WESTLAND, Mich. – Savannah Ferrell said she and many of her coworkers enjoyed working as actors at the haunted house inside Funland in Westland during this past Halloween season.
However, Ferrell said she never imagined that some of them wouldn't be paid.
"He told me that he wasn't going to pay me and that I needed to leave his establishment," she said.
The former haunted house employees said they signed a contract when they were hired which details the rules, how much they'd be paid and when. They were scheduled to get their money at the end of the Halloween season but they said the only thing they've gotten is the runaround.
"I don't want to go to court. I don't want to do any of that. I just want to be paid like any other employee," said Jeremiah Johnson.
The owners of Funland said they tried something different this year by turning the laser tag room into a haunted house for older kids and adults. They believe poor marketing and the fact that it was inside a facility mostly for younger kids did not lead to the business and money they anticipated.
"I plan on paying them. I'm not looking to hide from them or not give them their money but I have to use the Funland to make the money so that I can pay out the wages," said owner Julie Miller.
That excuse is not good enough for the workers who have bills to pay.
Miller said she didn't have a timeframe for when the workers would be paid. She has to come up with the money first.