On Your Side: Bank sues closed Springfield travel business

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - According to court documents, Sunnyland Travel Center owes nearly $500,000 to a bank.

As we showed you a few weeks ago, the company’s website says it’s suspending operation and trips are canceled.

The lawsuit was filed in Greene County. Guaranty Bank is suing TLA LLC, which is the limited liability company that does business as Sunnyland Travel Center. Court records read the owners, Fredrick Harris, and his wife, took out a small business loan of $576,000 and failed to make payments. They took out the loan in December of 2019, right before the pandemic. The bank is asking for a judgment of more than $480,000. At the time of publishing this story, the defendants have not been served.

Harris tells On Your Side Sunnyland is partnering with USA Tours in Rolla. There’s a tab for Sunnyland customers on its website. It reads, USA Tours plans to have most of the motorcoach tours that are on Sunnyland’s webpage and will honor the $100 deposit that many people have paid. They won’t refund the $100. Instead it’s credit for another trip. There are a few Sunnyland trips they won’t be doing. You can use your credit on another trip. The number to call for more information is 1-800-492-2601.

Unsatisfied customers can always file complaints with the Better Business Bureau.

“Filing that complaint is putting that on record. That way, everyone can understand the scope of what’s going on. It’s not going to hurt you to put that info out there. And it’s you doing your due diligence. You are trying to do everything you can,” said Pamela Hernandez with the Better Business Bureau.

That post also goes on to say USA Tours is not purchasing Sunnyland Travel, nor is it responsible for any of Sunnyland’s debts.

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