A family’s excitement on the day they were scheduled to pick up their new trailer quickly dissipated when they encountered a locked gate at the dealership.

“We’re supposed to be camping on Easter weekend,” said Mark Roseneder.“We have three little girls that were expecting to see a trailer on Friday night in our backyard. They wanted to sleep in it in our backyard because they’re very excited.”

Roseneder was on his way to meet his girlfriend at the Sunridge RV dealership when he received a text message from her stating the business shutdown an hour earlier.

“I tried phoning the dealership and the number was disconnected,” said Roseneder. “You kind of hit the panic button.”

A call to the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council (AMVIC) confirmed there was reason for concern.

“AMIVC said ‘Oh, yeah, they went into bankruptcy yesterday’,” said Roseneder. He was directed to AMVIC’s website and was told he wouldn’t be able to get his trailer.

Sunridge RV, which had locations in Airdrie and Crossfield, sought creditor protection on March 4, 2016, and was forced into bankruptcy last week. Operations at both locations have ceased.

The number of customers impacted by the dealership’s bankruptcy has not been confirmed but Roseneder isn’t the only member of his family at the mercy of the locked gate at the dealership. His aunt and uncle purchased an RV in 2015 and the sale included free winter storage on the Sunridge RV lot.

Roseneder says his trailer is visible at Sunridge RV but there is no way to retrieve it at this time.

“I can’t go on the property to get my trailer,” explains Roseneder. “The RCMP basically told me it is my trailer but it’s on private property. If I go on the property that’s trespassing and if I open the gate and go on the property it’s break-and-enter.”

Presently, Roseneder is out his $10,000 down payment on the trailer that, with financing, carried a final price tag of just under $33,000.

Roseneder is unsure of when he’ll receive his trailer or its current condition. Terms of the sale included several upgrades which may not have been completed.

“When I spoke to (the owner)this morning, it was ‘we’re going to review all these documents and if everything’s in order we may be able to get to it next week or the week after,” said Roseneder.

Should the trailer not be released in a timely manner, retrieving the trailer will likely cost the family thousands of dollars.

“If they don’t release the trailer to us, we’re going to have to get a lawyer to get a court order to have the trailer released which is in neighbourhood of about $1,500,” said Roseneder. “Then we’d have to hire a bailiff to go and get it which is another $1,500.”

While Roseneder finds himself in frustrating scenario, he’s breathing a sigh of relief that his financing was finalized.

“The email from the trustee that I received basically outlines that people that maybe made an offer on a unit that haven’t completed the financing paperwork but secured it with a deposit are going to become unsecured creditors listed in the bankruptcy,” said Roseneder. “They’re going to lose their deposit.”

AMVIC is encouraging Sunridge RV consumers to file a formal concern or complaint with the organization to begin the documentation process. For more information visit AMVIC.