Vacation Cancellation
This letter is in reference to the mismanagement of Peppertree Atlantic Beach Resort (PAB) by the resort itself as well as the management group Festiva/Patton Hospitality. My parents purchased a Charter Beach Club Membership at Peppertree Resort Villas in June 1987. They used the week at PAB every year until the timeshare was deeded to me in 2001. Since that time my family has utilized the exchange privilege that accompanied the membership purchase. We have had many memorable vacations as a result of staying at PAB and other RCI affiliated resorts. We were proud timeshare owners until we received notification in November 2014 of the impending condemnation of the Phase 1 buildings (where our unit is located). At no time prior to November was there any communication about any structural damage to these buildings. As timeshare owners who pay substantial maintenance fees every year, we assumed our fees were being utilized for building maintenance and had no reason to believe otherwise. In April we were given the option to transfer our deed to another unit in PAB 2. At that time, I tried to pay the 2015 maintenance fees but was told the fees could not be paid until the deed transfer was complete. The transfer fee and accompanying paperwork was mailed May 18, 2015. That check was cashed June 23, 2015. However, to this date, we have not received the new deed. Shortly after mailing the transfer fee, we were notified that PAB 1 had filed Chapter 11. I made multiple attempts to pay the 2015 maintenance fee to Festiva/Patton Hospitality Group and was told they could not take payment over the phone, that I would have to mail a check which I did June 13. That check was never posted or returned to me. On July 13, I cancelled the first check and overnighted a new check to address on an old invoice. The check was received on July 15 but still has not been posted to my account. Per the resort’s policy, I cannot bank my week for exchange until the maintenance fees are paid. Upon realizing that Festiva/Patton Hospitality Group was not going to post the payment to my account, I decided to use my new unit 18F week 37 at Peppertree this year. I was told by Festiva that payment of maintenance fees was not necessary to use the week at Peppertree but would be necessary in order to bank and exchange the week. On August 7th, I called Peppertree to confirm the reservation that they had previously notified me of by letter (week 37, Sept 11th check in date unit 18F). During that conversation, I was informed my reservation had been cancelled because the building that I was transferred to has to be closed for 3-4 months for repairs. I asked to be switched to another unit in PAB 3 for the assigned week but was told “no”. So I am left with nothing: No week to exchange, no reservation for the week promised, no place to go for the week off of work I requested. All I get for this year of hell is an apology? And to top it off, I was told there are units available in PAB 3 but I can’t get one of those for my assigned week unless I wanted to rent it. Why would I want to rent something that I already own? If this is how a business treats customers, I want no part of it. Maybe the Town of Atlantic Beach needs to shut the door on PAB and build something worth owning.
