Modern Destinations Unlimited, a travel company currently operating in Manalapan, has been named as an additional defendant in a lawsuit originally filed in May by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General and the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs against Daryl T. Turner, Dreamworks Vacation Club also known as Dreamworks Vacation also known as Dreamworks and Five Points Travel Company doing business as Bentley Travel.

According to a press release, the state's lawsuit alleges that the defendant travel companies, all owned or controlled by Turner, failed to provide contracted-for vacation club membership benefits and related services to consumers and misrepresented their relationship with hotel, airline and car rental companies through the unauthorized use of their corporate logos.

Modern Destinations Unlimited is located at 600 Park Avenue (off Route 33), Suite 200, Manalapan, the same location where another travel company owned by Turner, La Bonne Vie Travel, was operating earlier this year.

"The company names change but we allege the common thread of fraud and deception remains, all of it linked to Mr. Turner," New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram said. "Our goal continues to be obtaining restitution for defrauded consumers and ensuring that these defendants comply with our laws and regulations."

According to the press release, the state has amended its original lawsuit three times since the May filing, earlier adding as defendants Dream Vacations International Inc. and Vacation Clubs, LLC doing business as La Bonne Vie Travel and now Modern Destinations Unlimited, all additional travel companies under which Turner has conducted business.

"Consumers need to file complaints with the Division of Consumer Affairs if they have been defrauded by any of the defendants," said David Szuchman, consumer affairs director. "Filing complaints helps our investigators and also ensures that we know who the affected consumers are."

According to the press release, the Division of Consumer Affairs has received 389 consumer complaints to date against the defendants, 23 of which are against Modern Destinations Unlimited.

Dreamworks Vacation Club, Bentley Travel and Five Points Travel Company had previously operated out of locations in Parsippany, Sewell and Westampton.

The state also alleges that the defendants forwarded mailings to consumers which indicated that they were entitled to receive free items (i.e. seven-day cruises, roundtrip airline tickets for two, hotel stays, free dinners, car rentals and/or free gas coupons) yet when consumers contacted the "800" telephone number listed on the mailings to claim their gifts, they were informed that they had to attend a 90-minute sales presentation for vacation membership packages. Even if they attended the presentations, consumers were not provided with the gifts.

Consumers paid $1,200 to $8,000 upfront to purchase a vacation club membership package, but were not provided with the airline, hotel or other travel arrangements at the price and quality represented by defendants prior to purchase, according to the press release.

Consumers can file complaints with the Division of Consumer Affairs on its website at www.nj.gov/oag/ca/ocp/ocpform.htm or by calling 1-800-242-5846.