# Barrier Island Station Duck - Effort to Improve Communications and Satisfaction



## Fayeoctober (Feb 2, 2017)

I have to admit to not posting here in a number of months.  It seemed that everytime I checked the Eastern States board, I didn't see anything about BIS Duck so I started to come less often.  Anyway, for some updates.  My husband was re-elected to the Home Owners Association and one of the long-time HOA Board members decided not to continue, so since 2014, there has been some change in Board membership.  At the annual Owners Meeting in October, a detailed presentation on the financial position of BIS Duck was made.  Basically, there was nothing left from the assessment to cover Interior Upgrades.  In addition because maintenance fees were kept low for so many years, there wasn't any type of reserve account.  For 2017, a $200 Assessment was made with the main purpose of becoming more financially solvent.  The HOA decided to do a survey of all the Owners to find out what they were interested in as far as Interior Upgrades and how much they were willing to pay.  While they have some preliminary results, owners have until the end of February to make their views known.  So instead of just going ahead with things, there has been much more attempt to get Owner buy-in.  There is a greater focus on Communications and as a result, there will be three newsletters this year and  more up-to-date news is getting pushed out via the SPM web-site.  The Termination issue is still a concern but it is being worked on.  In addition some funding was included in the 2017 budget to start the process of Foreclosures later this year.  It is likely that Limited Liability Corps. (LLC s or in timeshare terms "Viking Ships") who haven't paid fees in years will be one of the first groups to go after.


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## RonB (Feb 2, 2017)

Thanx for the update Faye. I think things are looking up at BIS with the exteriors done and at least the possibility of interior remodels. Our unit is a mess, but I'm hoping the interiors will be addressed over the next year or two. I don't mind paying a reasonable amount to get it done either ~ Ron

BTW - do you know if they resolved the wifi problem?


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## pedro47 (Feb 2, 2017)

The location of this resort is awesome in OBX. However, poor mgt and low m/f has left this resort in a total mess. We have not visited BIS/Duck in over five years. The furnishings was in eighties and very outdated. The plus side was you can enjoy walking along the beach, the ocean was at your door and BIS has some gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. Staying in Duck is a double plus in itself with the Duck Village and the many great restaurants. A triple plus are the people residing in Duck they are very, very friendly.

I pray your new management board and give this resort new life. This could/should  be the #1resort in OBX. Good luck.


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## RLS50 (Feb 2, 2017)

Faye, I wish you and your husband success in getting this resort updated.  We agree with Pedro that the location in Duck is excellent.  In recent years we had interest in staying at BIS because we wanted to stay in Duck, but it was just a little too rustic for us.   I definitely think that increased transparency and communications goes a long way towards getting owner buy in and support.

A Place at the Beach was kind of dump before SPM turned it around and renovated it and now it is really nice (in our opinion).  I am not sure what happened to the GM at A Place at the Beach when they changed ownership, and not sure if he was an SPM employee, but that guy seemed really good at his job and successfully oversaw the transformation of the resort there.


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## Egret1986 (Feb 2, 2017)

Thank you, Faye, for the update.  I'm sorry that I had to miss this year's meeting due to conflicting HOA meetings elsewhere on the Outer Banks.

As you stated, the maintenance fees have been kept unrealistically low over many, many years; thus, not allowing for a reserve fund.  I see that for 2017, this has not changed.  I understand that all these special assessments (past, current and future), along with raising the maintenance fee could be overwhelming to the owners.   Obviously, there will still be no funding for reserves.  To me, this, along with seriously outdated interiors that will require yet a third round of SA's, the Termination issue, and other issues facing the resort, makes me wonder how much money put into Barrier Island Station will be enough.  Many of the long-time owners cannot access units due to all the stairs up to most of them.  There simply is no way to provide elevators due to the layouts of the buildings and lack of funding.

I have owned at BIS since 1984.  I hope for the improvements to the interiors.  I hope the Termination clauses are resolved.  I just don't know how many more assessments it's going to take for all this to happen.  Will the remaining owners keep putting money up, with other owners walking away and delinquencies piling up, only in the end to have the Termination clauses end the timeshare status in a few years?  I personally don't wish to endure yet another special assessment at a resort with no reserves and the distinct possibility that the timeshare will terminate.  I'm down to one last unit.  The future for the resort makes me very nervous.

Funding for stepping up the foreclosure process is great.  However, under the circumstances, this will also be a never-ending money drain on the budget.  I only see defaults going up with timeshares since most timeshares have not provided for an exit strategy.  No exit strategy = defaults = foreclosures.

