Sterling Country Club Abruptly Closes
Lindsay Harrington is busy these days picking up her bridesmaids’ dresses, planning her wedding and fighting for the two-thousand dollars she lost when her wedding venue suddenly closed without notice.
“It just makes you horrified that you put so much effort into something and there’s a bump in the road,” said Harrington.
Harrington said she paid her full deposit to the National Sterling Country Club in December. She found out last week the doors were closing and scrambled to find a new venue for her September wedding.
Former employees of the National Sterling Country Club said there were at least 30 weddings planned this year, as well as countless other events.
Former employees were also shocked when the arrived at work on Monday and were given their last paycheck and told to clean out their desks and offices.
“It really was just a big slap in the face to us employees who have devoted our time and energy into this facility,” said Lana Visbeck, a former employee.
Visbeck has returned to the facility everyday this week to try to clean out her office. A security guard sits in front of the property and denies access.
Michael Lowe worked as the chief mechanic of the club for thirteen years.
“I need to change professions now because there are no other golf cart mechanic jobs out there,” said Lowe. “It’s pretty obvious that these people are just heartless.”
Several employees are filing formal complaints with the attorney general’s office to get vacation pay they said they never received.
Members say they were also left in the dark.
Adele Dodd just paid her five thousand dollar membership fee for 2010 last month.
“Most of the members are disappointed right now,” said Dodd. “We’d like to keep this club going.”
Attorneys who represent the property owner of the club sent WBZ a statement regarding the issue:
“As discussed, this firm represents the owner of Sterling National Country Club, Sterling Property Holder L.P. The owner is currently working with its lender, TD Bank, to try and reach a solution that results in the reopening of the Club as quickly as possible. Representatives for the owner will be reaching out to members shortly to work out logistics related to the club’s recent closure.”
The attorney general’s office said it is aware of the issue and encouraged concerned consumers and employees to file formal complaints with their office.