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Weyrich living high while employees and brides-to-be suffer

January 19, 2010

David Weyrich's rental home

By KAREN VELIE

While North County businessman David Weyrich has insufficient funds in his accounts to cover payroll checks and has refused to return wedding reservation deposits, he continues to live high on the hog, CalCoastNews has learned.

Employees of Weyrich’s Villa Toscana have informed couples who made reservations for their 2010 weddings that their deposits of up to $10,000 – in some cases – won’t be returned.

The luxury bed and breakfast spot in Paso Robles, the couples have been told, is to be closed, sources told CalCoastNews.

Jenn Hocker, a wedding designer and coordinator with Allure Event Design in San Luis Obispo, said that one of the biggest challenges these couples face will be trying to find a new venue this late in the (spring wedding) season.

“Even if they have sent out their invitations, they need to focus and pick a new venue,” Hocker said. “A lot of people book Villa Toscana because it is a dream place. I feel very sorry for everyone involved.”

Villa Toscana

Meanwhile, wedding professionals throughout San Luis Obispo County have pledged to offer substantial discounts to prospective brides who had booked their weddings at Villa Toscana.

For example, Vintage Traditions has stepped forward to assist couples who suddenly find themselves without a wedding venue by offering special rates at Avila Beach Golf Resort, Blacklake Golf Resort and Santa Margarita Ranch.

“The community will try to help out those in need with venues, unfortunately, it is a little late in the season,” said Sean Dasmann, Central Coast Wedding Professionals public relations director.

In addition, for more than a year, Weyrich has frequently paid his Carlton Hotel employees with checks that bounce. Employees claim managers at the Atascadero hotel wait until after 6 p.m. on Friday to distribute paychecks.

Employees, aware of Weyrich’s money woes, would race to Santa Lucia Bank on Monday mornings to be the first in line to be paid. Those at the end of the line had about a 50 percent chance that their checks would clear, sources said.

“You would have to be one of the first in line to be able to cash your check,” said Cassandra Hetrick, a former front desk assistant who quit the week before Christmas because she could not afford to buy gas to get to work. “I was warned after I was hired not to put the checks in my account because they would bounce.”

Though she has tried numerous times to cash the last paycheck she was given, she has been unsuccessful.

“I have one paycheck from Dec. 11 and they still owe me another check,” Hetrick said.

Meanwhile, Weyrich has moved out of his former 7,700-square-foot home because of a foreclosure, and is currently renting a 4,300-square-foot, $2 million home on Beaver Creek Road in Paso Robles.

“I think it stinks,” Hetrick said of Weyrich’s opulent lifestyle while not paying his employees. “Compared to the rent of a $2 million mansion, my $600 check is chump change. You have to take care of the people who work for you.”

Weyrich received his investment capital in 1998 when he sold Martin Media for $610 million, a company previously owned by father-in-law Edward Martin. The proceeds were divided up between family members and investors.

During the past 10 years, Weyrich invested in a number of risky business ventures, including a chain of “family-values” newspapers, scores of upscale real-estate developments, wineries, hotels and a jet-leasing business. He purchased millions of dollars in property, jet aircraft and a yacht.

Currently, Weyrich is deep in debt. He owes approximately $60 million to more than 150 agencies, lenders, vendors and individuals, according to inside sources familiar with his finances.

During the past few months, one of Weyrich’s creditors, Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Co., has been attempting to force a public auction of Villa Toscana, Martin and Weyrich Winery, York Mountain Winery and several vineyards to cover a $20 million debt. The auction, already postponed several times, is now scheduled for Feb. 1.

Neither Weyrich nor managers of some of his various ventures responded to CalCoastNews’ repeated requests for comment.


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So, what we have here is a legitimate businessman who has fallen on hard times. Let’s all lift our leg and wizz on him while he falters. Why this is cutting news is beyond me.


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What a low rent POS. I know the house on Beaver Creek I thought somebody had bought it. It’s owned by the old owner of Mission Marine. Another dead business.


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Obviously this is not good public relations for someone who has already taken a humbling slide down the financial drain. In the end, folks in the private sector have no golden parachute to save themselves.


At first , I thought the home pictured above belonged to President Warren Baker of Cal Poly — who I understand it — is being paid this year for work being handled by Robert Koob? To me, this is unconscionable.


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And Dan Howard-Greene, Roger. He’s been doing the heavy lifting for years.


