During the evening reception, rainwater seeped into the roof in several places and fell on guests, the couple said, and staff set up water jugs and buckets to collect the discolored rainwater.

In November 2023, a week after the agreed deadline for Rupp to repay the money to the couple, the Rashids filed suit in small claims court.

Rupp bought the University Club in 1985. The building was completed in 1913 and opened its doors to members that same year, the venue’s website says. It is one of the oldest facilities in St. Paul and was originally based on a model of alumni clubs that sprung up in England for prestigious universities like Oxford and Cambridge, St. Paul-based professor Lisa Heinrich wrote in a 2019 article about the building’s history. Rachel Rashid also wrote about her experience in a cautionary Reddit post.

Located at 420 Summit Avenue, the club is a Tudor-style building built into a ravine. The back is taller and has seven stories, while the front has four stories. It attracted many prominent members and visitors to St. Paul, including the city’s most famous writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald, who attended parties at the establishment. There is a large dining room, a bar, a pool, and a tennis court.

Rupp, a prominent St. Paul businessman, owns a number of properties, including the W.A. Frost and Company restaurant, and was responsible for revitalizing the historic St. Paul Athletic Club building downtown, even though its last tenant left the building in July and Rupp said he wanted to sell it. He owes lender M360 more than $10 million on the property as of last month, according to a Ramsey County District Court ruling that found him unable to repay his mortgage.

Court records show he had financial problems with several other properties.