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A peek into Wyndham's ongoing lawsuit against PCC's [fraudulent rescue companies]

PamMo

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Wyndham is suing several PCC's that Tuggers have been complaining about for years :clap: Tomorrow will be their third appearance before the judge, requesting another extension. I wish they would get this case settled and put some people in jail. (See origial complaint with much more detail here: http://wyndhamlawsuits.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Amended-Complaint1.pdf )

Plaintiffs, Wyndham Vacation Resorts, Inc. and Wyndham Vacation Management, and file this First Amended Complaint against Defendants, Property Relief, LLC, IAVacations, Inc., VP Title, LLC, C&S Resort Getaway, LLC, AJC Resort Services, TimeShare Relief, Inc., Pacific Transfers, Robert Pickel, Stacy Gillispie, and David MacMillan, and state as follows:

NATURE OF CASE

(1) This cause of action is predicated upon Civil RICO, Fraud, Intentional Interference with Current and Prospective Business Relations, Breach of Contract, Intentional Interference Case 3:13-cv-00434 Document 33 Filed 07/03/13 Page 1 of 43 PageID #: 1722 with Contractual Relations, Procurement of Breach of Contract, violation of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act and Civil Conspiracy.

(2) Defendants are an enterprise of multiple LLCs owned and operated by the same individuals and utilized to commit various acts of mail, wire and financial fraud. The enterprise is meticulously structured to orchestrate the following activities:
(1) charge upfront or advanced fees for the sale of real estate deeds when a legitimate third-party purchaser is not in place;
(2) fraudulently induce timeshare owners to pay for fraudulent transfers or fraudulent conveyances;
(3) defraud Wyndham;
(4) defraud consumers; and
(5) permit Defendants to garner ill-gotten gains on an ongoing basis.​

(3) Defendants operate multiple fraudulent schemes to defraud timeshare owners and Wyndham. Defendants use a litany of different LLCs owned, operated and managed by the same individuals. The schemes or scams include unsolicited telephone calls and unsolicited mailers to timeshare owners advising timeshare owners that a buyer is in place to purchase their timeshares.

(4) Defendants utilize multiple LLCs to charge upfront fees for the sale of real estate. The California Defendants utilize AJC Resort Services, Resort Management Association, Resort Notification Services, Resort Owners’ Association or Resort Members’ Association to mail unsolicited “Final Notices” to timeshare owners. These mailers fraudulently state “Final Expiration Notice” to eliminate maintenance fees “Your eligibility will expire on [_/_/]13.”

(5) The mailers are designed to initiate a scheme of inducing individuals to pay upfront fees for the sale of real estate or to attend presentations at hotels throughout the country. The hotel presentations are used to induce timeshare owners to pay upfront fees to Defendants to sell their property or to unknowingly pay Defendants for fraudulent transfers and fraudulent conveyances. Defendants then utilize one of their many other affiliate companies to perform fraudulent transfers or fraudulent conveyances including, but not limited to:
Pacific Transfers,
Transfer on the Spot,
Donate Title,
Property Relief,
VP Titles,
Right Choice Transfers or
C&S Resort Getaway.​

(6) Charging upfront fees for the sale of timeshare deeds has been prosecuted in multiple states. Defendants’ acts of mailing unsolicited “Final Expirations Notices” to induce payment of upfront fees for sale of real estate constitute mail fraud. Fees or commissions may only be collected after a sale of real estate. TimeShare Relief was sanctioned by the Vermont Attorney General for soliciting consumers through deceptive bait and switch tactics. Consumers were induced by unsolicited mailers to meet with TimeShare Relief and induced to “pay several hundred to several thousand dollars to transfer ownership of their timeshares.”

(7) Defendants fraudulently charge upfront fees, but never transfer deeds out of the owners’ names. The deeds remain in the original owners name and the original owners unknowingly default, believing their timeshares to have been transferred or sold.