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It continuously amazes me what society has determined is a crime versus bad taste. This, to me, is a crime, and in a non bizarro-world this guy would be arrested, for theft and fraud; while no one would bother with some guy in Paso growing weed. Under the ideals this country was supposedly founded upon, the two situations presented would be seen as a guy who victimized other people, versus a guy who grows a plant, period… with no other sort of irritational issues introduced. And under the same ideals, any government that didn’t play it like that would be ignored by the people. But no, I live in the United States, Planet Earth, 2010, where natural law has lost out to fascist control, where the people would elect George Bush, and then follow it up with Barrack Obama and then have heated arguments over differences that are so miniscule it’s ridiculous. It’s sort of like arguing the difference between two shades of dark gray, while ignoring the rest of the color wheel.


Unfortunately this comment won’t make the slightest bit of difference. Keep in mind the situation described in this article is not the exception, it is the norm….this is everyday life. It’s going to continue to get dumber by the day because people seem to have lost the capacity for truly independent thought, much less the ability to ever admit they might be wrong.


I hope that someone thinks of my words when they go to the polls to vote for their representatives. Elect a non-incumbent even if you don’t like them or their party. We can always change them again over and over until someone gets it right. You also might learn something from someone with different ideas, God forbid. In the process we would succeed in removing the entrenched and corrupt interests that currently controls our minds and our country. No matter how bad the people we elected, the net result would be an improvement. If you decide to vote for any incumbents who don’t see the existing system as almost completely idiotic then plan on an unjust, illogical, and twisted future in bizarro-world.


Yeah, I took this on a bit of a tangent, but seriously, doesn’t the article make you realize how incredibly how retarded the system is. And retarded systems come from retarded people. (Yes, I said retarded, deal.)


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minor edit done by moderator


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Let me start out by saying the David Weyrick is a fat F**K. He is screwing tons of people. He has put at least one business I know of out of business, all the while enjoying his lifestyle.


The part to me that is the MOST galling, is him running around showing he is a member of the Catholic Church. DAVID you give the church a bad name. Isn’t glotteny a sin? How about tithing a mans wages? Stealing? Should I go on. You are a piece of S**T. I for one hope you lose every damn penny. Now I just have to decide who I have more distain for. Weyrick or Gearhart. ARRG. A**holes!!


O.k. I feel better now.


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Last I saw this toad, he probably weighs more than 450 pounds. Needs a scooter to cart his fat a** around.


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‘Family value newspapers’. Yeah, just another right wing crook like gearhead and the hurst thieves. Living large while ripping off everyone around them. Right on BTDT. I wish there was a debtors prison for jerks like these clowns.


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BTDT I was reading this thread to find out if they were in bed together. They sound like two peas in a pod. So I was wondering if they were pals?


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How things change with time, in 2001 American Profile wrote him up as “A Touch of Weyrich Revitalizes Atascadero”

My favorite quote “the only thing I’ve ever failed at is keeping slim.” .


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I will be on the Dave Congalton KVEC radio show at 4 p.m. to discuss this issue. Turn your radio to 920 AM or listen live at http://www.920kvec.com.


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I have spoken to a representative of VT and she is scambling to make things “right”. This is a personnal effort on her behalf for her brides. I have personnally offered discounted prices at our wedding venue to help with this development. We are a B&B that VT recommends often when they fill-up. We are in Paso Robles so it wouldn’t be too much of a transition for the brides.

Cindy Vaughn &Jjim Roberts of High Ridge Manor B&B. wwwhighridgemanor.net Check out our recent weddings on facebook!


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[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Dolly-Ann, CalCoastNews. CalCoastNews said: Weyrich living high while employees and brides-to-be suffer – http://tinyurl.com/ya2uw8b […]


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Yes this article is absolutely on target with what is happening. I am one of the many brides being affected by this situation and can attest to the fact that David Weyrich has no regard for his paying customers and/or hard working employees. I have yet to receive a phone call from the manager and/or a member of the Weyrich family as to the status of my wedding, contract and/pr deposit. They have basically enlisted a third-party employee to do the dirty work and she provides no conclusive answers to the many questions and concerns we need addressed. I think its absolutely shameful that David Weyrich has no compassion for the situation he’s put “paying customers/brides and grooms” through and can’t even be decent enough to apologize.


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VC Bride; We at High Ridge Manor B&B are a wedding venue and are willing to help out by reducing our venue prices! Please contact us for details. http://www.highridgemanor.net Check us out on Facebook also.


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Hi Villa Toscana Bride…me and my fiance also booked at Villa Toscana and are now trying to get our deposits back and get as much information about the situation as possible. Please contact me at: tajadib22@yahoo.com if you would like to further discuss the situation or just talk about things and join forces.


-Mike


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