Barrier Island Station has a beautiful location and is a very desirable piece of property on the Outer Banks.  Even with it's warts, I still enjoy going there because of its proximity to Duck Village, and its ocean-to-sound location.

The exterior work that was completed is very attractive and a real positive. 

However, there's still so much work left to be done and issues to work through.


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## RLS50 (Feb 3, 2017)

Egret,

Do you foresee the possibility that BIS-Duck could be updated and transformed like APATBIII was?   No doubts the elevator issue seems important, but is something that may not be able to ever be resolved since the building layout would almost require an elevator in each one?

It is a real shame, because the layout of the resort at BIS-Duck, the overall amenities (the outdoor pool looks great), and it's location have always been appealing to us and we have thought about purchasing or staying there over the years on our drive past on our way to various rental homes in Corolla or Whalehead.   It always seemed really nice to have access to both the ocean and the sound on pretty much the same property and be so close to the village of Duck.

The topic of MF's are an interesting one.  We all sometimes complain about MF's but really the complaints should not necessarily be about the total, but where the money is going.  Marriott has some of the highest MF's around, but they seem to also put a higher percentage of annual MF's towards reserves than many places.   Low reserves seems like a ticking time bomb that will always catch up to owners in the end.


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## Fayeoctober (Feb 3, 2017)

RonB - the WiFi issue was addressed and completed as of the end of October.  So far there have been no complaints and when we were there for a meeting last weekend it worked fine.  It hasn't been tested yet with peak season usage but all indications are that it will do well.  
RLS50  and maybe others - I think I can say without any threat of libel since it is true - that up until 2014 when my husband was elected to the Interval Owners Association there could have been some mismanagement of funds (although that stopped when SPM came on Board) and some actions that weren't in the best interests of the owners.  The President of the Interval Owners Association was a part of the original Developer's team and until 2014, the voting was such that the long-term interests of the Resort were not always kept in mind or however, I can safely say it.  SPM controls all the funds in and out and the Interval Owners Assocation is not involved in terms of receiving any funds.  
The SPM web-site (which is accessible to all owners with computers) provides detailed information on how funds were spent and how they are budgeted.  Maintenance fees were kept much too low and the IOA has started the catch-up process.  For 2017 maintenance fees were kept the same but a $200 assessment was billed.  Owners are being given the opportunity to vote on what they want in the way of interior upgrades, how much they are willing to pay for them and over what time period.  If owners are willing to put up with a number of years of maintenance fee increases (maybe in the vicinity of 7%) starting in 2018, the IOA hopes to be able to start building a reserve. Admittedly, the issue of delinquent owners is a problem but SPM is doing more work with the Collection agencies as far as that is concerned.  The IOAis also doing mailings with regard to the termination issue.  
In the future the IOA may be looking at a strategy for Owners who are current with their fees to turn back their units in they desire.  If this goes through, some cost to the owner is likely to be involved but it will be less than the cost of paying an upfront fee to a LLC.
We hope to see BIS get into good financial footing.
I do want to mention that all of this is my opinion and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Interval Owners Association.


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## dougrm3 (Feb 18, 2017)

Hello,
Hope you don't mind a non-owner commenting.  Love that your HOA board is reaching out to improve communications and satisfaction.

Our family has been owner at Barrier Island Station Kitty hawk (Now Beachwoods) until a week ago (Just sold our July week on TUG marketplace).  We liked the "old" feeling of Barrier Island Station and are looking at BIS Duck for a future resale.  We'll be down this summer in a rental at BIS Duck to see the resort.


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## Fayeoctober (May 16, 2017)

I wanted to provide a few updates regarding BIS Duck.  First I want to mention that all the information below is my opinion and doesn't represent the opinion of the Board.

With regard to communications, there is now a bi-weekly update on what is going on at BIS Duck.  This is a big step and is available on the web-site and through Email for those owners who have provided Email addresses.

With regard to the Termination issue - less than half of the owners have voted.  Not voting is the same as a "No Vote."  All the buildings except for 500-800 require a 75% "For" so that the timeshare can continue as a timeshare.  The 500-800 buildings require 67%.  This will not become an issue for another 7 years, but we currently have at least 22% delinquencies and it is my understanding that even the delinquent owners are entitled to a vote.  I don't know where the attorney is seeing this, but it has been accepted as a fact by the Board.  One owner has already commented that with a 75% vote required, and a 22% delinquency rate, that the owner doesn't see how this can become a "go" given that some owners not in arrears have already voted "Against."  As the spouse of a Board Member, I know some information but I can only share information that has already been made public.  My husband has tried to stress the importance of do something on the Delinquency rates as they impact the Termination vote, but it doesn't seem like some of the other Board members are getting it.

