# Courtyard Resort, Hyanis, MA  Special Assesment



## JoeMO (Nov 15, 2009)

I got my letter the other day from the resort and they have lost their affiliation with RCI.  I guess it is not a surprise if you have read some of the reviews.  They are assessing a special assessment of $500 per unit ($100 per year for the next 5 years).  This is not that big of a SA and the MF's have been really low in the past.  Maybe that was part of the problem.

I hope this fixes the problems at the resort and gets them back in the good graces of RCI.  I have let my parents stay at the resort and they like it but they usually stay at low end hotels when they travel.  They mostly like the area.  I have only used it to trade.  It trades pretty well with RCI. especially when you consider that I own off season and the resort is not highly rated.  I can pull some Gold Crown resorts, off season, with it.

Does anyone have any other news, insights or opinions on this resort?

Thanks, 
Joe


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## jlwquilter (Nov 16, 2009)

I had just recently bought a unit there. Just my luck! I have also been talking with a long time owner there that is also a TUG member. We both have the same thoughts as you. The Special Assessment isn't that big a deal and is probably desperatly needed. We can hope they spend it well!

The loss of the RCI affiliation is the bigger worry. If that is not resolved relatively quickly then defaults of owners that own to trade could skyrocket.

I was lucky as I deposited my newly purchased weeks during RCI's deposit and exchange promo in October. So I am in decent shape on that front for at least a year.

I did notice, but didn't understand what it meant, when I was doing those deposits that 1) the trade power was much lower than I expected, 2) the units never showed online and 3) I couldn't pull up the resort at all. I now figure that it was all a sign of the impending de-affiliation, but at the time thought it was simply more RCI website gltiches.

Does anyone else have experience going thru a RCI re-affliation process? I know from reading other threads that Marriott has at times stopped being a resort manager but this is at a different level - the EXCHANGE company has walked away.


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## JoeMO (Nov 17, 2009)

*Already Deposited with RCI*

I tried to reserve a week using a Courtyard deposit from last year and it kept telling me that I had timed out.  It had only been a few minutes so I am wondering if my deposit from last year is no longer any good with RCI?  It still shows as an available week.  I was just doing a test and didn't really want to reserve a week.


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## jlwquilter (Nov 18, 2009)

JoeMO said:


> I tried to reserve a week using a Courtyard deposit from last year and it kept telling me that I had timed out.  It had only been a few minutes so I am wondering if my deposit from last year is no longer any good with RCI?  It still shows as an available week.  I was just doing a test and didn't really want to reserve a week.



I won't say I am not worried that RCI will renege on already desposited units... because I am worried. But until that happens all I can do is exchange and hope.

If you search with the unit and it pulls an exchange you want you will almost definitely have to call RCI to do the exchange (have them place the unit on hold for you to confirm online yourself - this will allow for the lower exchange fee of $164) . I have had to do that alot recently - and not just for Courtyard weeks.


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## CA Richard (Dec 2, 2009)

Hi Jayne,

More bad news.  I just received a new letter from RCI which states that they are going to return any deposits from weeks starting after Dec 30, 2009 unless the week has already been used and confirmed for a trade.  So it looks like I will be getting my 2010 week I deposited back with no opportunity to exchange it.

They are also offering a pro-rated refund of your unused RCI membership if you have no other pending exchanges and do not own any other RCI affiliated properties.

Richard


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## Billyboy321 (Dec 3, 2009)

I own a lockout here, and live 3,000 miles away.  The ONLY reason I own this resort is to trade out of it.  There is no doubt that them losing the RCI affiliation has significantly reduced the value of my unit.  Now they want more $$ from me?  I believe they are in breach of contract.  If they ever advertised or featured the fact that they were RCI affiliated at the time of purchase, I believe them to be liable.  This resort is 100% useless to me now.  I'm probably getting a lawyer involved.  Anyone looking to sue the Courtyard Resort?


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## jlwquilter (Dec 3, 2009)

I haven't received any notification from RCI re: returning deposited weeks. Yet. I own one lockout unit (recently closed in October) and had deposited both the 2010 and 2011 weeks immediately (so had 4 deposits). I exchanged 3 deposits very quickly (just how it worked out - I had no prior knowlegde of any of this stuff) for exchanges for June 2010, July 2010 and Nov. 2010. The last unit is (currently) tied to an ongoing request.

