Michigan attorney general settles dispute with Mackinaw City hotel family

The Michigan lawyer basic’s workplace has reached a settlement with the homeowners of greater than two dozen Mackinaw Metropolis lodges. They’re going to pay 1000’s of {dollars} and pledge to keep away from sure enterprise practices.

Michigan Legal professional Basic Dana Nessel accused the Lieghio household lodge homeowners of illegal enterprise practices in February. The settlement, filed Tuesday, applies to greater than 25 lodges and two family-operated web sites.

The Lieghio companies deny violating the Michigan Shopper Safety Act, however comply with chorus from unfair or misleading enterprise practices. Among the many phrases, they won’t promote or promote rooms which can be unavailable, and they comply with enable buyer refunds and cancellations underneath sure circumstances.

The settlement additionally addressed issues in regards to the web site Mackinaw Metropolis Chamber of Tourism, which is owned by the Lieghios and primarily advertises their companies. They comply with clearly say the web site is household owned and take away the phrases “Official Seal” from the brand, changing it with “100% Domestically Owned.”

Equally, with their corresponding assessment web site Resort Jabber, they comply with clearly state all critiques are solely collected by their firm. These updates have been made.

The Lieghio companies can even pay restitutions and refunds to prospects who booked a room at one lodge however had been redirected to a different. This is applicable to rooms booked between 2017 and June 2022. The lawyer basic is inviting different shoppers to submit complaints becoming that standards.

Lieghio companies have additionally agreed to pay the State of Michigan $5,000, and donate $35,000 to advertise tourism by the Pure Michigan marketing campaign.

Interlochen Public Radio reached out to the Lieghios for remark and has not but heard again, however the court docket submitting says they agreed to the settlement to “keep away from the time, expense and enterprise distractions of litigation, in order that they will as a substitute focus their time and efforts on greatest serving their prospects.”

If the lodges or web sites are suspected of violating the Michigan Shopper Safety Act sooner or later, the lawyer basic reserves the appropriate to “search all out there aid.”