(8) Defendants utilize the US Mail to facilitate and accomplish their schemes. Timeshare owners complete paperwork, execute power of attorneys and mail the documents requested by Defendants to facilitate the fraud. Defendants submit fraudulently prepared warranty deeds and closing documents to Wyndham through the US Mail to accomplish fraudulent transfers. The warranty deeds and transfer documents contain fraudulent representations upon which Wyndham relies, thereby inducing Wyndham to complete the fraudulent transfers. Wyndham is then harmed and defrauded as a creditor.

(9) Defendants utilize multiple companies to orchestrate a bait and switch and reverse sales process. Timeshare owners are induced to pay Defendants upfront fees for transfers and to then pay Defendants thousands of dollars to repurchase what they already owned. Pacific Transfers provided a deed back, escrow and closing service to VO Group. VO Group’s owner and multiple employees were indicted for wire or mail fraud. Property Relief and IAVacations are listed on Wesley Financial Group’s contracts as performing the same deed back services for Wesley. Wesley is owned and operated by Chuck McDowell, a former manager of VO Group, and Wesley uses the same or a similar business model as VO Group that resulted in the wire and mail fraud indictments.

(10) Property Relief and VP Title fraudulently submitted to Wyndham, by US Mail, at least (82) warranty deeds and closing documents transferring Wyndham deeds back to the original owners’ names without the original owners’ consent or knowledge and after the original owners paid TimeShare Relief, Pacific Transfers, Property Relief, IAVacations or VP Title to sell their deeds. These are fraudulent real estate transfers, made without knowledge or consent of the purchaser, initiated and facilitated by mailing fraudulent closing documents to Wyndham by Property Relief and VP Title. Property Relief and VP Title’s acts constitute wire fraud or mail fraud and are predicate acts to the RICO claim.

(11) Defendants induce timeshare owners to pay upfront or advanced fees under the auspices that Defendants’ services will absolve timeshare owners from all legal liability. This is false. Some deeds are never transferred out of the owners’ names or Defendants fraudulently convey the deeds. Both scenarios result in a default to Wyndham and are designed to defraud Wyndham as a creditor. Timeshare owners are unaware that they are paying for fraudulent conveyances that are void and do not absolve them of their legal liability. Defendants utilize sham or fictitious purchasers that have no intention, at any time, to ever pay the contractually obligated fees attached to the Wyndham deeds. The damage to Wyndham has already been done and the accounts are typically already in default when the fraudulent transfers or fraudulent conveyances are ultimately discovered.

(12).....
 
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Saintsfanfl

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Because of my anti-Macmillan entity threads I was contacted through a tug message by one of the attorneys representing Wyndham. He wanted me to call and answer some questions. I answered through email questioning whether my speculation and conjecture would really be helpful. I said I would be willing to provide info but I didn't have a clear personal connection to MacMillan beyond Pacific Transfer which was actually owned by him. I have never bought from IA Vacations. I never heard back.

I have mixed feelings on the lawsuit in principle. Hopefully Wyndham is providing alternative options for owners. If not, then I'm not sure Wyndham is much better than the named PCC's. In either case, I would love to see the named PCC's shut down. There are far better "PCC's" that do not viking ship.
 
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theo

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Go get 'em...

I'm a former owner with no particular fondness for Wyndham. That said, Wyndham has deep pockets and a competent legal staff and / or competent retained counsel.

In my view, any and every effort that makes life difficult and / or very costly for Viking Ship PCC's is, by definition, a noble and worthwhile effort, even if plainly based on self-interest and even if only a civil matter (i.e., it's certainly not a criminal case). Go get 'em, Wyndham. :clap:

How can you not love seeing David (...what about wife Cindy?) Macmillan, Stacy Gillespie and others like them being specifically named as defendants in a lawsuit? :)
 
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Rent_Share

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Wyndham is suing several PCC's that Tuggers have been complaining about for years :clap: Tomorrow will be their third appearance before the judge, requesting another extension. I wish they would get this case settled and put some people in jail.

Civil suits result in monetary judgments and injunctions against business activities harmful to the plaintiff - Wyndham Corporation.