Based on what Richard received I expect my ongoing request will be cancelled. I can only hope at this point that RCI does honor my confirmed exchanges - and will continue to honor them. The unit tied to the ongoing request is a 2011 week so if the Courtyard gets its act together I may be able to use it.

BUT unless the Courtyard gets its act together soon - and manintains ALOT of contact with owners - this is going to get much worse before it gets better. More owners that own only to trade will have to consider some type of bailing - defaults, deed backs, etc. And that will impact MFs and trigger more Special Assessments. Then the cycle starts over and those that stuck in now also consider bailing. Ugh.

I do not see the point of suing..?? We own the resort so we'd be suing ourselves basically. The BOD is made up of owners and I don't think suing them for doing a crap job will solve anything, let alone stand up as a valid charge. They are "normal people" and they did the "best they could"... running the place into the ground isn't illegal if they didn't do it for personal gain (ie: fraud, theft of funds, etc.).

I do not blame RCI for giving back deposits that haven't been used/exchanged yet. They are not to blame for the resort not maintaining a minimum level of operation. I will blame them if they cancel confirmed exchanges - and not because I have 3 of them. But because those are done deals - done in good faith by all. I view confirmed exchanges as contracts that have been ratified by both parties.

Has anyone actually called and talked to the resort since this happened? I have not. Yet.


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## bsm1 (Jan 3, 2011)

*Bumping this up*

Courtyard Resort in Hyannis update/info
Received my maintenance fee/special assesment notice for 2011.
We own an A/B unit which is $480 for the maintenance fee ($240 per side) plus the special assesment cost of $100 per side. Resort says work is progressing and they are still hoping to get back with RCI, but this is the same as they have been saying for over a year.
We have owned this for several years and have gotten really good trades with RCI until it was thrown out. (I own a July A/B week) This was bought (cheap) strictly for trading and have no ability to use it.
Looking for opinions or information on this timeshare.
Do we really have a shot at rejoining RCI?
Is the quality of the resort getting better?
Any one have any success in trading with another trading company?
Is a July week rentable?
Is there any value on this timeshare to sell to some one who could use it?

Also we would like to say thank you for the invaluable information and advice that we have received over the years form this site. 
We are long time lurkers and first time posters.


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## bsm1 (Jan 3, 2011)

*Bumping this up*

Courtyard Resort in Hyannis update/info
Received my maintenance fee/special assesment notice for 2011.
We own an A/B unit which is $480 for the maintenance fee ($240 per side) plus the special assesment cost of $100 per side. Resort says work is progressing and they are still hoping to get back with RCI, but this is the same as they have been saying for over a year.
We have owned this for several years and have gotten really good trades with RCI until it was thrown out. (we own a July A/B week) This was bought (cheap) strictly for trading and have no ability to use it.
Looking for opinions or information on this timeshare.
Do we really have a shot at rejoining RCI?
Is the quality of the resort getting better?
Any one have any success in trading with another trading company?
Is a July week rentable?
Is there any value on this timeshare to sell to some one who could use it?

Also we would like to say thank you for the invaluable information and advice that we have received over the years form this site. 
We are long time lurkers and first time posters.


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## JoeMO (Jan 4, 2011)

I don't know about trading with any other group

I have not had any success in selling mine.

My opinion is that they will eventually get back with RCI.  My guess is that after all the SA's are done and the improvements have been made, RCI will take them back.  

I also suspect that MF's will be higher in the future.  The low MF's in the past may have contributed the poor shape of the resort and why they lost their RCI affliliation. 

Thanks, 
Joe


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## jlwquilter (Jan 4, 2011)

I've been thinking about the resort as I haven't received my MF bill yet - probably in the post office box waiting for me. I am eager to see what changes have been made so far.

I believe that once the renos are well under way and at least the basics have been completed, RCI will come back in as the exchange company. Cape Cod resorts are money makers for them if they are minimally decent. Both high summer and the shoulder seasons are desirable vacation times.

My other low MF Cape Cod resort just increased MFs by a significant percentage. But it's a reasonable dollar amount. This was needed I feel to keep the resort in good shape and not face something like Courtyard did.


