Greenspoon Marder Obtains One-Of-A-Kind Order Against Major Timeshare Exit Companies On Behalf of Client, Westgate Resorts

News Jun 3, 2019 Fort Lauderdale, FL

Fort Lauderdale, FL – June 3, 2019 – Greenspoon Marder, on behalf of client Westgate Resorts, filed a Motion for Summary Judgment after obtaining sanctions against Mitchell Sussman and his law firm, Mitchell Sussman, PA, in multiple instances. The court had previously entered a preliminary injunction requiring Mr. Sussman to cease his unlawful and deceitful business practices. In the 76-page one-of-a-kind Order on summary judgment, the judge concluded that Mr. Sussman intentionally and without justification interfered with Westgate’s relationships with its owners and that Mr. Sussman’s business practices – all of them – constituted deceptive and unfair practices in violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

According to the Court, Mr. Sussman intentionally interfered with owners’ contractual obligations to Westgate by directing owners to stop paying. Additionally, the Court noted that his directions to owners to stop their payments, made under the guise that doing so will rid them of their timeshares, are fraudulent and wrongful. Click here to view the full Order.

The real victims here are the Westgate owners and other timeshare owners that may have fallen victim to the deceptive, fraudulent and unlawful business practices of this “exit company” cottage industry. The Court referred to these owners as the “prey”; that’s precisely what the business model is for these “exit” companies.

Ultimately, it will be up to the timeshare owners to realize that the promises of these so-called “exit” companies are not true. Mr. Sussman is not alone. The Court, in its Order, noted the relationship between Mr. Sussman and Timeshare Exit Team (Reed Hein & Associates), a self-proclaimed “exit” company built on the unlawful and deceptive business model Mr. Sussman “pioneered”. Recently, another large “exit” company (Resort Release) and its attorneys, after being bombarded with lawsuits similar to Westgate’s, filed for bankruptcy, leaving thousands of timeshare owners in the lurch.

The Greenspoon Marder team was headed by partners Richard Epstein, Jeffrey Backman and senior counsel Eliot New.

About Greenspoon Marder

Greenspoon Marder LLP is a full-service law firm with nearly 250 attorneys and more than 20 office locations across the United States. With operations from Miami to New York and from Denver to Los Angeles, our firm attracts some of the nation’s top talent in key markets and innovation hubs. Our core practice areas include Real Estate, Litigation, and Transactional Services, complemented by the capabilities of a full-service firm. Greenspoon Marder has upheld a spot on The American Lawyer’s Am Law 200 as one of the top law firms in the U.S. since 2015, and our goal is to provide exceptional client service by developing a thorough understanding of each client’s business needs and objectives in order to provide strategic, cost-effective solutions.

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Natalie Villanueva, Director of Marketing
954.333.4308 | natalie.villanueva@gmlaw.com

This Greenspoon Marder LLP Client Alert is issued for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed or used as general legal advice nor a solicitation of any type. Please contact the author(s) or your Greenspoon Marder LLP contact if you have any questions regarding the currency of this information. The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision. Before you decide, ask for written information about the lawyer’s legal qualifications and experience.

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Greenspoon Marder Obtains One-Of-A-Kind Order Against Major Timeshare Exit Companies On Behalf of Client, Westgate Resorts

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