By Kathryn Reed

Welk Resorts, which operates One Village Place and Northstar Lodge in Truckee, this week filed a lawsuit against Reed Hein & Associates, a company that helps people get out of their time share commitment.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California against the company’s subsidiary Timeshare Exit Team.

Court documents say, “Their (Timeshare Exit Team and the co-defendants) unscrupulous, callous and illegal schemes have caused severe consequences to unsuspecting consumers. Their schemes have caused financial and reputational damage to Welk, which has enjoyed more than 50 years of providing high-quality vacation ownership opportunities and stays to millions of people through its resorts.”

Timeshare Exit Team started in 2012. According to its website, “Timeshare Exit Team has developed a unique strategy to help timeshare owners rid themselves of the burdens of their timeshare. We are so confident in our process that we offer our 100 percent money back guarantee. We will get you out of your timeshare, or we will give you a full refund of your fee.”

Welks Resorts is accusing Timeshare Exit Team of racketeering, intentional interference with contractual relations, violating the California unfair competition law, California Vacation Ownership and Time-Share Act, California False Advertising Law and the state Running and Capping Law.

Timeshare Exit Team is standing by its business practices.

“We would like to inform consumers that the meritless lawsuit and inaccurate accusations therein will not dissuade our team from continuing to advocate for consumers,” Brandon Reed, founder and CEO of Timeshare Exit Team, said in a statement provided to Lake Tahoe News. “I’m proud of the service we offer and of the company we have built. Timeshare Exit Team has built an unparalleled in-house team, leveraging effective outside resources as needed, to assess each customer’s unique situation and to provide them with qualified, thorough, and trusted management of their issues.”