The Exteriors of our Buildings really look nice, but most the the Interiors haven't been updated in years.  I think this is because maintenance fees weren't adequate; while the Developer was still trying to sell unit weeks, the Developer wanted to keep fees as low as possible; and whatever reserve once was available, was used for Operating expenses.  I think that most of the owners who responded to a survey regarding Interior updates indicated they wanted them, but that will cost money.  Some owners probably didn't respond until the Terminations issue is resolved because why spend money on something may not be viable in 10 years?

It is my understanding that the first time the current Board was made aware of the extent and amount of the delinquent weeks was a little more than a year ago.  I don't know if the prior president (who was part of the original Developers team) told the management company not to share this information, or if she didn't say anything and the management company just didn't provide the information?  Something seems not right to me about this.  For example more than 25% of the current delinquent owner weeks owe in excess of $7,000.  I don't know how much of that is interest but given the assessment and the maintenance fees, it seems this represents at least 7 years worth of being delinquent.  Why wasn't this information provided to the Board earlier or was it provided to the former President and she chose not to share it?  I don't know and I really can't ask the management company questions about this - only the Board can and I don't know why they haven't?

The 2017 Budget included additional funds set aside for Legal Fees.  It was supposed to provide for seed money for some foreclosures this year.  Instead for a number of reasons, legal fees are going over the Budget without any foreclosures.  I personally think the base amount for legal fees was too low and that the 2018 Budget needs to be increased significantly to have at least 60 foreclosures.  Assuming nothing else changes, this alone would require an increase in maintenance fees.  

Any advice or comments are appreciated.  Thank you in advance.


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## RLS50 (May 16, 2017)

Faye,

Just some thoughts on your comments...

- The level of communications being shared with the owners is outstanding.  Email, SPM Resorts website, and the BIS Facebook page are all being updated or monitored or responded to.

- The current response rate is not surprising.  It is a common feature of any by mail / email campaign.  There is a wide range of factors for this.  People get too much mail already, people get distracted and forget, or emails get lost because of spam filters, or because email addresses haven't been updated with the new one, etc, etc.

IMO this effort was always going to require contracting with a company that specializes in these types of efforts.  This company would have a staff that would be provided a list of every week, every unit, and every owner and then working that list to make contact with every owner and get a response.  They keep working the lists until they reach and get a response from everyone.  I have heard this effort might be started for a very minimal cost.  The sooner it gets started the better.   Ideally it will be started before end of 2017.

- As far as delinquent accounts having the same voting rights, while I am no lawyer and I guess that could be true in the legal sense, being delinquent pretty much takes away most of the rights an owner has in relation to having usage.  They still technically own the property so maybe they continue to own the voting rights?   Not sure but there would seem to potentially be an opening there for arguing against their rights to retain a vote while in arrears.   I suspect the confusion is because there is no clear language in the master documents dealing with the situation?

I would push the attorneys for potential contingency strategies around this group of delinquent owners, most certainly the owners delinquent over 90-180 days.  That suggests an abdication of their ownership and all corresponding voting rights.  At the very least one would think this group of units/weeks/owners in limbo would/should be removed from the voting pool entirely and no longer count towards the overall percentage (until at such time their unit was foreclosed upon and a new active owner was in place). 

Those owners who have abdicated their ownership should not be allowed to negatively impact the vote of active owners.  From a legal perspective if hypothetically the vote eventually failed due to these delinquent owners, I would think this would open the resort to legal action from real owners who voted Yes only to see their vote negated by phantom owners.  I would think the lawyers should focus the risk mitigation strategy around the owners who are present and accounted for, not the owners who disappeared (for whatever reason) long ago.   JMO.


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## Fayeoctober (May 16, 2017)

RLS50 - thank you for your response.   When I mentioned our 22% delinquency rate, I am including only those owners who owe more than just this year's maintenance fees, so they are all delinquent for a at least a year.   Yes there is no clear language in the master documents, but the lawyer/s all seem sure - or at least that is my understanding - that the delinquent voters need to be able to vote.  I personally have no problem with their being allowed to vote; I just don't want those who are seriously delinquent and who chose not to vote, to be counted.  I am not sure how to challenge the lawyer/s opinion, and it seems to me that the Board isn't thinking of doing so. As it is, the legal fees this year have gone significantly over budget, and the budget included some money for foreclosures which haven't begun.  Finally do you know if the term "Phantom Owners" is generally understood to also include individuals who don't pay maintenance fees or does it just apply to LLCs or "Viking Ship" type owners?  I wanted to have our timeshare not allow sales to any LLC that doesn't have a proven record of paying maintenance fees but I was told that would be putting a restriction on the owners.  I don't understand why North Carolina doesn't have more legislation going to protect against those why buy a timeshare and never don't pay fees?


