Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 Owners of defunct Monroe gym vow customer refunds By Diana Hefley Herald Writer MONROE -- About 400 people shut out of a place to pump iron will get refunds from the owners of a Monroe gym that folded last year. Hundreds of Allstar Fitness Club clients complained they were out thousands of dollars in prepaid memberships and personal training sessions after the gym abruptly shut down in September. They filed a class action lawsuit in October, alleging that they were owed refunds for services they paid for but never received. "Basically overnight they shut down and people called and e-mailed but didn't get any response," said Seattle attorney John Phillips, who represented the former Allstar clients. The fitness club agreed to settle out of court and refund former clients' money, totalling more than $112,000, he said. Some people will get full refunds and others, who transferred their memberships to another Monroe gym, will get half their money back. Phillips said he didn't know why the gym shut down. A call to the attorney who represented the fitness club in the lawsuit was not returned Tuesday. The company owns other gyms in Seattle and Tacoma. Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com

1. Diamond Knot brewery co-founder dead at 46 2. Winfrey takes Winans off her show 3. Everett officer pleads not guilty to manslaughter charge amid a show of support 4. Official Bikini Inspector 5. Man struck by car dies 6. Person sought in officer's killing is shot in head 7. Snohomish County home sales shoot up 35% 8. Thousands to pay respects to slain Seattle police officer 9. Watch infants carefully for signs of the flu 10. Violations close Grab-n-Go espresso stand 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Gough on track to keep job • Jazz vocalist headlines NPAC • Mountlake Terrace makes football history • Tax revenue sagging, city budgets lagging • ‘Touch of Magic' show opens at Gallery North • Jackson repeats as South champs • Holiday Bazaars Calendar • Meadowdale storms back to grab title • Edmonds moves to Fire District 1 • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million