The actions of Leisure Time Resorts of America, Inc. (LTR) (aka Thousand Trails, Inc. National American Corporation; NACO; LTR; ENCORE; Equity LifeStyle Properties) deserve a full refund of my original membership of $4,495 plus the overpayment of maintenance fees as explained in the following paragraphs.
This letter is also the formal notification under the “Freedom of Information Act” to provide a listing of all charter members of Leisure Time Resorts of American, Inc. and their contact information as provide for in my original contact documents. Understand pursuant to Attachment A, LTR is a subsidiary of Thousand Trails, Inc. as of December 16, 1999 and Thousand Trails is part of the Equity LifeStyle Properties.
A charter membership in LTR was purchased April 20, 1990. The contract was for a members only camping club with benefits as set forth in the documents presented at time the time of purchase and RCW 19.105. The Leisure Time Charter membership was upgrade April 21, 2001 to include all Trails, NACO and Leisure Time preserves. Events in the Leisure Time -Thousand Trails – Encore – Equity LifeStyle Properties corporate philosophies and business culture have resulted in a breach of contract between all the Charter members of LTR and Leisure Time Resorts of America, Inc (aka Thousand Trails, Inc. National American Corporation, NACO, LTR, ENCORE, Equity LifeStyle Properties), in that:
- Cascade Resort has been closed and no substitute property was provided in the same general area. Nearest resort to “home resort” is now an hour away.
- Resort property “camp site lots” are now being sold as “permanent camping area” where permanent amenities and improvements by purchaser can be made, thus diluting the available camp sites and prime campsite locations to the original membership and especially the charter membership.
- “Zone Park Pass” for the Pacific Northwest has a yearly fee of $525 that is less than my maintenance fee $602.46. Attachment B is an illustration of the Zone Park Pass fees for the Northwest.
- I could stay over 35 days in any NACO/ENCORE Washington/Oregon resort if I booked through Passport America when compared to my maintenance fee. Attachment C illustrates the costs thought the Passport America booking site.
- Resort properties are in a state of disrepair with most of the infrastructure requiring repairs to meet current state and national codes. There was a commitment made to the Charter membership when they signed the original agreement, “its park sites and recreational facilities will be able to maintain and support the membership and their families while maintaining the resorts and adding the additional amenities and improvements as needed”, which has not been kept.
- Camping privileges are now open to the general public for overnight fees that are typical of any other campground in the general vicinity. Attachment D is a copy of Thousand Trails’ website explaining “Non-member” privileges.
- This is not a member’s only camping club, but a privately owned campground now open to the general public.
- By opening the campgrounds to the general public for overnight camping, the Charter Membership agreement has no value.
- General public can now stay at Leisure Time Resort Properties for periods in excess of 30 days as shown in Attachment E – Reservation Detail for Thunderbird Resorts an original LTR resort property. However, Charter members can only stay for a maximum period of 15 days.
- Leisure Time Resorts of America, Inc. has not honored it written commitment to Charter members that their annual dues would be frozen at 60 years of age. Upgraded membership contract did not state the original charter membership documents were null and void, only that the charter membership was upgraded to include other resort properties.
I am respectfully requesting that my full membership fee plus overcharges in maintenance fees be refunded due to this flagrant breach of contract by Equity LIfeStyle Properties on or before December 1, 2013. If I do not receive a full refund or an acknowledgement of the date of refund, I will be forced to notify the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Washington and the Better Business Bureau. I will be also be contacting other LTR members to enter into a class action suit against Equity LifeStyle Properties for breach of contract.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Sally
Ventura,California,
United States
Confirming Complaints re Thousand Trails/Equity Lifestyle/etc.
#3General Comment
Tue, September 18, 2018
T.T. et al are a slippery lot.
Yes, the parks I have visited are in disrepair and some dangerous. Good luck on getting promised camping days, especially if you are an Elite Member--I never got 3 weeks anytime as promised by Bob Sumner, Sales rep for Equity Lifestyle yada yada yada.
Morgan Hill, Thousand Trails, Calif: Lead in water, falsified fire restrictions using Cal Fire's name illegally, Manager Kate Kinsey filed false charges with Sheriff against my family--incident filmed for proof of Kinsey's lies. 1/2 inch slime in pool bathrooms; no privacy doors for safety or to grab--you just kinda slide into the shower on the slime. I saved a little 3 year old girl from drowning.
No lifeguard in busy summer season--no thanks from T.T. The little girl's father thanked me over and over. My membership was cancelled after fight with Manager Kinsey over how she treated my family guests badly (same treatment the three times I visited Morgan Hill). I found out Kinsey threatens members with loss of membership for fear control. To my knowledge none had broken any rules. I read on the internet that Kinsey allows child molesters to reside there--I don't know if there is truth to this but it cannot be allowed with all the children in the park.
Rancho Oso, Santa Barbara, Calif, Thousand Trails: Sites not graded properly and can be dangerous. Stepped out into air, couldn't tell there was no ground with way sun hitting rocks. Large holes in roads, bad bicycle accident from them and gravel covering. Kids allowed into pool without adult supervision. Rancho Oso worker pounded on my door at 2 a.m. and tried to push his way into my R.V., obviously having a psych episode.
Couldn't call for help as no wifi or phone coverage. Manager did little--he was fired recently though. I directed traffic on top of ridge--5 unit emegency response for badly hurt person. Since little communication, units kept asking me for directions (I had gone to top of ridge to try and get wifi signal). Ranger on another occasion was not aware of fire approaching site because of no communication.
At Yosemite the horses were starving as management had forgotten or didn't have the money to buy them food. Very sad. Snow was coming. There's more. Wanted to back up previous complaint that Leisure/EquityLifestyle/T.T. et al tried to discredit. I imagine the consortium will self destruct and we can help that along filing suits against them. Sally Fox
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AnonAnon
Nowhere,New York,
More nonsense
#3General Comment
Wed, January 22, 2014
1.Cascade was closed due to eminent domain by the State of Washington. Leisure Time has no choice in the matter.
2. Nowhere in your contract does it say that they can't sell permanent sites.
3. The zone park pass is a completely different membership than you have. You have a longer booking time, unlimited camping time during the year. The zone park pass does not. Compare the benefits before you only compare the dues rate.
4. You can book over 35 days with Passport America but how much would you be paying per night? Forgot to add that on there that you would have to pay?
5. In a state of disrepair according to you? Maybe your definition of dispair is differnt than others. Considering you've been going to Leisure Time for about 30 years and guess what. The parks can't be brand new all the time!
6. The parks have ALWAYS BEEN OPEN FOR THE PUBLIC. How did you join the Charter program? That's right, you had to come in as PUBLIC to join.
1a. NO WHERE IN YOUR CONTRACT DOES IT SAY IT'S MEMBERS ONLY.
2a. The Charter Membership has no value according to your opinion.
3a. The public can stay as long as they want by PAYING FULL PRICE FOR THE CAMPSITE. I guess you forgot to add that on.
4a. Read your contract. READ YOUR CONTRACT. If your original contact stated you froze your dues and you upgraded to the Charter, it was an addon. Have you even called customer service to ask about frozen dues or did you just want to rant about that?
You do know that this is a website and not actually Leisure Time? You also do know that Leisure Time has attorneys that will rebut everything you've said, just like I did? Another uninformed person ranting and raving about things they have no clue about.