For there to be jail time a district attorney would have to charge a crime against the PCC and escrow company fin Criminal Court or defrauding a seller (or buyer) the individual timeshare owners, not and the developer.
 
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comicbookman

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Civil suits result in monetary judgments and injunctions against business activities harmful to the plaintiff - Wyndham Corporation

For there to be jail time a district attorney would have to charge a crime against the PCC and escrow company fin Criminal Court or defrauding a seller (or buyer) the individual timeshare owners, not the developer.

while the above is mostly correct, defrauding the developer is just as much a crime in the eyes of the law as defrauding an individual. Fraud is fraud. If I rip or harm GM and get caught, I still go to jail.
 

PamMo

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I'm very happy to see them in court, no matter what Wyndham's true motives are. The PCC "Viking Ship" model is disastrous for everyone but the PCC companies who rake in millions.

There is an ongoing investigation into criminal fraud.
 
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Rent_Share

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while the above is mostly correct, defrauding the developer is just as much a crime in the eyes of the law as defrauding an individual. Fraud is fraud. If I rip or harm GM and get caught, I still go to jail.

Made a moderate change, but I stand on my position that this legal action will not result in ANYONE going to jail, it's a civil suit.

No civil suit will result in jail time, The facts in evidence could be used by a States/District attorney's to file a criminal action for fraud. However a separate legal action in a separate court based on criminal fraud.

(And in California subject to a higher burden of proof for jail time, than civil damages)
 
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ronparise

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stupid on the part of these PCCs to put Wyndham timeshares into a viking ship. The fact is that these things can easily be sold.
 

Rent_Share

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stupid on the part of these PCCs to put Wyndham timeshares into a viking ship. The fact is that these things can easily be sold.

For pennies on the $ and perhaps not if they flooded the market . . . .
 

ronparise

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For pennies on the $ and perhaps not if they flooded the market . . . .

Wyndham could easily put the PCCs out of business by buying their product back. They must not want it either which is what drives a seller to the PCCs

If Wyndham wont buy it back and they stop the PCCs from using viking ships. the problem of no legitimate way to dispose of this stuff for more than pennies on the dollar still exists

What do you suggest other than selling it to me...or one of the other Wyndham buyers that frequent TUG

All Im saying is that putting the PCCs out of business and their principals in jail doesnt create a market for unwanted timeshares, and thats the real problem
 

comicbookman

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Made a moderate change, but I stand on my position that this legal action will not result in ANYONE going to jail, it's a civil suit.

No civil suit will result in jail time, The facts in evidence could be used by a States/District attorney's to file a criminal action for fraud. However a separate legal action in a separate court based on criminal fraud.

(And in California subject to a higher burden of proof for jail time, than civil damages)

You missed my point. I was taking issue with your comment that a criminal action could only occur if an individual was harmed. That's why I said mostly correct. A civil suit will never result in jail time.
 

DeniseM

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So of course, in the mean time, we should embrace the Viking Ship companies, because the end justifies the means…. :rolleyes:
 

bnoble

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Wyndham could easily put the PCCs out of business by buying their product back. They must not want it either which is what drives a seller to the PCCs
It is interesting that they discontinued Pathways. Their repurchase threshold was just about exactly what their cost of construction is on new projects, and with CWA, projects no longer have to be new to sell them.

My sense: they like WAAM even more, because their committed capital is even lower as a percentage of sales price.
 

ace2000

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stupid on the part of these PCCs to put Wyndham timeshares into a viking ship. The fact is that these things can easily be sold.

Maybe some, but I wouldn't say that the low point contracts can be easily sold. Just do a search on eBay completed to confirm that. I recently had to pay closing fees to finally get rid of my three contracts.
 

ace2000

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So of course, in the mean time, we should embrace the Viking Ship companies, because the end justifies the means…. :rolleyes:

You can look at it from two perspectives and wonder if the end justifies the means... the HOAs, etc., and then there's the individual that is currently getting squeezed by the HOAs and the Corporates.