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## busyb43@msn.com (Apr 22, 2012)

*CourtYard Resort*

Has anyone looked into the possibility of getting out of the contract, because you cannot use it if they are not affiliated to RCI.  I would really like to no what my legal options are because they did not maintain their part of the contract.  They in turn would go the legal route if you were behind on your MF.  The lack of keeping the resort in descent conditions isn't a recent problem, this goes back for many many years.  They just waited until it was noticed by RCI to do anything about it.  Any feedback would be appreciated. Concerned timeshare owner.....


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## busyb43@msn.com (Apr 22, 2012)

Billyboy321 said:


> I own a lockout here, and live 3,000 miles away.  The ONLY reason I own this resort is to trade out of it.  There is no doubt that them losing the RCI affiliation has significantly reduced the value of my unit.  Now they want more $$ from me?  I believe they are in breach of contract.  If they ever advertised or featured the fact that they were RCI affiliated at the time of purchase, I believe them to be liable.  This resort is 100% useless to me now.  I'm probably getting a lawyer involved.  Anyone looking to sue the Courtyard Resort?



Not looking to sue just to get out of this contract for a resort I can no longer use without RCI


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## timeos2 (Apr 22, 2012)

busyb43@msn.com said:


> Not looking to sue just to get out of this contract for a resort I can no longer use without RCI



If management/the HOA Board has held fees too low to allow for needed maintenance and upgrades then it is YOU - the owners - that have allowed things to deteriorate until RCI refuses to accept the units.  It is the owners / Board who decide how much to collect & for what - there is no liability created against RCI. 

Even the miniscule $500 (over 5 YEARS!) is virtually nothing today. That will do very little to actually improve things but at least it's an acknowledgment that they have collected and spent far too little to keep the property up in the past. 

If you want trade value & a nice place to use then you have to as owners pay the price. Shortchanging fees as it feels good does nothing to keep the property attractive & in fact leads directly to the DE-affiliation we are seeing here. 

Thee is no breech of contract as they have done exactly what the owners apparently wanted. Low fees no matter what the outcome.


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## bsm1 (Apr 22, 2012)

Had received a letter from the resort earlier in the year stating that RCI had been in attendance at the resort and was coming back in the spring but have no other update to share.

We own 2 - week 27 studios. Was able to rent last years and am trying to rent this years. The rental just covered our costs. Am holding these units for this year yet to see what happens with RCI. Have not tried to sell but I think it would be hard to find a buyer.


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## MaryH (Apr 23, 2012)

I saw some studio units at Platinum Interchange and was considering exchanging for one with a bonus week until I read some of the poor reviews on TUG and TripAdvisor.  

Sound like the resort need to sort out some housekeeping issues and replacement of worn soft goods.


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## theo (Apr 23, 2012)

bsm1 said:


> <snip>....see what happens with RCI.



RCI has never set the bar very high for resort affiliation (Interval International, by comparison, has historically imposed considerably higher standards than RCI for II affiliation), so this facility must _*really*_ have let things slip pretty far downward to manage to lose their RCI affiliation.  

The good news however is that the facility doesn't likely have to make truly miraculous changes or improvements in order to regain their RCI affiliation, since that "bar" is pretty low in the first place. 
Moreover, lost affiliation means lost revenue, so making the necessary repairs / improvements to regain RCI affiliation is surely in everyone's best interest and accordingly likely to occur sooner rather than later...


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## theo (Apr 23, 2012)

*Don't shoot the messenger, but...*



busyb43@msn.com said:


> Has anyone looked into the possibility of getting out of the contract, because you cannot use it if they are not affiliated to RCI.  <snip>



Not what you want to hear, but you most assuredly cannot just "escape" your legal ownership as a result of this development regarding exchange company affiliation. In fact, you *can* indeed still "use" your owned week(s); you just can't "deposit for exchange" through RCI while the resort has no RCI affiliation in place. Your ownership and /or its' obligations are not in any way tied to (or contingent upon) any particular exchange company affiliation --- resorts can (and do) change (and /or add) exchange company affiliation(s).


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## MaryH (Apr 24, 2012)

Just curious, Cape Cod seems a highly seasonal location.  Some restaurants are closed for the winter and I think some B&B too.  Would something with so short desirable time frame vs off season weeks can make it work financially in the long term?  I think they offer owners off season time for low amounts but even then they must have a chunk of off season weeks on their hands.


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