More RV park woes
GANSEVOORT — A second campground in Saratoga County operated by Saratoga Springs- based Morgan RV Resorts has been reassigned new management by the state Supreme Court as foreclosure proceedings get under way.
The campground, American Camping Resort, more commonly known as the NASCAR RV Resort at Adirondack Gateway, is in Gansevoort and is home to 150 seasonal recreational vehicle sites. It is one of seven Morgan RV Resortsmanaged campgrounds put up as collateral toward a $36 million loan that has been defaulted on, according to court documents.
People at the site are worried about their investment.
Bill Carter and Karen Bailie- Carter were sitting outside their camper at the American Camping Resort Tuesday afternoon, trying to relax. Carter has been coming to the campground since 1985, long before Morgan RV Resorts managed the property.
The land has a place in his heart. So, he said, when Robert Moser, CEO of Morgan RV Resorts, showed up at the end of last summer with a proposal to save Carter and his wife money on their seasonal fees and an opportunity to travel the country, he listened to him.
The retired couple from Cohoes liked what Moser pitched, and put down more than $ 6,000 upfront on a $ 17,000 membership to a club called Ideal Private Resorts, Carter said. Money is taken out of the couple’s checking account each month to pay for the rest of the membership, he said.
The couple thought this membership would give them access to nearly 50 resorts across the country, save $ 1,000 in seasonal camping fees each year and provide various other perks.
But as of Wednesday afternoon, only five of the 50 locations they thought they could visit were left
‘We just wish we knew what was going on.’ Karen Bailie-Carter American Camping Resort resident
on the company’s website. And with foreclosure proceedings now under way, they are wondering if anyone will be upholding the membership they bought.
Carter said he felt reassured he was making a good decision joining Ideal Private Resorts, because Moser had dealt with him in person. The couple has been calling the company repeatedly and requesting to speak with Moser about their concerns, but no calls have been returned and the company has not sent its promised membership documents, Carter said.
“We just wish we knew what was going on,” Bailie- Carter said about the RV campground. Its store is closed, it is without security at the entrance or anywhere else in the camp and it is without the amenities campers have already paid for. Four dumpsters with garbage spilling out of them stood at the front of the campground Tuesday.
A few days ago, the Carters and other campers at the park say, people came in and removed equipment — namely computers. Now they are concerned their records are gone for good.
Asked for comment Wednesday evening, Moser said all memberships will be honored and the website is under construction.
Janus Hotel Management Services, a Floridabased limited liability company, has been assigned by the court- appointed receiver to take over management of both American Camping Resort and ColdBrook Campsites, which is also in Gansevoort.
While Janus will honor any seasonal fees already paid by campers, it is unclear at this point how they will deal with the Ideal Private Resorts memberships.