‘Nightmare’ Movers Demanded Ransoms for Customers’ Property, Holocaust Heirlooms, Class Action Claims

A moving company runs a scheme where it holds people’s cherished family heirlooms hostage after loading it onto their trucks, then demands thousand-dollar cash ransoms to release it, a new nationwide class action lawsuit alleges.

Retired New York Supreme court judge Jeffrey Spinner and two others who hired moving company New Era filed an amended complaint in the Eastern District of New York April 13. They are asking for $5 million damages, alleging the movers held their property ransom, then delivered it damaged and with missing items.

Spinner’s experience with the company began in July last year when he hired the movers to shift his belongings — including antiques and irreplaceable family heirlooms from the holocaust — from North Carolina to New York. 

Spinner paid a deposit, the company loaded the items in August, and four months later he called to have them delivered. However, he alleges the company told him the balance owed had increased from $9,300 to $10,542.00.

“Next, on or about December 19, 2020, Defendants texted Plaintiff from “Jorge” demanding $6,282.00 more in cash, totaling $15,582.00 in cash as opposed to the $9,300.00 binding price,” the class action alleges.

Spinner says he refused, and kept asking for his property to be delivered. He alleges he then got two calls from a man identifying himself as the general manager at New Era, threatening to auction his items. Spinner filed a lawsuit against the company.

He says, after two court orders, he found his goods “moldy, damaged and destroyed in a dirty trailer on the side of the road at Route 440 South, Bayonne, New Jersey.”

North Carolina Plaintiff Bill Pompliano says he had a similar experience when he hired New Era to transport his items, including items that belonged to his son who died three years ago.

“Defendants made the memory a nightmare by holding his son’s property hostage for more cash then stealing it during the move,” the class action alleges.

Pompliano says he paid over $16,000 for his move. When the delivery driver came to his house, he demanded $1,000 more to release the items, he says. Pompliano paid $500 cash “under duress,” but when he got the delivery many items were missing, including property belonging to his son, a piano, a custom table, a flat screen TV, dressers, electronics, and other valuable items. 

“What was delivered was damaged beyond repair,” the class action lawsuit alleges.

Michigan Plaintiff Samantha Schwartz had similar allegations, saying the company withheld her property for over three months, stole most of it and delivered what was left damaged. 

The class action says there were 19 other similar complaints about the company to the Better Business Bureau as of February this year.

The residents allege the company operates under different brands and shell companies with names New Era Relocation, Gold Standard Relocation, Moving Solutions, and Relocate US in an attempt to dodge liability. However, they allege the businesses share common officers, managers, owner and “mastermind” Margaret Drayton, employees and phone numbers, and are completely indistinguishable from one another.

“Thus, a declaration and injunction about these companies and Drayton’s involvement is also needed to protect the public from their shell game used to hold property hostage,” the class action states.

It is suing under the Carmack Amendment and general business laws, as well as for disgorgement of profits, fraud, breach of contract and negligence.

The residents seek certification of the class action, an order declaring the alleged practices as illegal, injunctive relief stopping the defendants from engaging in the alleged practices, damages and interest no less than $5 million, attorneys fees and a jury trial.

The group is looking to represent any person who used the companies to move anytime from December 2017, and then had the companies deny liability for property damage by claiming they were only brokers.

This is not the first case of a person suing a company that was meant to take care of their belongings. In 2010, a man described his “horror” experience dealing with a moving company.

What do you think of the allegations against the moving company in this case? Let us know in the comments!

The plaintiffs are represented by Susan Chana Lask.

The New Era Moving Company Class Action Lawsuit is Spinner et al. v. New Era Relocation LLC et al., Case No. 2:20-cv-06288, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• Do You Qualify: Delivery Service Hidden Charges | Massachusetts & New York Lawsuit
• Brooklyn Tenants Score Victory Against Landlord in Rent Inflation Class Action
• Do You Qualify: California Worker Unpaid Wages, Overtime Lawsuit Claim Review
• Facebook Chalks Win as Supreme Court Hands Down Autodialer Class Action Ruling