Venue Will Return $427K Collected For COVID-Canceled Events

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Attorney General Letitia James today announced she successfully arranged for the Greentree Country Club in New Rochelle to make full restitution to 76 consumers who paid deposits for events that were canceled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Attorney General's office worked with the Greentree Country Club to return deposits that should not have been forfeited by unforeseeable events, like the coronavirus pandemic. The state has negotiated a full restitution for 76 consumers who previously paid deposits to the venue. All 76 consumers have now been fully reimbursed the $427,000 they paid, according to a statement from the New York Attorney General.

“The pandemic caused a wave of disruption throughout New York state as we saw weddings, religious ceremonies, professional conferences, and many other large gatherings canceled or delayed,” James said announcing the settlement. “Most of those events required deposits, totaling thousands of dollars paid upfront. After working with the owners of the Greentree County Club, I am happy to announce that all 76 consumers who paid deposits to the club will receive full restitution as we put $427,000 back into New Yorkers’ pockets."

Those who had placed deposits for events that were canceled reportedly requested refunds from the Greentree Country Club but were denied. Instead, they were offered other resolutions, such as rescheduling the event to a future date, accepting a credit of the deposit for future use or transferring the credit to another person or event, according to the AG's office.

James says if consumers are having issues receiving a refund on a deposit for an event canceled due to state-issued COVID-19 regulations, they should fill out an OAG complaint form or call the office’s hotline at 800-771-7755.