Camp Kalama R V Park

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: The response she provided is nonsense In response to the letter and documents submitted by Camp Kalama RV Park and Charlene D [redacted] : first and foremost I would like to have all personal information for my wife and myself (to include the likeness of our signatures) removed and deleted from her documentation, as this information should not be viewed by the general public The release of this information by Charlene D [redacted] shows the type of disregard to customers’ and their personal information which has been an issue by this business as can be seen from the customer reviews/complaints (see enclosed document) First paragraph - As for her NO REFUND, NO CREDIT in the camp operations policies document, you can clearly read, Upon registration Guests & Visitors agree to abide by Park Rules Failure to abide by rules will result in your being required to vacate the premises NO REFUND OR CREDIT WILL BE ISSUED Clearly we were not asked to leave the camp due to failure to follow rules, we had to evacuate because the camp floodedThere was potential for additional flooding as an active flood watch was still in effect, and there was raw sewage throughout the camp due to uncapped sewage tanks Nowhere in the application form, which was submitted by Charlene D [redacted] (with all of my and my wife’s personal information clearly visible), is there any relevant information related to this complaint It indicates that they reserve the right to refuse service and that they are not responsible for damages due to accidents, injury or loss of valuables Nothing in this applies to my complaint since I am not claiming damages to my propertyIt is also worth noting that we always paid with a personal check and all receipts received from Camp Kalama were hand-written and never included a “No Refund” statement In the second paragraph Charlene D [redacted] talks about the possibility of flooding and the flood plan, neither of which I dispute As for her claim that we left our firewood at our site and that they “did not charge us for the cleanup” of this wood, is a heinous lie and attempt to hide her greedEnclosed is a picture of our site taken Friday, December 11, at which time water had receded enough for us to make entry into the camp in our truck At that time no cleanup of our site, number 70, had been done and yet there is no wood as claimed Making these untruthful claims about having to clean up our wood once again shows the owners lack of integrity and desire to make statements If she can provide proof of such wood cleanup at my site, I would love to see it Her claims that someone else had to be paid for the supposed cleanup of this wood at our site is so outrageous I don’t know where to begin reputing this I have submitted both links to videos and again the photos of the site shortly after the flood to show that there was no such material as claimed ( [redacted] Furthermore, see enclosed documents indicating that the main cleanup in camp was done by volunteers In addition, it was announced that Cowlitz County had voucher available for FREE dumping for anyone that was affected by the flooding There should have been no costs associated with this cleanup that should have been charged to any customer Since the flooding was an “ACT OF GOD” in Charlene D [redacted] ’s own typed words, no guest should be penalized for this FAST FLOOD event and the lack of time for guests to prepare If Camp Kalama chose to not take advantage of the FREE dump service provided by the County than that is on them As for the temporary relocation at the Port of Kalama, this TEMPORARY evacuation site was available for RV’s for 5-days On December 15, the Port was requesting that all RV’s move from this temporary area Our RV is self-contained, so the availability of bathrooms and showers was a moot point There was no electricity available which most RV’s require for 99% of the appliances to run This area was also under flood warning as indicated by the enclosed National Weather Service posts and DEM posts for the area The Danger and “HIGH” likelihood of additional flooding continued past December 15, Rivers and streams advisories made it dangerous for us to return to the camp which was still mostly flooded The majority of the camp remained full of flood water, sewage and mud (as seen in the enclosed photos and newspaper article) for weeks after RV’s were evacuated Charlene D [redacted] opened the camp less than one week after it flooded but the area was not safe for guest to return The continuing danger of more flooding, as well as multiple slides up river from the campground, should have been the primary focus of the business and not to expect that guest would return and put themselves in a dangerous situation Again I’d like to point to the camp’s “non-responsibility” language which essentially removes any liability from them and puts it all on the guest Since Camp Kalama would not be responsible for anything, the situation was not SAFE for me and my family to return In the third paragraph, the “Good Morning” note from December of is not relevant to this complaint except to show that we were following the rules as we did provide emergency numbers and notice to the camp when we left for an extended period of time This rule is found on the last line of the Flood Plan “During the fall/winter season, if you plan to be gone for any length of time please let us know” The note itself was attached to our monthly payment we dropped in the inbox of the office, as per Charlene’s request, with a reminder the check was postdated so she wouldn’t try to cash it before it was dueWe had a plan for friends to have access to our RV just as we would have if our home had been on our own propertyIt had nothing to do with her “flood letter” or “plan”; we merely let her know whom at her requestTwo of the three RV’s that were left behind during the events of December did not do so willingly as she implies, nor were they left behind because they were not preparedOne of them had an electrical malfunction due to the rapidly rising water and could not be reached in time by the wreckers, and another was owned by an individual who was at the time hospitalizedAgain, no one has ever held her responsible for the flooding itself Paragraph four is irrelevant to my claim, but since she brought it up I will comment on this The language on the note in regards to the temporary ramp was strictly requested by Charlene D [redacted] before she would allow for me to have a handicap access to my RV as I recovered from a horrific accident which left me unable to use my feet and legs for many months The accident occurred just weeks before we were to leave the campground as my family and I were moving to New EnglandInstead of moving, I had spent two months away from my family in a care facility recovering from surgery and learning how to use a wheelchairMy doctors concluded I had healed sufficiently enough to return home with the condition I had a rampInsurance was ready and willing to provide an ADA ramp as soon as the owners granted permission The owners were not going to allow a temporary ramp because it may “set a precedence with other campers” and suggested a lift be installedWhen the insurance contractor discovered not only would the lift need to be set into concrete, but both my wife AND Charlene would also have to carry an Elevator License issued by the state of Washington, she lamented but with specific terms: we had to provide Charlene with a prescription/letter from the doctor that the ramp was a necessity, and note explicitly in a letter that by having this necessary equipment I would NOT hold Camp Kalama and its owners/operators liable for any damages resulting from the rampCharlene suggested such as if I jumped from it, to which my wife reminded her I couldn’t even stand and was why I needed it to begin withIt was either provide her with this documentation, with this language, or not be able to return home and function, move about or be able to safely exit my RV to attend my doctor’s appointments and my physical therapy for my recovery I was wheel chair bound for monthsMy wife wrote the letter with the requested language, included a bit of humor on the request of one of Charlene’s employees, as well as a double-indemnity so we would not be held accountable for any wrongful actions of other campers resulting in injury, and I signed itThe double-indemnity enraged Charlene and she threatened to have her attorney review it, stating if the attorney didn’t like it we would have to move elsewhereWe encouraged the review, she later approved and the temporary ramp was installed July 12, By late-September the ramp was gone as I had improved and no longer needed it Paragraph five was my conversation with Charlene D [redacted] regarding my safety concerns to return to a camp ground that had flooded, was still flooded, remained in “High Danger” of flooding more and my concerns for the raw sewage that I and many others witnessed coming out of uncapped septic drains on the evening of December 8, The comment about a woman calling and Charlene D [redacted] giving us a reference sounds great except we were not looking to move to anyone’s property as we were staying with family The lady had seen the news broadcasts about the flooding and the displaced RVers and she was calling to offer us a place on her property up the river with full hookups until the weather cleared and the flood danger and clean up was over She was also offering clothes and food for the other displaced RV familiesShe had called the campground wanting to know how to contact usWe were never intending to move to her property, nor did anyone need a referenceThe story my wife allegedly told Kendi was in fact a brief statement on December 14, that our son was so sick of water he didn’t even want to take a shower, and was witnessed by another RVerIn regards to the accusation that Kendi F [redacted] , (co-owner of the camp, not “employee”), found our son alone and scared inside the RV when she spoke to him the night of the flooding is nothing less than a malicious attempt at making it seem that I would ever put my child in such a situation Kendi F [redacted] and or Charlene D [redacted] omitted that the night Kendi claims to have seen our son, she had just spoken with my wife as they stood at an adjacent RVThat Kendi and my wife had walked passed our truck together as my wife went to check on a neighborI was no more than feet away from the door plugging in my wiring harness to my truck in preparation to leave the camp, and that I made Kendi aware of my presence as my son was opening the door to my RVOur son was never “scared” as she implies since we made sure he was unaware of the preparations that were taking place or why, while he stayed inside and watched Scooby DooHe knew we were just outside the RV because we were continually checking on him, and he knew it was rainingThat is all he needed to knowAnyone residing in the campground prior to the flood can attest that our child is never out of our sightWhen our child is within the RV, we are never more than feet away from the doorI would be more than happy to take this matter in front of a judge Also, if necessary, I can have multiple sworn statements from many of the guest staying at Camp Kalama that this never happened as shamefully presented by Charlene D [redacted] in this document It was 9:p.mwhen this supposed occurrence took place and the real reason Kendi F [redacted] came by at that time (the first time any owner of the camp had been seen after closing the office/store at 3pm instead of the usual 5pm) was to tell us that preparing was just precautionary and that we MAY flood but we had at least hours to prepare I left camp at 9:p.m and the flood waters of the river reached my camp site by p.m Two hours prior to any communication from the camp owners, guest of the camp had already been helping each other to pack and move out of the camp My wife was helping the elderly neighbor behind us as I was hooking up our RVNot one of the owners attempted to help any of the guests nor did they provide for any assistance of any kind, other than to continue to state “It’s just precautionary” right up to the point the river breached the embankment and flowed into the campgroundAt the end of the fifth paragraph, Charlene D [redacted] admits that there were “possible weather conditions continuing” and questions our alleged placement by the Kalama River, referring back to the reference claimIt is unclear how she can question a persons’ desire to remain near the river in one breath, and claim it was perfectly safe for us to return to camp next to the same river in the nextBut it speaks volumes to Charlene’s lack of situational continuity Paragraph six Charlene D [redacted] mentions that my remark regarding raw sewage must have been someone incorrectly draining their septic line, and is yet another statement Her husband, David D [redacted] , was witnessed by my wife and others, as well as commented to me the night of the flood, that he was going around the camp capping septic lines that had been left open by many of the guest who had little time to move their RV’s, as well as the sites that didn’t have caps Many in-ground septic lines were still open when the waters quickly covered the camp Many of us who returned to help others saw raw sewage flowing up and out of the lines as the flood water continued to rise Not all of the septic lines were addressed before water was on the park because there were many RV’s still finalizing their hook ups and disconnecting their hoses when the water was already at least a foot and a half deep This again is another un-truthful statement by Charlene D [redacted] , who was not even on campground property the night of the evacuation In paragraph seven Charlene D [redacted] points to [redacted] facebook post and claims that we were at Port of Kalama “in plenty of time” because they (the campground) had a plan in place NO, having a plan in place does not equal making it out of the flooding camp in time If this were the case, three RV’s (one of which was an employee who spent most of her time helping others prepare) would not have been left behindHad all 40-plus RV’s waited until they heard from the owners to leave, many many more would have been stuck in the same wayThis points to our hustle to get out in such a short time in spite of no communication, flood status updates or help from the owners Many guests who did not began to prepare until 9:p.m when Kendi F [redacted] communicated with people for the first time DIDN’T HAVE TIME to prepare and were trying to get out as fast as possible, leaving personal items behind in the flood watersThe sheriff’s department was doing their job during such evacuations and natural disastersMy wife is a 10-year Army veteran, and some of our neighbors were veterans as wellIt was because of our preparedness and effort to help each other stay informed and ready, my wife’s understanding of how fast the water was rising, and the knowledge of other influences upriver such as slides and debris that had us ready in ample timeOur decision to wait until 9:30pm to leave was due to our unwillingness to leave our neighbors without making sure they were safe and on their way out as wellI moved our RV because it was no longer safe to leave it thereMy wife stayed behind and was present when the water breached the embankmentShe was present when some of our neighbors were experiencing trouble getting their slides in because of water causing electrical problemsShe was helping people to leave, flagging down wreckers, and directing people who were helping our neighbors; all things the owners should have been seen doing and weren’tShe and several others tried to physically push someone’s slides in when water caused it to seizeTHAT is why she commented on her facebook about people not being able to leave like we were: because the wreckers wouldn’t/couldn’t take anyone whose slides were still outIt wasn’t until 1:30am, after I had come back and tried to help for several hours as well, that I was able to convince her to leaveNever in that time, from the time the river crested to the time I made her leave, did she see any of the owners As to the last paragraph, I will again point to the continuing “flood warnings” posted by the local Department of Emergency Services on December 15th, two days after Charlene D [redacted] states that the camp was open once again Not to mention that the camp was still at least 2/flooded, caution tape preventing people from going to most of the camp, and a sheriff’s rescue vehicle still stuck in standing water as testament to the unsafe conditions (see picture of meter with red circling sheriff’s vehicle taken on Dec14th) At a maximum there were spots above water (she says available to more than RV’s that were there before the camp flooded) How exactly was she making spots available to RVs? It was not safe for anyone to return to this camp on December 13th or for the following two weeks as rivers remained at max capacity and with several weather storms continuing to bring several inches of rain as she admits to As to her comment that we could have moved before paying for December and we could have chosen to pay daily or weekly instead of for the month is ridiculous, because there is no way we could have predicted that this “act of GOD” was comingMost assuredly we ALL would have left before December had we knownThe refund of the 4-days is an insult since we didn’t have safe access to the site for the rest of the month This ridiculous refund wasn’t Charlene D [redacted] ’s “wanting to do something” for the displaced guest It was done because we requested a refund and that is all she decided she was going to give usEven if she were to charge us full-rate for an RV site for the 8-days we were there, she would still end up owing us much more than we receivedNo one discussed “site availability” when we saw Charlene the day after the flood, December 9, 2015, because the entire campground was still under water and part of a flowing river as documented by several news outletsShe stated she knew nothing of what was going on the night before as she had been staying at a family member’s house, and offered a donut as a consolation Jenipher and I both had called to speak to Charlene and Kendi on December 11, 2015, and they made no mention as to when they planned to reopenWe are happy to provide phone records to attest to thisWe moved to a new RV park on December 12, 2015, prior to Camp Kalama reopening so as to be settled before our son returned to school on December 14thReturning to Camp Kalama under the conditions that were present, with active flood warnings in effect, the knowledge of raw sewage rising out of the ground with the flood water, and several more days of rain on the way was not an option It has now been over a month since the flood, and Camp Kalama is still standing firm in their claim that people “chose” not to come back and therefore do not deserve a refundThey still do not have enough sites ready to accommodate the over RV’s that evacuated, and yet we are all still being held to this statementSome RV’s have returned for various reasons; some financial, some personalBut there are more than a handful that returned, as well as several more that did not, that would solemnly attest to the fact Camp Kalama is run more on greed than on good customer relationsIf we didn’t know that before the flood, we certainly know it now Sincerely, [redacted]

This is in response to a complaint filed by [redacted] ,received12/26/ at Camp KalamaWe are a campground located next to the Kalama River,we offer daily rates,weekly rates and if approved,an extended cycle {days)The extended rate is the least expensive rate to pay, approximately half of the daily rate, because of the huge discount,the customer must decide what rate and length of time fits their needs and pay for that choiceWe have a NO REFUNDS,NO CREDITS (in bold red) on our main board where our rates are posted The day cycle is explained to every customer and their signatureon their application is directly above DAY TRIAL DAY CYCLE" notice,this information is also included in our operating policiesThe extended cycle approval requires an application to be filled out and signed,please note above the signature and date line there are two paragraphs,each with important information for customers.The second paragraph confirms (by your signature) that you have received a copy of Camp Kalama's operating policies and your agreement(by your signature)to abide by said policies and proceduresPlease note the Camp Kalama operatingpolicies on the back page of the business mapIn the first paragraph bullets it is noted again in red bold, capital letters,'NO REFUNDS OR CREDITS WILL BE ISSUED"In addition,on the signature line and copy of credit card receipts NO REFUNDS NO CREDITEvery year in the month of November we hand out to all occupied sites what we have called our flood letter"Its main purpose is to remind everyone that we live by a river and the possibility of flooding is always presentPlease review the letter enclosed as it is very clear and specific as to being ready for a flood; clean up your site,store items that are valuable to you,maintain your RV and vehicle,in other words,be prepared for the worst scenario,a flood( It is noted that all firewood needs to be removed as well, [redacted] and [redacted] left their firewood stacked at their site,we did not charge them a clean upfee for this but we have to pay someone to gather up all the wood left behind.) We request customer's current phone numbers and name(s) and phone number(s) of an emergency contact if we are unable to reach them,if they choose to give us that informationIn addition,we attach a map with directions to the Port of KalamaCamp Kalama has been fortunate to have the Port of Kalama as an emergency spot for our guests should the need ariseThe Port has water available,a dump station available,bathrooms and showers are also availableIt should be noted that we have had this arrangement for yearswith the Port,not because we are required to have an emergency relocation site but because we want our displaced customers to have a safe,temporary place to go to with some amenities available during an emergency.Please note the "Good Morning" note from [redacted] and [redacted] with the date 12/31/written and theFlood letter where they provided us with their friends name and telephone number should their RV need to be moved due to a floodThey had a plan,because of our flood letter;they acknowledged the possibility of a flood by providing an emergency contact for us to call if necessaryThey were taking off for a couple of weeks and we have a plan in place in the event of an emergency In 2015,they again signed the flood letter The possibility is always there and unfortunately this year with all of the rain in a very short time,resulted in the Kalama River flooding,as well as the city of KalamaWe are trying to be proactive with a plan but of course we are not responsible for an act of GodWe are not and cannot be responsible for people who choose to leave their RVs behind;in fact,this is the last thing we wantIf enough water comes onto the park,the RVs can float and do far more damage to our infrastructure To imply that Camp Kalama can take any responsibility for an act of God or for the lack of preparationsdone by persons who choose to live in an RV is ridiculous These are but a few reasons that people carry insurance on their private vehicles We want people to have their RVs and vehicles in working order; these "homes" are mobile and can be moved in minutes if preparations have been made That's the plan.In their letter dated 6/24/15, [redacted] needed a ramp installed while she required a wheelchair to get aroundAs she stated,the campground was not liable for any injuries related to use of the ramp She understood that necessity,but thinks we should be responsible for an act of God and their decision to continue to live here for over a year.In my conversation with [redacted] ,she claimed we are "unsafe" as she has now experienced a floodHer analogy was"if you knew you were going to be in a car accident,you wouldn't get into a car and drive." My response, unfortunately the possibility of a car accident is always there and yet,you do drive.living on a river will always have the possibility of flooding, we live in the backyard of an active volcano,which has erupted and yet we choose to live in this areaAt any time during the "flood season" they could have elected to pay daily or weekly and leave before flood season but they did not,they choseto pay the reduced amount for days and apparently hope we did not have a flood.In addition,the Kalama River had high water this past November 2015;the staff here and our guests were closely watching the river levels.(Unfortunately a preemptive to what was coming.)This was their choice to live here at the extended, cheaper rateAfter the flood I was contacted by a woman living up Kalama River Road looking for a reference for [redacted] and [redacted] as they were considering moving to her propertyI gave them a positive reference but recommended she share her flood story with them as [redacted] had shared with Kendi (an employee here) how terrified their kindergartener was after the floodHe had been left alone in the RV while his Moms were elsewhere,Kendi had gone to their RV to find out why they had not left,the child answered the door,stated he did not know where his Moms were and hewas scared.If Camp Kalama is "unsafe" because it is located by a river,and considering possible weather conditions continuing why were they considering a placement up river,by the same river?Her remark regarding raw sewage,while not reported by anyone else, we can only guess that someone had incorrectly drained their septic line.But these are all people that live in their RVs extensively if not exclusively,and all know how to "dump" their septicHuman waste or animal waste,don't know.The campground personnel immediately placed septic caps on open sewer lines,(although we had hoped people would have placed their own),open septic lines were addressed at the time before water was on the park [redacted] posted on Facebook, stating her family was at the Port of Kalama "in plenty of time,"that's because we have a plan in place She commented regarding the Sheriff being on property,they were here because we called themSeveral guests had not made any preparations for themselves,one guest was refusing to remove his RV and a couple other RVs were waiting for help from tow trucks that were overly taxed trying to get slides in,jacks ups and RVs movedThese are all problems that were compounded because some guests chose to do nothing to prepare to evacuate,the Sheriff used his bull horn to direct people to leave as requested,the evacuation was mandatory [redacted] 's final comment, "who could not move like we did."That's the beauty of choosing to live in an RV,if you don't like where you are or an emergency comes up,for example,a flood...you get into your home,your RV and you drive elsewhere[redacted] 's complaint mentions several things;I have tried to address each issue but the issue regarding a refund is simple; we had sites up and ready for our customers starting Sunday Dec.13,(the flood was Dec gth) more customers returned on Monday Dec 14th and laterNeither [redacted] nor [redacted] called regarding site availability,nor mentioned anything when I saw them the day after the flood.They could have come here for any part of their remaining time then moved to another RV park but they chose to go to another campground immediately and pay for an extended period thereAfter the high water in November they could have moved before paying in December,they could have choose to pay daily or weekly but they chose to pay the extended rate at the reduced amountWe chose to refund the five days at the prorated fee,because they did not have access to a site for 4-daysWe think this is fair for everyone,not a requirement for us but we wanted to do something

This is in response to a complaint filed by *** * ***,received12/26/ at Camp KalamaWe are a campground located next to the Kalama River,we offer daily rates,weekly rates and if approved,an extended cycle {days)The extended rate is the least expensive rate to pay,
approximately half of the daily rate, because of the huge discount,the customer must decide what rate and length of time fits their needs and pay for that choiceWe have a NO REFUNDS,NO CREDITS (in bold red) on our main board where our rates are posted The 28 day cycle is explained to every customer and their signatureon their application is directly above 28 DAY TRIAL 28 DAY CYCLE" notice,this information is also included in our operating policiesThe extended cycle approval requires an application to be filled out and signed,please note above the signature and date line there are two paragraphs,each with important information for customers.The second paragraph confirms (by your signature) that you have received a copy of Camp Kalama's operating policies and your agreement(by your signature)to abide by said policies and proceduresPlease note the Camp Kalama operatingpolicies on the back page of the business mapIn the first paragraph bullets it is noted again in red bold, capital letters,'NO REFUNDS OR CREDITS WILL BE ISSUED"In addition,on the signature line and copy of credit card receipts NO REFUNDS NO CREDIT. Every year in the month of November we hand out to all occupied sites what we have called our flood letter"Its main purpose is to remind everyone that we live by a river and the possibility of flooding is always presentPlease review the letter enclosed as it is very clear and specific as to being ready for a flood; clean up your site,store items that are valuable to you,maintain your RV and vehicle,in other words,be prepared for the worst scenario,a flood( It is noted that all firewood needs to be removed as well, *** and *** left their firewood stacked at their site,we did not charge them a clean upfee for this but we have to pay someone to gather up all the wood left behind.) We request customer's current phone numbers and name(s) and phone number(s) of an emergency contact if we are unable to reach them,if they choose to give us that informationIn addition,we attach a map with directions to the Port of KalamaCamp Kalama has been fortunate to have the Port of Kalama as an emergency spot for our guests should the need ariseThe Port has water available,a dump station available,bathrooms and showers are also availableIt should be noted that we have had this arrangement for yearswith the Port,not because we are required to have an emergency relocation site but because we want our displaced customers to have a safe,temporary place to go to with some amenities available during an emergency.Please note the "Good Morning" note from *** and *** with the date 12/31/written and theFlood letter where they provided us with their friends name and telephone number should their RV need to be moved due to a floodThey had a plan,because of our flood letter;they acknowledged the possibility of a flood by providing an emergency contact for us to call if necessaryThey were taking off for a couple of weeks and we have a plan in place in the event of an emergency In 2015,they again signed the flood letter The possibility is always there and unfortunately this year with all of the rain in a very short time,resulted in the Kalama River flooding,as well as the city of KalamaWe are trying to be proactive with a plan but of course we are not responsible for an act of GodWe are not and cannot be responsible for people who choose to leave their RVs behind;in fact,this is the last thing we wantIf enough water comes onto the park,the RVs can float and do far more damage to our infrastructure. To imply that Camp Kalama can take any responsibility for an act of God or for the lack of preparationsdone by persons who choose to live in an RV is ridiculous These are but a few reasons that people carry insurance on their private vehicles We want people to have their RVs and vehicles in working order; these "homes" are mobile and can be moved in minutes if preparations have been made That's the plan.In their letter dated 6/24/15,*** needed a ramp installed while she required a wheelchair to get aroundAs she stated,the campground was not liable for any injuries related to use of the ramp She understood that necessity,but thinks we should be responsible for an act of God and their decision to continue to live here for over a year.In my conversation with ***,she claimed we are "unsafe" as she has now experienced a floodHer analogy was"if you knew you were going to be in a car accident,you wouldn't get into a car and drive." My response, unfortunately the possibility of a car accident is always there and yet,you do drive.living on a river will always have the possibility of flooding, we live in the backyard of an active volcano,which has erupted and yet we choose to live in this areaAt any time during the "flood season" they could have elected to pay daily or weekly and leave before flood season but they did not,they choseto pay the reduced amount for days and apparently hope we did not have a flood.In addition,the Kalama River had high water this past November 2015;the staff here and our guests were closely watching the river levels.(Unfortunately a preemptive to what was coming.)This was their choice to live here at the extended, cheaper rateAfter the flood I was contacted by a woman living up Kalama River Road looking for a reference for *** and *** as they were considering moving to her propertyI gave them a positive reference but recommended she share her flood story with them as *** had shared with Kendi (an employee here) how terrified their kindergartener was after the floodHe had been left alone in the RV while his Moms were elsewhere,Kendi had gone to their RV to find out why they had not left,the child answered the door,stated he did not know where his Moms were and hewas scared.If Camp Kalama is "unsafe" because it is located by a river,and considering possible weather conditions continuing why were they considering a placement up river,by the same river?Her remark regarding raw sewage,while not reported by anyone else, we can only guess that someone had incorrectly drained their septic line.But these are all people that live in their RVs extensively if not exclusively,and all know how to "dump" their septicHuman waste or animal waste,don't know.The campground personnel immediately placed septic caps on open sewer lines,(although we had hoped people would have placed their own),open septic lines were addressed at the time before water was on the park
*** posted on Facebook, stating her family was at the Port of Kalama "in plenty of time,"that's because we have a plan in place She commented regarding the Sheriff being on property,they were here because we called themSeveral guests had not made any preparations for themselves,one guest was refusing to remove his RV and a couple other RVs were waiting for help from tow trucks that were overly taxed trying to get slides in,jacks ups and RVs movedThese are all problems that were compounded because some guests chose to do nothing to prepare to evacuate,the Sheriff used his bull horn to direct people to leave as requested,the evacuation was mandatory ***'s final comment, "who could not move like we did."That's the beauty of choosing to live in an RV,if you don't like where you are or an emergency comes up,for example,a flood...you get into your home,your RV and you drive elsewhere.***'s complaint mentions several things;I have tried to address each issue but the issue regarding a refund is simple; we had sites up and ready for our customers starting Sunday Dec.13,(the flood was Dec gth) more customers returned on Monday Dec 14th and laterNeither *** nor *** called regarding site availability,nor mentioned anything when I saw them the day after the flood.They could have come here for any part of their remaining time then moved to another RV park but they chose to go to another campground immediately and pay for an extended period thereAfter the high water in November they could have moved before paying in December,they could have choose to pay daily or weekly but they chose to pay the extended rate at the reduced amountWe chose to refund the five days at the prorated fee,because they did not have access to a site for 4-daysWe think this is fair for everyone,not a requirement for us but we wanted to do something

Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response because: The response she provided is nonsense
In response to the letter and documents submitted by Camp Kalama RV Park and Charlene D***: first and foremost I would like to have all personal information for my wife and myself (to include the likeness of our signatures) removed and deleted from her documentation, as this information should not be viewed by the general public. The release of this information by Charlene D*** shows the type of disregard to customers’ and their personal information which has been an issue by this business as can be seen from the customer reviews/complaints (see enclosed document)
First paragraph - As for her NO REFUND, NO CREDIT in the camp operations policies document, you can clearly read,
Upon registration Guests & Visitors agree to abide by Park Rules. Failure to abide by rules will result in your being required to vacate the premises. NO REFUND OR CREDIT WILL BE ISSUED
Clearly we were not asked to leave the camp due to failure to follow rules, we had to evacuate because the camp floodedThere was potential for additional flooding as an active flood watch was still in effect, and there was raw sewage throughout the camp due to uncapped sewage tanks. Nowhere in the application form, which was submitted by Charlene D*** (with all of my and my wife’s personal information clearly visible), is there any relevant information related to this complaint. It indicates that they reserve the right to refuse service and that they are not responsible for damages due to accidents, injury or loss of valuables. Nothing in this applies to my complaint since I am not claiming damages to my propertyIt is also worth noting that we always paid with a personal check and all receipts received from Camp Kalama were hand-written and never included a “No Refund” statement
In the second paragraph Charlene D*** talks about the possibility of flooding and the flood plan, neither of which I dispute. As for her claim that we left our firewood at our site and that they “did not charge us for the cleanup” of this wood, is a heinous lie and attempt to hide her greedEnclosed is a picture of our site taken Friday, December 11, at which time water had receded enough for us to make entry into the camp in our truck. At that time no cleanup of our site, number 70, had been done and yet there is no wood as claimed. Making these untruthful claims about having to clean up our wood once again shows the owners lack of integrity and desire to make statements. If she can provide proof of such wood cleanup at my site, I would love to see it. Her claims that someone else had to be paid for the supposed cleanup of this wood at our site is so outrageous I don’t know where to begin reputing this. I have submitted both links to videos and again the photos of the site shortly after the flood to show that there was no such material as claimed (*** Furthermore, see enclosed documents indicating that the main cleanup in camp was done by volunteers. In addition, it was announced that Cowlitz County had voucher available for FREE dumping for anyone that was affected by the flooding. There should have been no costs associated with this cleanup that should have been charged to any customer. Since the flooding was an “ACT OF GOD” in Charlene D***’s own typed words, no guest should be penalized for this FAST FLOOD event and the lack of time for guests to prepare. If Camp Kalama chose to not take advantage of the FREE dump service provided by the County than that is on them. As for the temporary relocation at the Port of Kalama, this TEMPORARY evacuation site was available for RV’s for 5-days. On December 15, the Port was requesting that all RV’s move from this temporary area. Our RV is self-contained, so the availability of bathrooms and showers was a moot point. There was no electricity available which most RV’s require for 99% of the appliances to run. This area was also under flood warning as indicated by the enclosed National Weather Service posts and DEM posts for the area. The Danger and “HIGH” likelihood of additional flooding continued past December 15, 2015. Rivers and streams advisories made it dangerous for us to return to the camp which was still mostly flooded. The majority of the camp remained full of flood water, sewage and mud (as seen in the enclosed photos and newspaper article) for weeks after RV’s were evacuated. Charlene D*** opened the camp less than one week after it flooded but the area was not safe for guest to return. The continuing danger of more flooding, as well as multiple slides up river from the campground, should have been the primary focus of the business and not to expect that guest would return and put themselves in a dangerous situation. Again I’d like to point to the camp’s “non-responsibility” language which essentially removes any liability from them and puts it all on the guest. Since Camp Kalama would not be responsible for anything, the situation was not SAFE for me and my family to return
In the third paragraph, the “Good Morning” note from December of is not relevant to this complaint except to show that we were following the rules as we did provide emergency numbers and notice to the camp when we left for an extended period of time. This rule is found on the last line of the Flood Plan
“During the fall/winter season, if you plan to be gone for any length of time please let us know”
The note itself was attached to our monthly payment we dropped in the inbox of the office, as per Charlene’s request, with a reminder the check was postdated so she wouldn’t try to cash it before it was dueWe had a plan for friends to have access to our RV just as we would have if our home had been on our own propertyIt had nothing to do with her “flood letter” or “plan”; we merely let her know whom at her requestTwo of the three RV’s that were left behind during the events of December did not do so willingly as she implies, nor were they left behind because they were not preparedOne of them had an electrical malfunction due to the rapidly rising water and could not be reached in time by the wreckers, and another was owned by an individual who was at the time hospitalizedAgain, no one has ever held her responsible for the flooding itself
Paragraph four is irrelevant to my claim, but since she brought it up I will comment on this. The language on the note in regards to the temporary ramp was strictly requested by Charlene D*** before she would allow for me to have a handicap access to my RV as I recovered from a horrific accident which left me unable to use my feet and legs for many months. The accident occurred just weeks before we were to leave the campground as my family and I were moving to New EnglandInstead of moving, I had spent two months away from my family in a care facility recovering from surgery and learning how to use a wheelchairMy doctors concluded I had healed sufficiently enough to return home with the condition I had a rampInsurance was ready and willing to provide an ADA ramp as soon as the owners granted permission. The owners were not going to allow a temporary ramp because it may “set a precedence with other campers” and suggested a lift be installedWhen the insurance contractor discovered not only would the lift need to be set into concrete, but both my wife AND Charlene would also have to carry an Elevator License issued by the state of Washington, she lamented but with specific terms: we had to provide Charlene with a prescription/letter from the doctor that the ramp was a necessity, and note explicitly in a letter that by having this necessary equipment I would NOT hold Camp Kalama and its owners/operators liable for any damages resulting from the rampCharlene suggested such as if I jumped from it, to which my wife reminded her I couldn’t even stand and was why I needed it to begin withIt was either provide her with this documentation, with this language, or not be able to return home and function, move about or be able to safely exit my RV to attend my doctor’s appointments and my physical therapy for my recovery. I was wheel chair bound for monthsMy wife wrote the letter with the requested language, included a bit of humor on the request of one of Charlene’s employees, as well as a double-indemnity so we would not be held accountable for any wrongful actions of other campers resulting in injury, and I signed itThe double-indemnity enraged Charlene and she threatened to have her attorney review it, stating if the attorney didn’t like it we would have to move elsewhereWe encouraged the review, she later approved and the temporary ramp was installed July 12, By late-September the ramp was gone as I had improved and no longer needed it
Paragraph five was my conversation with Charlene D*** regarding my safety concerns to return to a camp ground that had flooded, was still flooded, remained in “High Danger” of flooding more and my concerns for the raw sewage that I and many others witnessed coming out of uncapped septic drains on the evening of December 8, 2015. The comment about a woman calling and Charlene D*** giving us a reference sounds great except we were not looking to move to anyone’s property as we were staying with family. The lady had seen the news broadcasts about the flooding and the displaced RVers and she was calling to offer us a place on her property up the river with full hookups until the weather cleared and the flood danger and clean up was over. She was also offering clothes and food for the other displaced RV familiesShe had called the campground wanting to know how to contact usWe were never intending to move to her property, nor did anyone need a referenceThe story my wife allegedly told Kendi was in fact a brief statement on December 14, that our son was so sick of water he didn’t even want to take a shower, and was witnessed by another RVerIn regards to the accusation that Kendi F*, (co-owner of the camp, not “employee”), found our son alone and scared inside the RV when she spoke to him the night of the flooding is nothing less than a malicious attempt at making it seem that I would ever put my child in such a situation. Kendi F* and or Charlene D*** omitted that the night Kendi claims to have seen our son, she had just spoken with my wife as they stood at an adjacent RVThat Kendi and my wife had walked passed our truck together as my wife went to check on a neighborI was no more than feet away from the door plugging in my wiring harness to my truck in preparation to leave the camp, and that I made Kendi aware of my presence as my son was opening the door to my RVOur son was never “scared” as she implies since we made sure he was unaware of the preparations that were taking place or why, while he stayed inside and watched Scooby DooHe knew we were just outside the RV because we were continually checking on him, and he knew it was rainingThat is all he needed to knowAnyone residing in the campground prior to the flood can attest that our child is never out of our sightWhen our child is within the RV, we are never more than feet away from the doorI would be more than happy to take this matter in front of a judge. Also, if necessary, I can have multiple sworn statements from many of the guest staying at Camp Kalama that this never happened as shamefully presented by Charlene D*** in this document. It was 9:p.mwhen this supposed occurrence took place and the real reason Kendi F* came by at that time (the first time any owner of the camp had been seen after closing the office/store at 3pm instead of the usual 5pm) was to tell us that preparing was just precautionary and that we MAY flood but we had at least hours to prepare. I left camp at 9:p.m and the flood waters of the river reached my camp site by p.m. Two hours prior to any communication from the camp owners, guest of the camp had already been helping each other to pack and move out of the camp. My wife was helping the elderly neighbor behind us as I was hooking up our RVNot one of the owners attempted to help any of the guests nor did they provide for any assistance of any kind, other than to continue to state “It’s just precautionary” right up to the point the river breached the embankment and flowed into the campgroundAt the end of the fifth paragraph, Charlene D*** admits that there were “possible weather conditions continuing” and questions our alleged placement by the Kalama River, referring back to the reference claimIt is unclear how she can question a persons’ desire to remain near the river in one breath, and claim it was perfectly safe for us to return to camp next to the same river in the nextBut it speaks volumes to Charlene’s lack of situational continuity
Paragraph six Charlene D*** mentions that my remark regarding raw sewage must have been someone incorrectly draining their septic line, and is yet another statement. Her husband, David D***, was witnessed by my wife and others, as well as commented to me the night of the flood, that he was going around the camp capping septic lines that had been left open by many of the guest who had little time to move their RV’s, as well as the sites that didn’t have caps. Many in-ground septic lines were still open when the waters quickly covered the camp. Many of us who returned to help others saw raw sewage flowing up and out of the lines as the flood water continued to rise. Not all of the septic lines were addressed before water was on the park because there were many RV’s still finalizing their hook ups and disconnecting their hoses when the water was already at least a foot and a half deep. This again is another un-truthful statement by Charlene D***, who was not even on campground property the night of the evacuation
In paragraph seven Charlene D*** points to *** facebook post and claims that we were at Port of Kalama “in plenty of time” because they (the campground) had a plan in place. NO, having a plan in place does not equal making it out of the flooding camp in time. If this were the case, three RV’s (one of which was an employee who spent most of her time helping others prepare) would not have been left behindHad all 40-plus RV’s waited until they heard from the owners to leave, many many more would have been stuck in the same wayThis points to our hustle to get out in such a short time in spite of no communication, flood status updates or help from the owners. Many guests who did not began to prepare until 9:p.m when Kendi F* communicated with people for the first time DIDN’T HAVE TIME to prepare and were trying to get out as fast as possible, leaving personal items behind in the flood watersThe sheriff’s department was doing their job during such evacuations and natural disastersMy wife is a 10-year Army veteran, and some of our neighbors were veterans as wellIt was because of our preparedness and effort to help each other stay informed and ready, my wife’s understanding of how fast the water was rising, and the knowledge of other influences upriver such as slides and debris that had us ready in ample timeOur decision to wait until 9:30pm to leave was due to our unwillingness to leave our neighbors without making sure they were safe and on their way out as wellI moved our RV because it was no longer safe to leave it thereMy wife stayed behind and was present when the water breached the embankmentShe was present when some of our neighbors were experiencing trouble getting their slides in because of water causing electrical problemsShe was helping people to leave, flagging down wreckers, and directing people who were helping our neighbors; all things the owners should have been seen doing and weren’tShe and several others tried to physically push someone’s slides in when water caused it to seizeTHAT is why she commented on her facebook about people not being able to leave like we were: because the wreckers wouldn’t/couldn’t take anyone whose slides were still outIt wasn’t until 1:30am, after I had come back and tried to help for several hours as well, that I was able to convince her to leaveNever in that time, from the time the river crested to the time I made her leave, did she see any of the owners
As to the last paragraph, I will again point to the continuing “flood warnings” posted by the local Department of Emergency Services on December 15th, two days after Charlene D*** states that the camp was open once again. Not to mention that the camp was still at least 2/flooded, caution tape preventing people from going to most of the camp, and a sheriff’s rescue vehicle still stuck in standing water as testament to the unsafe conditions (see picture of meter with red circling sheriff’s vehicle taken on Dec14th). At a maximum there were spots above water (she says available to more than RV’s that were there before the camp flooded). How exactly was she making spots available to RVs? It was not safe for anyone to return to this camp on December 13th or for the following two weeks as rivers remained at max capacity and with several weather storms continuing to bring several inches of rain as she admits to. As to her comment that we could have moved before paying for December and we could have chosen to pay daily or weekly instead of for the month is ridiculous, because there is no way we could have predicted that this “act of GOD” was comingMost assuredly we ALL would have left before December had we knownThe refund of the 4-days is an insult since we didn’t have safe access to the site for the rest of the month. This ridiculous refund wasn’t Charlene D***’s “wanting to do something” for the displaced guest. It was done because we requested a refund and that is all she decided she was going to give usEven if she were to charge us full-rate for an RV site for the 8-days we were there, she would still end up owing us much more than we receivedNo one discussed “site availability” when we saw Charlene the day after the flood, December 9, 2015, because the entire campground was still under water and part of a flowing river as documented by several news outletsShe stated she knew nothing of what was going on the night before as she had been staying at a family member’s house, and offered a donut as a consolation. Jenipher and I both had called to speak to Charlene and Kendi on December 11, 2015, and they made no mention as to when they planned to reopenWe are happy to provide phone records to attest to thisWe moved to a new RV park on December 12, 2015, prior to Camp Kalama reopening so as to be settled before our son returned to school on December 14thReturning to Camp Kalama under the conditions that were present, with active flood warnings in effect, the knowledge of raw sewage rising out of the ground with the flood water, and several more days of rain on the way was not an option
It has now been over a month since the flood, and Camp Kalama is still standing firm in their claim that people “chose” not to come back and therefore do not deserve a refundThey still do not have enough sites ready to accommodate the over RV’s that evacuated, and yet we are all still being held to this statementSome RV’s have returned for various reasons; some financial, some personalBut there are more than a handful that returned, as well as several more that did not, that would solemnly attest to the fact Camp Kalama is run more on greed than on good customer relationsIf we didn’t know that before the flood, we certainly know it now
Sincerely,*** ***

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:  The response she provided is nonsense.
In response to the letter and documents submitted by Camp Kalama RV Park and Charlene D[redacted]: first and foremost I would like to have all personal information for my wife and myself (to include the likeness of our signatures) removed and deleted from her documentation, as this information should not be viewed by the general public.  The release of this information by Charlene D[redacted] shows the type of disregard to customers’ and their personal information which has been an issue by this business as can be seen from the customer reviews/complaints (see enclosed document).
First paragraph - As for her NO REFUND, NO CREDIT in the camp operations policies document, you can clearly read,
Upon registration Guests & Visitors agree to abide by Park Rules.  Failure to abide by rules will result in your being required to vacate the premises.  NO REFUND OR CREDIT WILL BE ISSUED.
Clearly we were not asked to leave the camp due to failure to follow rules, we had to evacuate because the camp flooded. There was potential for additional flooding as an active flood watch was still in effect, and there was raw sewage throughout the camp due to uncapped sewage tanks.  Nowhere in the application form, which was submitted by Charlene D[redacted] (with all of my and my wife’s personal information clearly visible), is there any relevant information related to this complaint.  It indicates that they reserve the right to refuse service and that they are not responsible for damages due to accidents, injury or loss of valuables.  Nothing in this applies to my complaint since I am not claiming damages to my property. It is also worth noting that we always paid with a personal check and all receipts received from Camp Kalama were hand-written and never included a “No Refund” statement.
In the second paragraph Charlene D[redacted] talks about the possibility of flooding and the flood plan, neither of which I dispute.  As for her claim that we left our firewood at our site and that they “did not charge us for the cleanup” of this wood, is a heinous lie and attempt to hide her greed. Enclosed is a picture of our site taken Friday, December 11, 2015 at which time water had receded enough for us to make entry into the camp in our truck.  At that time no cleanup of our site, number 70, had been done and yet there is no wood as claimed.  Making these untruthful claims about having to clean up our wood once again shows the owners lack of integrity and desire to make false statements.  If she can provide proof of such wood cleanup at my site, I would love to see it.  Her false claims that someone else had to be paid for the supposed cleanup of this wood at our site is so outrageous I don’t know where to begin reputing this.  I have submitted both links to videos and again the photos of the site shortly after the flood to show that there was no such material as claimed ([redacted] Furthermore, see enclosed documents indicating that the main cleanup in camp was done by volunteers.  In addition, it was announced that Cowlitz County had voucher available for FREE dumping for anyone that was affected by the flooding.  There should have been no costs associated with this cleanup that should have been charged to any customer.  Since the flooding was an “ACT OF GOD” in Charlene D[redacted]’s own typed words, no guest should be penalized for this FAST FLOOD event and the lack of time for guests to prepare.  If Camp Kalama chose to not take advantage of the FREE dump service provided by the County than that is on them.   As for the temporary relocation at the Port of Kalama, this TEMPORARY evacuation site was available for RV’s for 5-7 days.  On December 15, the Port was requesting that all RV’s move from this temporary area.  Our RV is self-contained, so the availability of bathrooms and showers was a moot point.  There was no electricity available which most RV’s require for 99% of the appliances to run.  This area was also under flood warning as indicated by the enclosed National Weather Service posts and DEM posts for the area.  The Danger and “HIGH” likelihood of additional flooding continued past December 15, 2015.  Rivers and streams advisories made it dangerous for us to return to the camp which was still mostly flooded.  The majority of the camp remained full of flood water, sewage and mud (as seen in the enclosed photos and newspaper article) for weeks after RV’s were evacuated.  Charlene D[redacted] opened the camp less than one week after it flooded but the area was not safe for guest to return.  The continuing danger of more flooding, as well as multiple slides up river from the campground, should have been the primary focus of the business and not to expect that guest would return and put themselves in a dangerous situation.  Again I’d like to point to the camp’s “non-responsibility” language which essentially removes any liability from them and puts it all on the guest.  Since Camp Kalama would not be responsible for anything, the situation was not SAFE for me and my family to return.
In the third paragraph, the “Good Morning” note from December of 2014 is not relevant to this complaint except to show that we were following the rules as we did provide emergency numbers and notice to the camp when we left for an extended period of time.  This rule is found on the last line of the Flood Plan.
“During the fall/winter season, if you plan to be gone for any length of time please let us know”.
The note itself was attached to our monthly payment we dropped in the inbox of the office, as per Charlene’s request, with a reminder the check was postdated so she wouldn’t try to cash it before it was due. We had a plan for friends to have access to our RV just as we would have if our home had been on our own property. It had nothing to do with her “flood letter” or “plan”; we merely let her know whom at her request. Two of the three RV’s that were left behind during the events of December 2015 did not do so willingly as she implies, nor were they left behind because they were not prepared. One of them had an electrical malfunction due to the rapidly rising water and could not be reached in time by the wreckers, and another was owned by an individual who was at the time hospitalized. Again, no one has ever held her responsible for the flooding itself.
Paragraph four is irrelevant to my claim, but since she brought it up I will comment on this.  The language on the note in regards to the temporary ramp was strictly requested by Charlene D[redacted] before she would allow for me to have a handicap access to my RV as I recovered from a horrific accident which left me unable to use my feet and legs for many months.  The accident occurred just weeks before we were to leave the campground as my family and I were moving to New England. Instead of moving, I had spent two months away from my family in a care facility recovering from surgery and learning how to use a wheelchair. My doctors concluded I had healed sufficiently enough to return home with the condition I had a ramp. Insurance was ready and willing to provide an ADA ramp as soon as the owners granted permission.  The owners were not going to allow a temporary ramp because it may “set a precedence with other campers” and suggested a lift be installed. When the insurance contractor discovered not only would the lift need to be set into concrete, but both my wife AND Charlene would also have to carry an Elevator License issued by the state of Washington, she lamented but with specific terms: we had to provide Charlene with a prescription/letter from the doctor that the ramp was a necessity, and note explicitly in a letter that by having this necessary equipment I would NOT hold Camp Kalama and its owners/operators liable for any damages resulting from the ramp. Charlene suggested such as if I jumped from it, to which my wife reminded her I couldn’t even stand and was why I needed it to begin with. It was either provide her with this documentation, with this language, or not be able to return home and function, move about or be able to safely exit my RV to attend my doctor’s appointments and my physical therapy for my recovery.  I was wheel chair bound for months. My wife wrote the letter with the requested language, included a bit of humor on the request of one of Charlene’s employees, as well as a double-indemnity so we would not be held accountable for any wrongful actions of other campers resulting in injury, and I signed it. The double-indemnity enraged Charlene and she threatened to have her attorney review it, stating if the attorney didn’t like it we would have to move elsewhere. We encouraged the review, she later approved and the temporary ramp was installed July 12, 2015. By late-September the ramp was gone as I had improved and no longer needed it.
Paragraph five was my conversation with Charlene D[redacted] regarding my safety concerns to return to a camp ground that had flooded, was still flooded, remained in “High Danger” of flooding more and my concerns for the raw sewage that I and many others witnessed coming out of uncapped septic drains on the evening of December 8, 2015.  The comment about a woman calling and Charlene D[redacted] giving us a reference sounds great except we were not looking to move to anyone’s property as we were staying with family.  The lady had seen the news broadcasts about the flooding and the displaced RVers and she was calling to offer us a place on her property up the river with full hookups until the weather cleared and the flood danger and clean up was over.  She was also offering clothes and food for the other displaced RV families. She had called the campground wanting to know how to contact us. We were never intending to move to her property, nor did anyone need a reference. The story my wife allegedly told Kendi  was in fact a brief statement on December 14, 2015 that our son was so sick of water he didn’t even want to take a shower, and was witnessed by another RVer. In regards to the accusation that Kendi F[redacted], (co-owner of the camp, not “employee”), found our son alone and scared inside the RV when she spoke to him the night of the flooding is nothing less than a malicious attempt at making it seem that I would ever put my child in such a situation.  Kendi F[redacted] and or Charlene D[redacted] omitted that the night Kendi claims to have seen our son, she had just spoken with my wife as they stood at an adjacent RV. That Kendi and my wife had walked passed our truck together as my wife went to check on a neighbor. I was no more than 10 feet away from the door plugging in my wiring harness to my truck in preparation to leave the camp, and that I made Kendi aware of my presence as my son was opening the door to my RV. Our son was never “scared” as she implies since we made sure he was unaware of the preparations that were taking place or why, while he stayed inside and watched Scooby Doo. He knew we were just outside the RV because we were continually checking on him, and he knew it was raining. That is all he needed to know. Anyone residing in the campground prior to the flood can attest that our child is never out of our sight. When our child is within the RV, we are never more than 15 feet away from the door. I would be more than happy to take this matter in front of a judge.  Also, if necessary, I can have multiple sworn statements from many of the guest staying at Camp Kalama that this never happened as shamefully presented by Charlene D[redacted] in this document.  It was 9:30 p.m. when this supposed occurrence took place and the real reason Kendi F[redacted] came by at that time (the first time any owner of the camp had been seen after closing the office/store at 3pm instead of the usual 5pm) was to tell us that preparing was just precautionary and that we MAY flood but we had at least 2 hours to prepare.  I left camp at 9:36 p.m and the flood waters of the river reached my camp site by 10 p.m.  Two hours prior to any communication from the camp owners, guest of the camp had already been helping each other to pack and move out of the camp.  My wife was helping the elderly neighbor behind us as I was hooking up our RV. Not one of the owners attempted to help any of the guests nor did they provide for any assistance of any kind, other than to continue to state “It’s just precautionary” right up to the point the river breached the embankment and flowed into the campground. At the end of the fifth paragraph, Charlene D[redacted] admits that there were “possible weather conditions continuing” and questions our alleged placement by the Kalama River, referring back to the reference claim. It is unclear how she can question a persons’ desire to remain near the river in one breath, and claim it was perfectly safe for us to return to camp next to the same river in the next. But it speaks volumes to Charlene’s lack of situational continuity.
Paragraph six Charlene D[redacted] mentions that my remark regarding raw sewage must have been someone incorrectly draining their septic line, and is yet another false statement.  Her husband, David D[redacted], was witnessed by my wife and others, as well as commented to me the night of the flood, that he was going around the camp capping septic lines that had been left open by many of the guest who had little time to move their RV’s, as well as the sites that didn’t have caps.  Many in-ground septic lines were still open when the waters quickly covered the camp.  Many of us who returned to help others saw raw sewage flowing up and out of the lines as the flood water continued to rise.  Not all of the septic lines were addressed before water was on the park because there were many RV’s still finalizing their hook ups and disconnecting their hoses when the water was already at least a foot and a half deep.  This again is another un-truthful statement by Charlene D[redacted], who was not even on campground property the night of the evacuation.
In paragraph seven Charlene D[redacted] points to [redacted] facebook post and claims that we were at Port of Kalama “in plenty of time” because they (the campground) had a plan in place.  NO, having a plan in place does not equal making it out of the flooding camp in time.  If this were the case, three RV’s (one of which was an employee who spent most of her time helping others prepare) would not have been left behind. Had all 40-plus RV’s waited until they heard from the owners to leave, many many more would have been stuck in the same way. This points to our hustle to get out in such a short time in spite of no communication, flood status updates or help from the owners.  Many guests who did not began to prepare until 9:30 p.m when Kendi F[redacted] communicated with people for the first time DIDN’T HAVE TIME to prepare and were trying to get out as fast as possible, leaving personal items behind in the flood waters. The sheriff’s department was doing their job during such evacuations and natural disasters. My wife is a 10-year Army veteran, and some of our neighbors were veterans as well. It was because of our preparedness and effort to help each other stay informed and ready, my wife’s understanding of how fast the water was rising, and the knowledge of other influences upriver such as slides and debris that had us ready in ample time. Our decision to wait until 9:30pm to leave was due to our unwillingness to leave our neighbors without making sure they were safe and on their way out as well. I moved our RV because it was no longer safe to leave it there. My wife stayed behind and was present when the water breached the embankment. She was present when some of our neighbors were experiencing trouble getting their slides in because of water causing electrical problems. She was helping people to leave, flagging down wreckers, and directing people who were helping our neighbors; all things the owners should have been seen doing and weren’t. She and several others tried to physically push someone’s slides in when water caused it to seize. THAT is why she commented on her facebook about people not being able to leave like we were: because the wreckers wouldn’t/couldn’t take anyone whose slides were still out. It wasn’t until 1:30am, after I had come back and tried to help for several hours as well, that I was able to convince her to leave. Never in that time, from the time the river crested to the time I made her leave, did she see any of the owners.
As to the last paragraph,  I will again point to the continuing “flood warnings” posted by the local Department of Emergency Services on December 15th, two days after Charlene D[redacted] states that the camp was open once again.  Not to mention that the camp was still at least 2/3 flooded, caution tape preventing people from going to most of the camp, and a sheriff’s rescue vehicle still stuck in standing water as testament to the unsafe conditions (see picture of meter with red circling sheriff’s vehicle taken on Dec. 14th).  At a maximum there were 10 spots above water (she says available to more than 40 RV’s that were there before the camp flooded).  How exactly was she making 10 spots available to 40 RVs?  It was not safe for anyone to return to this camp on December 13th or for the following two weeks as rivers remained at max capacity and with several weather storms continuing to bring several inches of rain as she admits to.  As to her comment that we could have moved before paying for December and we could have chosen to pay daily or weekly instead of for the month is ridiculous, because there is no way we could have predicted that this “act of GOD” was coming. Most assuredly we ALL would have left before December had we known. The refund of the 4-5 days is an insult since we didn’t have safe access to the site for the rest of the month.  This ridiculous refund wasn’t Charlene D[redacted]’s “wanting to do something” for the displaced guest.  It was done because we requested a refund and that is all she decided she was going to give us. Even if she were to charge us full-rate for an RV site for the 8-days we were there, she would still end up owing us much more than we received. No one discussed “site availability” when we saw Charlene the day after the flood, December 9, 2015, because the entire campground was still under water and part of a flowing river as documented by several news outlets. She stated she knew nothing of what was going on the night before as she had been staying at a family member’s house, and offered a donut as a consolation.  Jenipher and I both had called to speak to Charlene and Kendi on December 11, 2015, and they made no mention as to when they planned to reopen. We are happy to provide phone records to attest to this. We moved to a new RV park on December 12, 2015, prior to Camp Kalama reopening so as to be settled before our son returned to school on December 14th. Returning to Camp Kalama under the conditions that were present, with active flood warnings in effect, the knowledge of raw sewage rising out of the ground with the flood water, and several more days of rain on the way was not an option.
