News Photo by Temi Fadayomi An Airbnb known as the castle is pictured on Wednesday in Alpena. Airbnb, the owner of the home, and those responsible for the house’s maintenance are being sued by eight women who stayed there in July 2023.

ALPENA — One of the defendants was dismissed on May 15 in the most recent lawsuit between several women and Airbnb and related parties due to the women claiming to have found a swarm of bats in the house while staying there in July 2023.

According to court records, there are currently two active cases in the Alpena 26th Circuit Court, the first was filed on Nov. 2 and the second was filed on Feb. 20. Both cases involve all the same parties.

On May 15, Drew Wieschowski, the owner of the property, was dismissed from the Feb. 20 suit without prejudice. Thomas Storey, the host of the Airbnb at the time, and Airbnb are still listed as being active in the suit, and all three defendants are active in the Nov. 2 suit.

Storey’s attorney, declined to comment on the current state of the case, and the attorneys for the women who filed the suit could not be reached for comment.

According to the complaint in the Nov. 2 case, in July 2023, eight women were visiting Alpena for their 50th high school reunion and decided to stay in a Victorian-style Airbnb known as the castle.

During one of their nights in the home, two of the women were awoken and frightened by the appearance of a bat flying into their room. After running into the hallway and shutting the door behind them, the two women reconvened with the other women before it was alleged they were met with a swarm of bats.

The complaint said that the women allegedly brought in an exterminator to examine the house and that the exterminator allegedly found evidence of bats present in the building for years.

The next hearing on their case is not currently set.