AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Right now brides and grooms are scrambling, trying to figure out what to do. They got notice this week the hall they booked is closing.
“It’s a disgrace,” said Abbie, a local bride-to-be.
Abbie is working with her family to figure out what to do next, with grace. She is clearly not a bridezilla. There is no doubt acting like one is tempting after what she learned just this week about the banquet facility she paid more than $7,000 to in December. She thought the money guaranteed she and her fiancé would have a place to have their wedding reception.
She says she learned this week that in March the company knew it couldn’t host their reception.
“They had known for three months that they were not going to be open and they filed for bankruptcy in May. So they had three months to do the right thing and notify couples that they were not going to host our wedding. And they decided to be deceitful and lie and steal our money from us,” said Abbie.
Here’s the situation. Noah Corp, a company that has 42 banquet facilities across the country filed Chapter Eleven bankruptcy. It is now closing several banquet halls, including the one in Auburn Hills. Weddings scheduled November and later are impacted.
Abbie said she has been told she will only get about $2,800 of her more than $7,000 deposit back.
“We spend long days and long nights working hard to earn this money so we could afford to have a wedding with our family and friends,” said Abbie.
“I am trying to figure out how is it being determined that she is only getting $2,800 back when she paid more than $7,000?” 7 Action News said as we spoke to a company spokesperson.
They would not answer or provide bankruptcy court documents to explain why she is being offered a fraction of her deposit back. They sent an email. It didn’t mention the bankruptcy or explain how refunds are determined.
The company blamed a landlord, writing, “Due to an inability to reach an agreement on new terms of our lease with our landlord, they have elected to reject us as the tenant.”
It continued on, writing in part, “The location at Auburn Hills will be under new management as of August 5th, 2019. However, NOAH’S has taken measures so that our transition out of Auburn Hills will have the smallest impact possible on booked events that will be hosted by the new management. As per an agreement with the new tenant, all planned events until October 31st will still happen and will be hosted by the NOAH’S Team.”
Abbie’s wedding is scheduled for after October this year.
The company told Abbie she could get married at the Southfield Noah’s Event Venue. However when she called to take advantage of that offer she was told it is already booked.
“How are they able to steal money for a service they did not provide for us?” she asks.
