Due to legal advice this thread has been hidden while we 'work out the details'. You never know who might be looking into our affairs. I will put the thread back in place once the 'fight' is over.

Whatever it takes Mark...

Do it......

Crap......I never know what's going on.....wait don't tell me.....I don't want to know

I like that avatar

.....

This brings up interesting point. You know how Google loads pages and saves them? How do you get rid of those? I have always thought Google has opened themselves up to potential lawsuits when they load and save web pages from forums.

My whole working life I have never been laid off... Now I know what it feels like.

We appriciated your work. The layoff should only be for a short while. Thanks Rob for doing what you do.

Jon

Maybe you can take up photography and get ready to take those photos. We want them to be as clear as possible

Camera is a Canon D20 Digital SLR...

Nice camera. I have a Nikon D200. I think they are both close to the same just different companies. So those pics should be nice and clear

any new things to report?????

I'm waiting for the call/email from the lawyers. The ball's in their court.

"The" or "Their" lawyers?

Their. I haven't heard anything from them. I'll make contact again on Monday.

Thanks again Mark for putting on such an awesome event!!

I just want to remind everyone who wants to contribute of the paypal and snail mail address.

shirleysime@sbcglobal.net for Paypal

Make checks out to

Mark DeBernardi
7846 Winding Way
Fair Oaks, CA 95628

This information had been pulled because of legal advice but now it seems we are ok to have it here however, I will not be advising of totals on the forum...

Please, please, please, remember, the wheels of justice move slowly. Any collected help could sit for a long time. The consensus was that this was a load of crap on the part of the hotel and so Mark will fight it. Patience is what we need most right now.

Thanks, Rob

please let us know in a pm when funds are recievd via the USPS.

k

Okay, for those of us that were in China while all this went down, is there another thread that shines more light on this, or is this hush-hush still? WTF is going on? This thread tells me almost nothing about what Mark needs to be saved from.

Jen

PM sent.

Still nothing new. Legal processes are slow.

Rob,

I know you can't talk numbers anymore, but are you still getting a fair amount of people donating?

No...

pretty hard to make a donation for a situation that is unknown to many...

some information of at least an outline of situation would probably be helpful

That is disappointing

Hopefully more people step up to help Mark out of a jam he doesn't deserve to be in.

I felt the same way when this all began. I took a wait-and-see attitude. But as it got closer to Mark needing to make the first payment, I couldn't in good conscience wait for more details and not help out. Hopefully those people that are on the fence will just donate some money just to help put Mark at ease. If it is not needed, I'm sure everything will get worked out.

This was pretty well outlined previously. Mark took down the original post which explained everything on the advise of counsel.
Basically, Mark had to promise a certain number of people would stay for a certain number of nights to get the hotel set up for WCR.
We fell short. But the amount of this performance gap is in dispute. The hotel says in the $12K range and has offered to settle for $5500.00. Several people were turned away Saturday night. Some people were not given the WCR rate and so were not counted in the performance figures.
Some money has been raised but not enough to cover the hotel's offered settlement. Mark has been advised to fight.

I have found that while people were trying to reach a goal the dollar figure went steadily up. Now that we have to keep it quiet, we have stood still for quite a number of days...

I keep bumping this to keep it in peoples memory banks... Mark is on the hook for this. We have no idea how this will turn out. It is not a slam dunk certainly...

Interesting Rob,
I set up hotels for my own soccer teams years ago, and also for several international gymnastics meets (when my 24yo daughter was in competitive gymnastics at the junior olympic level). We are talking major numbers (50+) of rooms at big time hotels in downtown San Jose. Anyway, I would set aside a block of rooms and the hotel would hold them for a specified number of days before the event and then those unbooked rooms would return to their available list to the general public.
I never had to guarantee a certain number would be occupied.
Things must of changed greatly in the last several years.
Actually, they haven't changed. I just had a block of rooms at at Hilton Hotel in Livermore for my Son's wedding. We had no issues with unused rooms.

