/Harass
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS SERVICE CENTER
ATTN: Mail Fraud
222 S. Riverside Plaza STE 1250
Chicago, IL 60606-6100
https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/contactUs/filecomplaint.aspx
Never threaten
Never bluff
- just DO IT! -
-
Your complaints about Travel America are NOT “contract disputes”.
-
You do not have a contract with Travel America!
-
They simply obtained your information from a bankrupt camping club, started demanding money from you — and never promised you anything in return.
-
Now they “Hide their money” in order to keep you from suing them and harass you demanding money they do not deserve.
This web
site contains several items that
can help you file your complaints
[ Click Here ].
Still More Complaints About Travel America
Please Help Me...
I am 71 yrs old on Soc Sec and my husband is in frail health, we are being extorted for money we do not owe, this company is intimidating, harassing and infringing on my health. We are part of a Class Action Settlement that was closed in OUR FAVOR, ON 4-12-07, we received a check for $780.00 we paid out $5,590.00. The resort went bankrupt in 1994, we never visited any of their resorts.
The name of the company when we signed the contract was Thousand Adventures, when they went bankrupt in 1994 at that time we were not aware of the bankruptcy taking place until we were contacted by the attorney in charge of the suit. The Class Action Suit was settled on March 2007 at the Des Moines, Iowa Court house. Thousand Adv. Inc. moved to California, kept changing the mailing address and name of the company BUT ALWAYS THE SAME FORM FOR BILLING, they are AKA Thorenhaven, R & R Ranch Resort, Hayden Creek Resort, Cathedral Palms Resort and now First Nationwide Resort Mgmt. We never signed any contract with these resorts. We owe nothing, they keep billing for maintenance fees when there are no parks. I mailed a certified letter on 3-4-05 stating I wanted the contract cancelled and that NO FURTHER DUES would be paid, the attorney advised me to do this, he also stated they had no legal right to bill me or call me. The attorney general is aware of this case, I have documents & a file 2 inches thick.
I want the billing to stop, I get very sick and can’t sleep and I get really stressed out because I RELIVE THIS TERRIBLE NIGHTMARE, THE HIGH PRESSURE SELLING WAS UNREAL THEY EVEN CAME TO MY HOUSE, we have been fighting this for many years since 1989. We paid with our retirement money and never received anything from them only dismay.
Please stop these people from mailing me bills, the amounts keep running up, if you need anything please let me know. I AM SO WORRIED THAT MY CHILDREN WILL BECOME VICTIMS AFTER I PASS (they are not into law). I filed a complaint with the U.S. Postal Service. Please help me (Linda) as to what to do my attorney in the case has now moved and hard to communicate with (since he doesn’t have his paper work).
Please, Please I need your help.
[ NAM is helping to prepare complaints to several government organizations. ]
Campground Members have Rights !