Campground Contract...How can I get out?

[rbarquis]

When I was 19 years old, my wife (then my girlfriend)and I bought into to a Campground membership. Membership was about $100. per year, not including the price for buying into the membership, which was about $12,000. We used it often for the first few years, but only for a week during the summer, about once a year. Annual membership dues went up each year, and is now at $800 per year! Due to financial struggles, we haven't been able to do much vacationing, and stopped going about 4 years ago. Three years ago, they called us to tell us that we owed about $1500 for our membership dues, which we paid thinking that would be it! Now years later, I am getting called at home and work EVERY SINGLE DAY BY A FINANCIAL AGENCY, TELLING ME THAT I OWE $2500 in past dues and that I am bound by contract to pay it because I signed a lifetime contract, even though I haven't used it for 4 years. They sent me a copy of the contract where it said in small print that I overlooked back in my teen years stating that dues "could" go up each year, which they did! And that I agree to pay all balance for the life of the contract. Am I stuck with this membership for life, even though I have no intent on ever using it again? And do I have to pay the $2500. in for the past few years that I never even used the membership????? HEEEELP PLEASE!
Rb

 

[rrg956]

On the one hand, "A contract is a contract so yeah, you gotta pay. That's the legal answer!

On the other hand, your contract sounds like a bottomless money pit so it's time to go to war and kill it.

First, does this thing appear on your credit report? If so, be prepared to catch a "dent" on your report if you already haven't. However, I'll bet it doesn't because of the nature of these kinds of flakey businesses. Second, change your phone number to an unlisted number to stop your friendly neighborhood collection agency from bugging you. Don't talk to these people ever. They work on a contingency basis and don't make any money unless they collect money from you. If anyone ever takes the time and trouble to sue you, hire a good attorney to negotiate a settlement amount and a repayment plan and only after they report the debt as "paid to terms" on your credit report, that is, if they report on your credit report. That's the worst case scenario and in any event the money pit will be dead and gone.

The Attorneys on this site may disagree with me on this matter but playing by the rules doesn't always pay. This company took advantage of you with a lifetime contract so fight back.

THE FOREGOING MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE