SYRACUSE -- A local wedding photographer is being sued by the state after allegedly failing to provide photographs that were paid for by newlyweds.
According to a news release from the Attorney General’s Office, a lawsuit has been filed against Harold J. “Bud” Thorpe III of Oswego, alleging that he never delivered on the the services he was paid to perform and did not respond to inquiries from his clients. The lawsuit, filed in Onondaga County Supreme Court, seeks to force Thorpe to make good on his promises to his customers, including the delivery of prints, proofs, and DVDs. The suit also seeks to stop Thorpe from conducting his "Limelight Studios" business until all outstanding claims against him are resolved.
“This photographer left dozens of newlyweds without any documentation of their special day,” said Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. “He failed to deliver on his promises and should be barred from the business until he provides the pictures he took and restitution to those he defrauded.”
The Attorney General’s Office say that Thorpe’s Limelight Studios wedding photography business has operated throughout Oswego and Onondaga counties since 1993. Thorpe allegedly required customers to pay a $500 non-refundable deposit. Thorpe’s contracts also required that the balance be paid in full prior to the wedding, and that he would not deliver any part of the order until complete payment was made.
Thorpe is said to have routinely told customers that proofs, wedding albums and DVDs would be available within 6-to-8 weeks after the wedding. However, he is accused of repeatedly failing to provide customers with the proofs within the promised time period - and in many cases, he failed to provide any proofs at all. When consumers tried to contact him, Thorpe often failed to respond, and has not yet made good on any of his agreements with his customers.
The Attorney General urges any consumers or business owners who believe they may have been defrauded by Thorpe or any other business to contact the Syracuse Regional Office at 315-448-4848.
