Local attorney secures $6M judgment against Welk Resorts

Springfield attorney Richard Ashe won a roughly $6 million judgment on behalf of his client in a lawsuit filed against Welk Resort Group Inc. in Branson.

The 2017 litigation filed by Quality Structures of Arkansas LLC alleged breach of contract related to construction work. U.S. District Judge Douglas Harpool delivered the judgment March 2 after a bench trial was conducted in August 2019, according to court documents provided by Ashe, owner of Ashe Law LLC.

Quality Structures alleged Timber Ridge Escapes LLC – a subsidiary of California-based Welk Resorts – improperly terminated the company from its contract and did not make some payments for work it performed at the Branson resort. Quality Structures had been contracted for millions of dollars of construction involving four resort buildings, according the documents provided by Ashe.

Timber Ridge has alleged it terminated Quality Structures for cause, specifically for project delays and breach of contract. However, the court did not find proper cause and noted Timber Ridge failed to provide adequate notice of termination, according to the court documents.

According to the judgment, Timber Ridge harmed Quality Structures after the termination by holding some of its equipment that was left on the construction site.

Springfield Business Journal previously reported on the litigation between Quality Structures and Timber Ridge/Welk Resorts in 2017 after the companies spent decades building timeshare resort complexes together. Design changes, delays and increased costs put a strain on contracts signed in 2015, according to past reporting.