| OCR Text |
Show Lodges File $3.5 Mil. Counter Claim in Global Anti-Trust Suit The Park City Lodging Association Asso-ciation and two individuals named in an $8 million anti-trust suit filed in late December by a California-based ski tour operator have filed an answer in the case and a S3. 5 million counterclaim. The Lodgeowners, Utah Ski Association Director Raivo Puus-emp Puus-emp and Tom Hansen, Director of Central Reservations, the lodge-owners' lodge-owners' non-profit booking agent, filed the counterclaim, which seeks $1.5 million under the Sherman Antitrust Act and an additional $2 million in damages plus attorney's fees from Global Sports Tours, Inc. Global filed the original suit in the closing days of 1977, claiming that members of the Alta and Park City Lodging Associations have agreed to "fix prices, exclude competition and have attempted to monopolize" ski tour packages in Utah, in violation of antitrust laws. Global 's suit also names Park City Resort, Marketing Director Craig Badami, Assistant Marketing Market-ing Director Laura Thomas, and several individual Alta lodges, but no action against the original suit was reported by these defendants at press time. A hearing on a motion for a preliminary injunction against the resort and lodgeowners is scheduled sche-duled for April 3 before Judge Aldon Anderson in U.S. District Court. The injunction could stop Central Reservations from doing business. In their answer to the suit, the Loding Association, Hansen and Puusemp list 14 defenses. The answer denies many of the allegations in the Global suit, maintaining that the defendants have "insufficient knowledge of the truth or falsity of the allegations and therefore deny each allegation." The answer also denies that lodges have refused to deal with Global Sports and claims that the case should not be under the jurisdiction of the court, but should be decided by the Civil Aeronautics Board instead. It maintains that three airline companies United, Western and American are parties to the suit, but were not named in Global's action. The $3.5 million counterclaim alleges that Global, not the lodgeowners has conspired to monopolize the marketing of ski tour packages through airlines in violation of antitrust laws. The answer and counterclaim, made public only last week, were originally filed in mid-February, but were amended March 3 to include the airlines. Global has since filed an answer to the counterclaim denying the allegations and asking that it be dismissed. Earlier, in early February Judge Anderson had turned down a motion to dismiss the Global suit to give the company an opportunity to "have their day in court" April 3. Meanwhile, several local lodges lod-ges have recently reported bounced checks from Global Sports. Ed Hosenfeld of the Chateau Apres told the Record eight checks to the lodge, totally approximately $2500, have been returned from Valley Bank and Trust in Salt Lake City because of insufficient funds in the last two weeks. Hosenfeld said Monday that the problems should now be resolved, however. |
