The former Trump University enrollees claim they were cheated with false promises into paying as much as $35,000 for real-estate seminars and workshops.
Resignation List
The golf club members who sued were on a resignation list when Trump took over the Jupiter resort. The membership agreement said the club would refund their deposits -- which ranged from $35,000 to $210,000 -- once their memberships were reissued and that they could use the club until they received the refund. Shortly after buying the club, however, Trump told the members on the resignation list that they were no longer welcome, according to the complaint.
Trump National in Jupiter is in a gated community, about 16 miles north of West Palm Beach. The resort features a 7,531-yard Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, as well as a spa, tennis, fitness center and restaurants.
“It’s a true luxury lifestyle,” Trump says in a welcome message on the club’s website.
The club garnered national attention after Trump held a news conference there, while showcasing his products including Trump Steaks, Trump water and Trump magazine. Trump’s then-campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was accused of assaulting a female reporter following the news event. Lewandowski wasn’t charged.
Turned Away
Trump claims that members on the resignation list weren’t denied the use of the club, despite the message in the letter. Members who sued were only turned away because they had stopped paying their annual dues, he said.
The purchase agreement between Trump and Ritz-Carlton said Trump assumed responsibility for as much as $41 million in refundable deposits, according to court records.
Last year, District Judge Kenneth Marra ruled the three club members who sued could represent as many as 150 members on the resignation list who hadn’t received deposit refunds. Trump has settled with some of them, according to his sworn statement.