Problems in OhioProblems in Ohio began when the TAI parks started deteriorating, maintenance was poor or non-existant, equipment began to dissapear. Members were starting to get charged fees in violation of their contracts. The 'Ohio' branch of TAI filed bankruptcy and TAI started closing some of their campgrounds. Members at some of the parks rebeled... They formed 'Members Committees', hired attorneys, and initiated action to 'take over' ownership of the parks. [ Read More about this. ] Members throughout Ohio organized a committee to address the bankruptcy problems in that state. The Committee hired an attorney to reprsent them in the bankruptcy proceedings. That Attorney was Grady Pettigrew. Mr. Pettigrew accepted the case but Committee members assesed that he appeared distracted and indifferent - sometimes leaving the courtroom while issues important to his member clients were being litigated. The bankruptcy referee, Judge Calhoun, eventually allowed TAI members to file (non-priority) claims as creditors in the bankruptcy but also allowed what he seemed to believe was a 'Takover' by Travel America (aka Ray Novelli). Some creditors got partial payment of the money owed to them by TAI, others got nothing. Many Ohio TAI parks were abandoned by the company, others languished in dis-repair and neglect. Travel America notified former TAI members that they now 'had to pay' annual dues to Travel America. Judge Calhoun had suggested (but did not demand) that Travel America notify former TAI members that they did not 'have' to join Travel America - but Travel America did not do so. [2009] Travel America/Novelli (formerly TAI) parks in Ohio remain under a cloud of debt, disrepair, and neglect. |