Quick Facts:
- West Seattle Athletic Club closed weekend of Oct. 25.
- Some members charged after it closed.
- Owner is former Seahawks Sam Adams.
- He wouldn't say how members can contact him.
Members of the West Seattle Athletic Club said they were surprised when their gym closed with little notice over the weekend. The owner of the club, former Seahawk Sam Adams, was evicted after failing to pay $1.1 million in back rent, said the owner of the building, John Pietromonaco.
Pietromonaco also said that many of the club's 3,500 members were still charged for the latest month's rent, collected by Adams.
"That's, of course, pretty bad; that's, of course, unprofessional," said Ingrid Momber, a member of the gym.
"When it didn't reopen on Saturday, that's when I decided to call my credit card company and dispute the charge, because there are no services in place and the gym in shut down," said Monica Zaborac, also a member.
Former Athletic Club members contacted KIRO7 about being charged after the club's closing, saying that they had to call their credit card companies and change their card numbers, fearing that they will continue to be charged for memberships.
"That's my biggest concern is what's he going to do with that data? Because he no longer has the gym and he doesn't need that membership data," Zaborac said. "It's not right. This person knew, you know, the gym, he was going to be evicted. To automatically charge a day or two before the gym closes is not right."
Over the phone, Adams said that many members owed him money, and only a fraction of the club's 3,500 members were charged this month after the closing.
He said that he would refund money to any members who were charged improperly.
However, when asked how they could get in touch with him for the refund, he told us, "None of your business."
Adams filed for bankruptcy over the rent owed to Pietromonaco.
Pietromonaco says the club will reopen under new ownership by this Friday, but members will have to sign new agreements.
Adams said he inherited financial problems from the club's previous owner, who gave away about 2,000 free memberships.
A spokesperson for the State Attorney General's Office told us there have been three complaints filed against Adams' business since it shuttered.
The West Seattle Athletic Club has an "F" rating, according to the Better Business Bureau's site.
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