Could use some advice!

[Killer Katie]

How do I go about stopping someone from doing anymore haunted houses in our area? There is a guy that has a shady reputation infiltrating my area.
Last year, he again didn't pay actors anywhere near what they were told, and may have screwed over the city he had the haunt in. They also advertise their haunt to something it is abviously not.

Because a good deal of actors used were my actors from a previous haunt, I am protective of them, and I don't want the city he is currently looking in, to be screwed again.

I know that "hearsay" and "she said, he said" doesn't hold water, but he's been giving haunts and haunters a bad name for at least 10 yrs that i know of.
I'm just getting tired of people trying to ruin the industry with such blatant idiocy!

Basically, what actions would you take, if any?
And before i get lectured like a child, I've been in the industry since 1996, so, I"m not a screaming child, just agitated because I love haunted houses and hate to see my area being tarnished!
(ok.. stepping down from soapbox..LOL)

[smasters]

I know exactly who your speaking of and he has ripped off haunts all across ohio. Llast month he had 4 suits against him for ripping off haunt companies. One company was the one that originally did it 3 years ago at the stadium.
another one was scarecreek and the other was in canton. They all sued together in court last month and won.

I wont give his full name but it starts out with a Pete K. Link is below

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/lifestyl...treme-eastlake

Smasters

[jakprintsHAUNT]

Are the initials P and K?

[darkXmoon]

Katie people on this forum know you well, and if some one thinks your a child on this forum they better have some proof to back it up. You have an honest an good concern for your are and its one I'm glad to help with because I was once envolved with a haunt that didn't pay its actors and was very shady about the details.

I hate to say this but the same people that are always looking to drag haunted houses threw the mud were the same people that ended up helping us in the end. A local news reporter got wind of the story and started collecting the information for us and put the story together and let it snowball from there. In the end it got so bad the guy even left the state. It was all we could really do because our contracts were so cryptic and there was so much "he said" "she said" there was nothing that was really solid that could get the guy charged with any thing.

[Jim Warfield]

A Very Good question.

That I have no answer for.
I would think that he is not "Fooling all of the people, all of the time"-Abe Lincoln
One's reputation would become toxic and top-heavy and take them for a tumble eventually, one would imagine...
Of course there are bad, crooked, incompetant people in every walk of life and in every occupation....
???
Unfortunately, I have heard such stories many times of haunt construction crews getting paid nothing, actors, managers getting paid nothing and one greedy fist closes around all the funds, and runs.
One October some sort of scary people sat in my house and told me they hadn't gotten paid for building a haunt...they came back and broke out all the hearse windows, it was a really old, classic hearse too! (Where do you find glass for those?)
About 5 yrs. ago two farm workers went to collect their pay, some arguement ensued and they killed the farmer in his own drive way! This was just 10 miles from here.
They were convicted.
The most dangerous thing on this world is another human being, all the more reason to treat everyone well that you have any dealings with.
I wish there was a doable answer for you.

[jakprintsHAUNT]

If it's "him" I am a member of the unfortunate club of people that has crossed their path and lived to tell about where it went wrong...bad news...and with as much stuff as that person has done...you'd think he'd be in jail by now...and it stems further than just Ohio...he's been through several other states too. It has to catch up to him eventually. Best thing to do is to notify any city officials in areas he may be trying to open up shop. I know there have been at least 2 instances where his name crossed us in a phone call and we told them to steer as far in the opposite direction as possible and he didnt get those deals...thats about all you really can do if you havent been affected personally.

I am just glad I was smart enough when we worked with him to keep our names out of any of his business matters. I dont want any associations with that kind of unprofessionalism.

[Killer Katie]

Thanks!

Wow... dead on, you guys!
I appreciate the good words and advice, it confirms my "gut" feelings on what to do.

I, too, am amazed at the "luck" this guys has had in getting away with stuff!
I'm just glad that I remembers names, especially those to stay away from, and have yet to be a casualty!
Dark - thanks for the nice words! Could gush on like Sally field, but I'll just move on LOL!
Jax - you got the right guy, I'm sorry you were a victim.
Jim - I love your posts!

[jakprintsHAUNT]

Yeah...our bout was before he had his laundry list reputation...like 1998 I think it was. End of one season...then a whole summer of gutting, rebuilding, and designing an attraction for him...we cut our losses before things got too deep, glad we did.

I could say a lot more but im not one to talk about these kinds of things in public forum...ill have to give you the whole story sometime in person...its a doozy.

Everyone in the area asks the same question every time he pops back up though...how? Unless there are aliases involved...im sure all you gotta do is research who you are going in to business with to know where bad news is. He is one reason I research most "deals" before going further on them....and have saved myself from some scams that way.

[Killer Katie]

Yeah, we should chat!
I heard about him forever ago, then he went away, then popped back up last year, almost got involved with their haunt, then heard the name, and I was screeching to halt!
I agree though, why aren't people researching him? Strange.
Going to Transworld? We should so catch up!

[darkXmoon]

Well the reason a lot of actors didn't come together to get the guy at Darks Horrors is because he really scared a lot of us on the future of our careers. He told us about future plans he had for his haunt and told us what to look forward to. If we drug his name in the mudd then our names would go down with him . Actors that turned on the owner and couldn't roll with the punches he threatened us with. An a lot of us were good haunt workers and we didn't want to be shauned from the haunt profession.

[jakprintsHAUNT]

Yeah plan is for me to be there (I wont say 100% yes until the flight and hotel are booked...lol, but that is the plan). I'll be around.

Yeah from what I remember he did Canal Fulton, Columbia Station, Ridgeville, Medina, Brunswick, Berea, Lorain, then hit PA, Michigan, and even a Year in Texas...but from what I heard the Texas one literally almost got him shot....you dont mess with Texas...lol! Then last I heard was he was back last year...I knew the wording when I saw the ad that he had to be involved...

He's done everything from not paying people to someone even got run over by a hayride at one of his attractions, and was nearly critically injured (there is a clipping of that article on the wall at Bloodview)...he's had several bad news stories done on him...it really is amazing that it continues.

[smasters]

The people that sued him went to the mayor of eastlake and tried warning him about Pete with piles of court documentation. The mayor kicked them out. The mayor is a mean SOB.

Mayor did not want anyone interferring with his haunt. He is now learning the hardway.

Im pretty sure he will NOT do it again there. If he does this group is going to put emergency restraining orders against the money they make at any haunted house.

If you want to reinsure your possition, get as many people as you can write the mayor or city council. enough of that will sure turn the tables if it hasnt done it so far....

Smasters

[smasters]

Ok lets call the duck a duck. I could care less if he tries and sues me for posting his name it is:

PETE R KOLOMICHUK III

but his father is not any better and is part of the clan. They live in brunswick.

in 2008 Kane Hodder visited a few haunts in ohio and YES he ripped off Kane to. Had no money for him and was not even there. He left his crew to deal with the embarassment.

I know a ton about this guy. With all thats been mentioned so far its just a drop in the bucket this guy has done.

Smasters

[Darkangel]

Sounds like a scumbag. Does he post on here by another name? Never heard of him before in any circles....

DA

[smasters]

If you scroll down you will see the local reviews f the haunted house he last did.

Link below - scream xtreme

http://www.cleveland.com/forums/haunted/

Smasters