Complaint Review: Thousand Trails DBA: Equity LifeStyle Properties

My 84 year old father and his wife signed a 5 year contract to use this service and its campgrounds in 2010.

Before they ever used it even once, she was stricken with Alzheimer's and put in a nursing home. She now is incapacitated in Oklahoma near her grown children and he is in Texas, disposing of their joint property. The strain of losing her as he knew her, and having to travel every week to see her has taken a toll on his health. Now, he has great difficulty even walking.

He made calls to 1000 Trails and even wrote to them in March of this year, pleading with them to nullify the contract. They refused. They are holding him responsible for the balance of the contract, which amounts to almost $2000.

I called them today on his behalf, pleading with them to be reasonable. My father and his wife never used the service or campgrounds even one time! At first, the lady on the phone said that she could see in the computer that he had written a letter, asking to cancel the contract. She said it should have been done already and she would check to see why it had not and she would call me back.

Well, she called me back. She called me back to say he has to pay the full amount! Then she told me if I could send her proof of his wife's medical condition and his, that "maybe" they would change their minds. I informed her that she should know that is a Federal Law violation under the HIPAA act. I have no right to their medical records and neither does 1000 Trails. It would be a Federal Law violation if I sent her that information.

This is elder abuse! They have already gotten more than enough money from my father. He paid for nothing because he used nothing. He should not have to pay them one more dime!

I am contacting an attorney and the Better Business Bureau and everyone else I can think of. I wonder how many other elderly folks are out there who love to go RV-ing, but have become too ill to do so. They are like sitting ducks for this unethical company.