AG Jeff Jackson seeks $1.7M in restitution, penalties in opposition to marriage ceremony images firm

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is asking a choose to order a marriage images firm to show over prospects’ pictures and movies and pay greater than $1.7 million in restitution and civil penalties.

Jackson filed a movement for default judgment Wednesday, September 2 in opposition to Holly Christina Photography and its house owners, Holly Christina Scott Ayscue and Christopher Owen Ayscue.

The movement alleges the defendants didn’t absolutely adjust to a court docket order requiring them to offer {couples} with all edited and unedited pictures and movies that they had paid for however by no means obtained.

“These couples paid for memories from one of the most important days of their lives,” Jackson mentioned.

Jackson mentioned the corporate had its likelihood to conform and is now asking the choose to impose what he known as “serious consequences.”

The movement asks the court docket to order the defendants to:

• Deliver all excellent pictures and movies
• Pay almost $600,000 in restitution to prospects
• Pay greater than $1.1 million in civil penalties
• Permanently cease the defendants from participating within the alleged enterprise practices

The movement has been filed, however a choose has not but dominated on it.

AG Jeff Jackson filed the lawsuit in February. The lawsuit accused the corporate and its house owners of deceptive {couples} and their households by failing to offer promised images and videography providers.

At the time, the North Carolina Department of Justice mentioned some prospects paid deposits of at the very least $1,500. More than half of those that complained had paid your complete price upfront, averaging greater than $5,000, in trade for a reduction.

The firm abruptly shut down Jan. 25. State officers mentioned at the very least 24 {couples} had been lower than 90 days away from their weddings on the time and had been left scrambling to rent different photographers.

The state additionally alleged the corporate double- or triple-booked weddings on at the very least 60 dates. Two dates reportedly had 5 weddings scheduled.

In May, Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins Jr. issued a preliminary injunction. The order gave the defendants 30 days to offer all undelivered pictures and movies.

The choose additionally froze the corporate’s belongings and ordered the defendants to cease providing images or videography providers whereas the lawsuit continued.

According to the brand new movement, the defendants didn’t ship all the fabric by the deadline. Jackson’s workplace mentioned additionally they failed to offer a verified checklist figuring out the shoppers who obtained their pictures and movies and describing what was delivered.

The Department of Justice now says it has obtained 228 shopper complaints concerning the firm since January.