Clinton Township bowling leagues cash in

Ruth to the Rescue updates story on $100,000 problem in Clinton Township

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – It took months of negotiations, and one Ruth to the Rescue report to get this one solved.

But now the bowling leagues at Kingswood Lanes in Clinton Township finally have their prize money back.

In February, Ruth to the Rescue reported that Kingswood Lanes had their assets seized by Citizen's Bank. The former owners were going through a foreclosure battle with the bank. Gerardo and Fabrizia Pavone were soon forced out of the company and the alley was turned over to a receiver.

Bowlers cry foul when assets siezed

Among the assets seized at the time, was a fund the Pavones set up to hold prize money for the alley's bowling leagues. The bowlers were outraged that they couldn't have access to their funds.

Back then, James D'Ambrosio, better know as Jimmy D. told Ruth to the Rescue, "Now this bank decided to take this account away from us, and it's not the company's money, it's not Kingswood Lanes money, it's the league's money." At the time, Citizen's Bank said it would give the money back to the bowlers, if they showed it truly belonged to them.

Attorneys were involved as negotiations continued between the leagues, the Pavones, the receiver, and the bank. Finally, in April, the leagues got their money back.

The Metro Detroit USBC Association says our coverage helped lead to a positive result. "I think Ruth to the Rescue brought light to the situation and by bringing light to the situation in a public arena, I think it helped solve the situation."

While bowling alleys often set up accounts to hold the prize money for bowlers, the USBC Association says leagues can avoid this situation by setting up their own bank accounts, independent of the bowling alley. This story has lead some bowling alley owners to take extra steps to protect the money belonging to their bowlers.