Press Release
Attorney General Taylor Sues Alaska Motor Home for Canceling an Entire Season of Reservations
June 13, 2024
(Anchorage, AK) – Attorney General Taylor today announced a lawsuit against RV rental company Alaska Motor Home and its registered owners Peter and Cole Harkovitch. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants engaged in deceptive practices such as charging $2,500 damage deposits before consumers had picked up their RV, charging consumers taxes they did not owe, and forging a consumer’s signature on receipts to win a credit card chargeback dispute.
“This is a terrible situation” said Attorney General Treg Taylor. “Alaskan trips people have dreamed about for years are getting thrown into chaos. People depend on businesses to behave responsibly and there are really no words for how completely the Defendants have let down their customers and the whole state of Alaska.”
In addition, the complaint alleges that the Defendants repeatedly violated the injunction entered by the Anchorage Superior Court as part of a consent judgment that resolved an unfair trade practices lawsuit the Attorney General had brought against these same defendants in 2019. This week, despite taking thousands of dollars for RV reservations this summer and despite having some forty RV’s in its possession, Alaska Motor Home told the Attorney General’s Office that it intends to cease operation on June 14, 2024, and that it does not have the cash necessary to provide refunds to consumers whose reservations will be canceled.
In addition to a complaint seeking damages, penalties, and consumer restitution, the Attorney General is asking the Anchorage Superior Court to enter a Temporary Restraining Order barring the Defendants from dissipating their assets and requiring them to immediately notify consumers if their reservations will not be fulfilled.
The State believes that the Defendants’ decision to cease operating is driven in part by the incarceration of Peter Harkovitch in Florida as he awaits trial on a charge of aggravated battery involving domestic violence, threatening a law enforcement officer, and other charges.
Consumers who have reservations with Alaska Motor Home are encouraged to file consumer complaints with the Attorney General’s Office. But the Attorney General’s Office cannot make any guarantees that consumer restitution will be possible in this matter. Consumers who paid in advance by credit card may wish to review their credit card rules and agreements to determine whether they may be eligible for a chargeback.
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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.