Something must have been signed?

not trying to cause problems. Just making personal observations.

not a good situation when you are up against an international corp. as and individual.

Something was signed. It was a performance clause. Because so many participants were local or at least fairly local we fell very short of the performance. I stayed Sunday night only because I knew Mark was on the hook...
Anyway, they are persuing it so Mark is on the hook. Legal wheels move very slowly. Plan was to donate the money to ALS if Mark gets off the hook. When I look at the contract I thnk Mark is filleted and cooked. Our legal members think he has a position that is defensible or at least more negotiable than the $5500.00 they have offered.

I am 100% behind Mark. I helped sponsor the event and donated after that. I think people just want to know where we are on this issue. My company had a law suit with another company that went to the State Supreme Court. We spent almost $1,000,000.00 on litigation. I settled the matter for $150,000.00. Send a check with the notation of "final settlement offer". If they cash it, I believe, Mark is released of his bondage.

Dan

I will call our law firm Monday and get their opinion. I hate lawsuits!

A word to the wise:

Everyone in this world who has been screwed has been screwed on paper. I say, this is not time for the pen but time for the sword! When they give you this pen, to write an oath to seamingly help you, I say, to this pen waving witchcraft, this is the work of your enemy! Hasten to thrust and lay on!

It's sad what a company will do to weasel a few bucks out of someone. Apparently, they don't care they may have lost a few thousand customers.

Yep,

I just booked a trip to Atlanta and I wouldn't look at a Hilton Hotel. Hilton!!

Dave

I do stay at a lot of 4 -5 star hotels due to conferences and such and I have stuck to Hyatt since this...

Rob shouldn't be the only one to bump it
And those of you waiting (as I was), donate to the McFund and get good Teener karma

i'm in for another $25 when i get home and have access to the rental check book. pony up folks. if one tenny-tiny bit of tech advice saves you 2 hours worth of a shop/labor $$$$$.....

k

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I don't really mind. I always wanted a huge post count. Now I know how it is done.

then you need to this more often

I just sent $50. Paypal. Next time I would like to come. It would be great if it were not on fathers day weekend as I have 4 kids.

My second trip to the well. Paypal @ shirleysime@sbcglobal.net

Bob

wait a minute - the more rob bumps - the more we get to see his lovely lady

Ok... Here she is. I should warn you though. She is an insurance agent. You guys keep it up and you will have to buy insurance from her!

i didn't make the connection re rotten robby until just now. new handle for you rob.

k

Kevin,
It is the same as my license plate on my taildragger... It was ok to be rotten in a .club but if you are rotten in the .World it is bad for your reputation...

Heck, I just finally figuted out that you are a Rhododendron fan... I thought you were a road biker!!!
Rob

Help out if you can... Yopu says it is the right thing to do.

FYI, I got my letter from the Hilton lawyers on Friday. Copies have been sent off to my legal counsel. The next phase of negotiation is starting...

Thanks for the update Mark... We are here for you.

Ok, for those of you who have actually been living under your jackstanded 914 (like me) and don't know what this is about...

Mark got bent over by Hilton Hotels because we failed to perform at West Coast Ramble. Basically, what happened is that because the event really didn't end up extending into Monday lots of folks didn't spend Sunday night at the hotel. We said we would. Hilton wants to be paid. Mark is on the hook...

We have raised a little money to help out Mark in case this gets to the point he has to pay. On legal advice, we aren't saying how much on this public forum but I will share that privately with anyone who asks...

Mark has been advised to fight this by legal counsel. So that is what he is doing.

In the mean time, we are raising money in case the effort fails.

Paypal to shirleysime@sbcglobal.net (that is her in the avatar pic to the left!)

Snail Mail to
Mark DeBernardi
7846 Winding Way
Fair Oaks, CA 95628-7009

I keep Mark posted on how much is raised so he doesn't get too stressed over it. If you can help out please do... Mark shouldn't be financially ruined because of this...

Well, he will have legal fees to cover one way or the other... unless he counter claims to cover them.
Mark D.