In addition to being permanently banned from offering timeshare resale services and telemarketing, the Florida based scammers behind the deceptive resale scheme have agreed to renunciate approximately 3.4 million dollars’ worth of goods, including a Rolex watch, properties, vehicles, diamonds and silver coins, to settle the Federal Trade Commission’s charges against them.
The ringleaders, John P. Wenz and Jess Kinmont and their company, Pro Timeshare Resales, LLC, have had to cease trading with immediate effect.
The FTC’s received complaints from consumers claiming between the years of 2011 to 2016 that the company and its defendants would call making false claims, stating that they had buyers or renters ready and willing to buy or rent their properties for an agreed price. Charging property owners up to 2,500 dollars in advance, however, failing to deliver on their promises.
The FTC noted in the complaint that the defendants in addition to the obtaining the initial fee were often convinced to pay additional purported fees, for extra costs. When the consumers’ got fed up with waiting for their promise of a sale they made requests for refunds, which were typically denied or ignored
After filing the lawsuit in December 2016, FTC staff obtained a temporary restraining order and, later, a restricted preliminary injunction in the case. Through these orders, the court ceased the operation, froze the defendants’ assets, and appointed a receiver to oversee those assets, among other things.
The court order will guarantee that the perpetrators do not engage in illegal conduct like what was alleged in the complaint. Mainly, it permanently bans the defendants from marketing or selling timeshare resale services, or from assisting anyone else to do so. Finally, it bans them from participating in telemarketing, either directly or through an intermediary.
The order forbids the offenders from collecting money from consumers who contracted their timeshare services, and it forbids them from selling or otherwise benefitting from the customer’s information they collected.
The order executes an 18.7 million dollar ruling against the defendants, which will be suspended once they have surrendered assets totaling approximately 3.4 million dollars. Included in the assets are 1.84 million dollars in cash currently held by the courts appointed a receiver, property worth approximately 600,000 dollars owned by defendant Jess Kinmont, along with his, Rolex watch, Ferrari, Range Rover, and Bayliner boat.
John P. Wenz, defendant has surrendered, among other things, 215,000 dollars in brokerage and bank accounts, two vehicles, two properties, silver coins, and a diamond ring.
For more information regarding this article or assistance in any other timeshare related issues please contact the TCA on 01908 881058 or email: info@TimeshareConsumerAssociation.org.uk