It has now been over a month since the flood, and Camp Kalama is still standing firm in their claim that people “chose” not to come back and therefore do not deserve a refund. They still do not have enough sites ready to accommodate the over 40 RV’s that evacuated, and yet we are all still being held to this statement. Some RV’s have returned for various reasons; some financial, some personal. But there are more than a handful that returned, as well as several more that did not, that would solemnly attest to the fact Camp Kalama is run more on greed than on good customer relations. If we didn’t know that before the flood, we certainly know it now.
Sincerely,[redacted]

This is in response to a complaint filed by [redacted],received12/26/2015  at Camp Kalama. We are a campground located next to the Kalama River,we offer daily rates,weekly rates and if approved,an extended cycle {28 days). The extended rate is the least expensive rate to pay,...

approximately half of the daily rate, because of the huge discount,the customer must decide what rate and length of time fits their needs and pay for that choice. We have a NO REFUNDS,NO CREDITS (in bold red) on our main board where our rates are posted.  The 28 day cycle is explained to every customer and their signatureon their application is directly above 28 DAY TRIAL 28 DAY CYCLE" notice,this information is also included in our operating policies. The extended cycle approval requires an application to be filled out and signed,please note above the signature and date line there are two paragraphs,each with important information for customers.The second paragraph confirms (by your signature) that you have received a copy of Camp Kalama's operating policies and your agreement(by your signature)to abide by said policies and procedures. Please note the Camp Kalama operatingpolicies on the back page of the business map. In the first paragraph bullets it is noted again in red bold, capital letters,'NO REFUNDS OR CREDITS WILL BE ISSUED". In addition,on the signature line and copy of credit card receipts NO REFUNDS NO CREDIT. Every year in the month of November we hand out to all occupied sites what we have called our flood letter". Its main purpose is to remind everyone that we live by a river and the possibility of flooding is always present. Please review the letter enclosed as it is very clear and specific as to being ready for a flood; clean up your site,store items that are valuable to you,maintain your RV and vehicle,in other words,be prepared for the worst scenario,a flood. ( It is noted that all firewood needs to be removed as well,  [redacted] and [redacted] left their firewood stacked at their site,we did not charge them a clean upfee for this but we have to pay someone to gather up all the wood left behind.) We request customer's current phone numbers and name(s) and phone number(s) of an emergency contact if we are unable to reach them,if they choose to give us that information. In addition,we attach a map with  directions to the Port of Kalama. Camp Kalama has been fortunate to have the Port of Kalama as an emergency spot for our guests should the need arise. The Port has water available,a dump station available,bathrooms and showers are also available. It should be noted that we have had this arrangement for yearswith the Port,not  because we are required to have an emergency relocation site but because we want our displaced customers to have a safe,temporary  place to go to with some amenities available during an emergency.Please note the "Good Morning" note from [redacted] and [redacted] with the date 12/31/14 written and the2014 Flood letter  where they provided us with their friends name and telephone number should their RV need to be moved due to a flood. They had a plan,because  of our flood letter;they  acknowledged the possibility  of a flood by providing an emergency contact for us to call if necessary. They were taking off for a couple of weeks and we have a plan in place in the event of an emergency.  In 2015,they again signed the flood letter.  The possibility is always there and unfortunately this year with all of the rain in a very short time,resulted in the Kalama River flooding,as well as the city of Kalama. We are trying to be proactive with a plan but of course we are not responsible for an act of God. We are not and cannot be responsible for people who choose to leave their RVs behind;in fact,this is the last thing we want. If enough water comes onto the park,the RVs can float and do far more damage to our infrastructure.   To imply that Camp Kalama can take any responsibility for an act of God or for the lack of preparationsdone by persons who choose to live in an RV is ridiculous.  These are but a few reasons that people carry insurance on their private vehicles.  We want people to have their RVs and vehicles in working order; these "homes" are mobile and can be moved in minutes if preparations have been made.  That's the plan.In their letter dated 6/24/15,[redacted] needed a ramp installed while she required a wheelchair to get around. As she stated,the campground was not liable for any injuries related to use of the ramp.  She understood that necessity,but thinks we should be responsible for an act of God and their decision to continue to live here for over a year.In my conversation  with [redacted],she claimed we are "unsafe" as she has now experienced a flood. Her analogy was. "if you knew you were going to be in a car accident,you wouldn't get into a car and drive." My response, unfortunately the possibility of a car accident  is always there and yet,you do drive.living on a river will always have the possibility of flooding, we live in the backyard of an active volcano,which has erupted and yet we choose to live in this area. At any time during the "flood season" they could have elected to pay daily or weekly and leave before flood season but they did not,they  choseto pay the reduced amount for 28 days and apparently hope we did not have a flood.In addition,the Kalama River had high water this past November 2015;the staff here and our guests were closely watching the river levels.(Unfortunately a preemptive  to what was coming.)This was their choice to live here at the extended, cheaper rate. After the flood I was contacted by a woman living up Kalama River Road looking for a reference for [redacted] and [redacted] as they were considering moving to her property. I gave them a positive reference but recommended she share her flood story with them as [redacted] had shared with Kendi (an employee here) how terrified their kindergartener was after the flood. He had been left alone in the RV while his Moms were elsewhere,Kendi had gone to their RV to find out why they had not left,the child answered the door,stated he did not know where his Moms were and hewas scared.If Camp Kalama is "unsafe" because it is located by a river,and considering possible weather conditions continuing why were they considering a placement up river,by the same river?Her remark regarding raw sewage,while not reported by anyone else, we can only guess that someone had incorrectly drained their septic line.But these are all people that live in their RVs extensively if not exclusively,and all know how to "dump" their septic. Human waste or animal waste,don't know.The campground personnel immediately placed septic caps on open sewer lines,(although we had hoped people would have placed their own),open septic lines were addressed at the time before water was on the park.
[redacted] posted on Facebook, stating her family was at the Port of Kalama "in plenty of time,"that's because we have a plan in place.  She commented regarding the Sheriff being on property,they were here because we called them. Several guests had not made any preparations for themselves,one guest was refusing to remove his RV and a couple other RVs were  waiting for help from tow trucks that were overly taxed trying to get slides in,jacks ups and RVs moved. These are all problems that were compounded because some guests chose to do nothing to prepare to evacuate,the Sheriff used his bull horn to direct people to leave as requested,the evacuation was mandatory.  [redacted]'s final comment, ".... who could not move like we did."That's the beauty of choosing to live in an RV,if you don't like where you are or an emergency comes up,for example,a flood...you get into your home,your RV and you drive elsewhere.[redacted]'s complaint mentions several things;I have tried to address each issue but the issue regarding a refund is simple; we had sites up and ready for our customers starting Sunday Dec.13,(the flood was Dec gth) more customers returned on Monday Dec 14th and later. Neither [redacted] nor [redacted] called regarding site availability,nor mentioned anything when I saw them the day after the flood.They could have come here for any part of their remaining time then moved to another RV park but they chose to go to another campground immediately and pay for an extended period there. After the high water in November 2015 they could have moved before paying in December,they could have choose to pay daily or weekly but they chose to pay the extended rate at the reduced amount. We chose to refund the five days at the prorated fee,because they did not have access to a site for 4-5 days. We think this is fair for everyone,not a requirement for us but we wanted to do something.