I say we just let it all unfold. There's a breaking point on the horizon somewhere. It may come during the next economic downturn.
 

Saintsfanfl

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Most people would never think of buying a timeshare if there wasn't some type of twisting or bending of the truth. Unfortunate as it may be, if there was full disclosure, no "hard" selling, and an easy way out for existing owners, the timeshare model for most properties would crumble. The entire system is based on lies to the majority. Experienced tuggers are the exception, but whether we accept it or not we also usually benefit from the lies.
 

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*shrug...if the PCC activity was on the up and up...and "perfectly acceptable" by your definitions...they would have no need to be so deceptive (or flat out lie) in their presentations.

this of course also applies to new sales presentations as well..but thats a different argument...and I certainly dont see many folks coming to the defense of lying or misleading sales presentations.
 

PamMo

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I only posted the first eleven points of their lawsuit. If you read it all, it goes into detail on how they take owner's payments and move their timeshares in and out of shell companies. Too often, when an owner thought they were fully divested of the timeshare, they got it back with bills for past MF's, late charges, etc. They are no friend of owners.

I'm not a big fan of Wyndham, but l'll take their side any day against these guys.
 

Saintsfanfl

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*shrug...if the PCC activity was on the up and up...and "perfectly acceptable" by your definitions...they would have no need to be so deceptive (or flat out lie) in their presentations.

this of course also applies to new sales presentations as well..but thats a different argument...and I certainly dont see many folks coming to the defense of lying or misleading sales presentations.

And there are "PCC" types out there that are nothing like the PCC's named in the suit. It might be a dirty business but some out there do not lie or viking ship.
 

DeniseM

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Wanting criminals to "stick it to the man," is completely illogical, when these same activities destabilize the whole timeshare system for owners.

Stating that the developers are unethical, as justification for unethical behavior from assorted "timeshare rescue" companies does nothing to help OWNERS.
 

TUGBrian

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And there are "PCC" types out there that are nothing like the PCC's named in the suit. It might be a dirty business but some out there do not lie or viking ship.

companies that dont do what pcc's or viking ship companies do are not PCC's or viking ships.
 

Saintsfanfl

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Wanting criminals to "stick it to the man," is completely illogical, when these same activities destabilize the whole timeshare system for owners.

Stating that the developers are unethical, as justification for unethical behavior from assorted "timeshare rescue" companies does nothing to help OWNERS.

Not arguing with your primary points, but if all the "rescue" companies, both bad and not so bad, were instantly put out of business, do you think it would help or hurt the other owners? I believe it would lead to even more bad debt, unless something was done to counter it.

You have to attack the problem at it's source, which is unwanted worthless timeshares. Trust me, if you put MacMillan and IA Vacations out of business it just shifts the market share to other PCC's. Not saying it shouldn't be done. It definitely should, but it doesn't actually solve the problem. Not even .1% of it.
 

Saintsfanfl

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companies that dont do what pcc's or viking ship companies do are not PCC's or viking ships.

I am referring to a company that does charge an upfront fee but refunds it if a legitimate transfer is not found. Those companies exist and we have still referred to them as PCC's. They market like a PCC, so they are a PCC, but they don't transfer timeshares to a viking ship. To me that's the distinction. There are even companies that I consider a PCC because they market services that way but they don't charge an up front fee. No up front fee only works if the timeshare has value, so in this case they are selective.
 
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DeniseM

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Wyndham hasn't filed a suit against "all the rescue companies." We are talking about criminal behavior that does nothing to prevent "bad debt."

If a timeshare is transferred to a Viking Ship, or the company charges an upfront fee, but never actually sells or transfers the timeshare, how does that alleviate bad debt?

I am referring to a company that does charge an upfront fee but refunds it if a legitimate transfer is not found

Please name one…

(BTW - I think this thread is mis-named)
 
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TUGBrian

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probably shouldnt imitate the criminals if you dont want to be lumped in with them.

absolutely no reason not to take the fee after the "legitimate transfer" is found and completed....plus they would literally have clients beating down their door if they chose this model.
 
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