Roaring Run Resort sale leaves hundreds of campers facing eviction, say membership holders

Theresa Novobilsky’s teenage memories center on weekends at Roaring Run Resort.

As a newly licensed driver, she and her brother would head to the camping resort in Donegal Township after school on Fridays, intent on spending the weekend amid the natural beauty of the Laurel Highlands. Their parents were among the first to get a spot at the secluded Roaring Run Resort when it opened near Champion.

Decades later, Novobilsky and her husband continued the tradition by paying $10,500 to secure a lifetime spot at the members-only resort.

“We bought in here because of that memory and that I could also transfer it to my daughters, one of them, so my grandkids could also grow up here,” she said.

They put money down and financed the rest, planning to make new memories at the campground for years to come. But their investment — and the thousands of dollars an estimated 500 campers have paid for memberships — seems to be in jeopardy after new ownership took over the campground this summer with plans to open it to the public, eliminating the membership system.

Previous owner Jay Corl repeatedly assured campers during a September meeting their memberships were part of the sale.

“They’re going to honor the membership agreements as they’re written,” he said during that meeting, according to a video obtained by the Trib.

However, in a statement to the Trib, the new owners said that was never their intention and accused Corl of causing confusion among members. A deed shows the property was transferred Aug. 6 to 194 Tannery LLC, based in Texas.

“These representations were entirely false,” Blake DeWitt, president of 194 Tannery, said in the statement, referring to what Corl said during the meeting. “Our company wishes to state conclusively: we never intended to honor memberships sold by the prior owners of the resort — any representations to the contrary by Mr. Corl are utterly false … .”

The opposing communications have left campers wondering what happens to the thousands they’ve paid in membership fees, and more some have financed.

“Now, I just want my money back,” Novobilsky said.

Roaring Run Resort was established on the site of a 1920s Boy Scout camp, according to internet archives of the previous website. More than 200 campsites have been added over the years. The sprawling complex includes cabins, an Olympic-size swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts and other recreational amenities.

Business filings and deeds indicate the property became known as Roaring Run Resort in the 1980s, according to state and Westmoreland County records. It eventually was transferred to Recreational Financing, which was established in 2000, and lists Corl as president.

Recreational Financing, which did business as nonprofit Roaring Run Resort Club, sold the property for $2.5 million in August to 194 Tannery LLC, according to a deed. The Texas-based corporation, named after the campground’s address, was registered in Pennsylvania in April.

No information about the nonprofit was available on multiple websites that track nonprofits. Corl is president of Roaring Run Resort Club, according to a deed.

The deed was signed by DeWitt and Blaz Korosec, both of whom are the founders of Investorade, which specializes in buying RV parks and campgrounds, according to the Texas company’s website.

The pair are listed as the owners of the campground — now called Pittsburgh Roaring Run RV Resort, according to the new website, which says no membership is needed to stay there.

Source of solitude

Campers who signed membership contracts in years past enjoyed the solitude and relaxation of the rural spot near the borders of Westmoreland, Somerset and Fayette counties. Close by are Roaring Run Natural Area, Kooser State Park and two ski resorts.

“It was peaceful. It was like family,” said Rhonda Miller of Fayette County.

They relished opportunities to haul their campers or RVs up a hill to their spots, greeting their camp family and friends. Skip and Karen Evans of West Homestead were using their newfound free time to get away from city life for the past two years.

“This was our retirement present,” Karen Evans said.

Members could pick from a few options with varying price points, according to about a dozen people who met with the Trib this week. Some bought permanent spots at the campground and live there year ‘round, investing thousands more in addition to the membership price.

Others picked seasonal or rotational spots that had varying costs. Campers said they paid $8,000 to $10,000 for lifetime memberships and $7,500 to $10,500 for 20-year memberships. An annual maintenance fee was $360.

Some said they had only been members for a few years before the sale and were still paying off a portion of membership fees they financed. Megan Mlinarcik of New Kensington said her family bought a lifetime membership for $9,000 in 2022.

“We paid to never pay to camp again,” she said.

“Not only do we have the financial loss, we have the emotional loss, too,” she said. “We didn’t get $9,000 worth of camping.”

On top of that, Mlinarcik said she received a bill for a four-day stay in August. She didn’t know the property had been sold at the time of her stay.

Members said they found out about the transfer in ownership in a variety of ways. Some got an email from the new owner Sept. 4. That indicated nothing would change for the remainder of the season but said the campground would be open to the public next year and memberships eliminated.

Other campers said they learned through a private Facebook group. Corl, 70, held what members described as a hastily-arranged meeting at the campground in September, after the Sept. 4 email from 194 Tannery, and repeatedly assured them their memberships were safe.

“Nobody’s going to lose anything … I made damn sure of that before I would even sell the place,” he said during the meeting.

When approached by the Trib at his Donegal Borough home Tuesday, Corl said he planned to have a conference call with Investorade this week. He referred other questions to his attorney.

“At the advice of counsel, I’m not allowed to talk to anybody,” he said.

In the statement, DeWitt condemned Corl’s communication during the September meeting.

“Regrettably, the confusion Mr. Corl has caused by his actions has resulted in voluminous, and, in many cases, undeservedly, hostile and threatening communications being submitted to our company as we try to provide uniform communications to impacted parties so as to minimize any further confusion,” he said. “We are doing our best to answer inquiries from parties left understandably confused by this process as quickly as possible. We ask for and appreciate their patience as we do our best to rectify the situation while maintaining our rights as the new owners of the resort.”

An Oct. 15 letter confirmed memberships were canceled as of Aug. 6 as 194 Tannery never intended to continue with them. The letter was penned by a Pittsburgh law firm on behalf of the new owners.

Members feel betrayed, like they were lied to along the way.

“If we get nothing back, (Corl) should not walk away with $2.5 million,” said Juanita Kepchia of Hempfield.

Considering legal options

Some members don’t seem interested in returning to the campground to pay new rates ranging from $60 per night to $3,000 for a season. As they’re considering legal options, members are digging into the property’s background and its ownership over the years. They’ve reported the situation to the state Attorney General’s Office.

A spokesperson declined to say if the agency is investigating.

Jason Stebick of Youngwood said he learned about the sale through a Facebook group. He and his wife started out with a 20-year membership but later upgraded to a lifetime membership.

“I like coming up here, but now I don’t really want to come back anymore,” he said. “I just hope we can get some of our money back.”