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## Maple_Leaf (May 18, 2017)

Fayeoctober said:


> I wanted to provide a few updates regarding BIS Duck.  First I want to mention that all the information below is my opinion and doesn't represent the opinion of the Board.
> 
> With regard to communications, there is now a bi-weekly update on what is going on at BIS Duck.  This is a big step and is available on the web-site and through Email for those owners who have provided Email addresses.
> 
> ...


Many of those delinquent owners will never respond.  An owner 7 years in arrears is just hoping you'll forget about him.  He's not likely to break radio silence by voting to continue the timeshare.  You need to get those voting rights away from him through some type of foreclosure or amnesty. Perhaps a deed back program will bring those delinquent owners out of the shadows and allow the Board to take possession of those units without a lot of legal drama and expense.


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## RLS50 (May 19, 2017)

Maple_Leaf said:


> Many of those delinquent owners will never respond.  An owner 7 years in arrears is just hoping you'll forget about him.  He's not likely to break radio silence by voting to continue the timeshare.  You need to get those voting rights away from him through some type of foreclosure or amnesty. Perhaps a deed back program will bring those delinquent owners out of the shadows and allow the Board to take possession of those units without a lot of legal drama and expense.


I also believe this to be true.   IMO trying to track down delinquent owners for a vote that are past due for longer than 6-12 months is a waste of time and resources.   I would think the time and money would be better spent developing a legally defensible strategy to "reclaim" their voting rights since they are delinquent (I seriously doubt any of these delinquent owners are going to challenge it in court in the future since that would expose them to a past due judgment).  Or find the money to just accelerate forecloses and take the property back from them and reclaim the voting rights.


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## Gregory F. Sullivan (Jun 1, 2017)

Does anyone remember or know the history of Barrier Island Station at Duck with regards to the VIP Building or Building 200?  I was just curious as to why these two buildings were different from the remainder of the buildings at the resort.  Thanks in advance for the information.


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## Fayeoctober (Jun 6, 2017)

The 200 building was built as condos and was never part of the timeshare regime.  I am not sure why it was done that way, but since the building was one of the two closest to the beach, maybe the developer thought they could get their money quicker by not having to sell 51 weeks for each unit.   I don't know what the 200 building units originally sold for but I think they are selling in the high $200s now.  It is my understanding that the 100 building also started out that way but later owners were given the opportunity to convert to timeshares and all but one owner chose to do that.  Finally in terms of the VIP building, I don't know much about it but it sleeps a larger number of people and is not subject to the termination issue.  One of the original developers was President of the Interval Owners Association for years, and I think that under her tenure, information sharing may not have occurred as much as now.


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## rfuruta (Aug 6, 2017)

Hello, thanks in advance for any thoughts...my family is considering purchasing a unit in the 400 building for week 29. I am brand new to timeshares and it sounds like the owners are working through some issues now. What should I be aware of?


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## Maple_Leaf (Aug 8, 2017)

rfuruta said:


> Hello, thanks in advance for any thoughts...my family is considering purchasing a unit in the 400 building for week 29. I am brand new to timeshares and it sounds like the owners are working through some issues now. What should I be aware of?


It's a mess. You have a good chance of losing your money when the HOA fails to get the required votes to continue the timeshare regime. In the interim, you have a good chance of having to pay additional special assessments for proposed interior renovations.

On a positive note...location, location, location.


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## Egret1986 (Aug 9, 2017)

Maple_Leaf said:


> It's a mess. You have a good chance of losing your money when the HOA fails to get the required votes to continue the timeshare regime. In the interim, you have a good chance of having to pay additional special assessments for proposed interior renovations.
> 
> On a positive note...location, location, location.



Agreed.   I was an owner at this resort since pre-construction of most of the buildings there (32 years).  I love the location and it has had a special place in my heart.  It was our first timeshare purchase and we have enjoyed many vacations there.  I sold my last ownership at BIS recently.   I'm not willing to pay more special assessments, which I think will happen.  I personally don't believe that they will ever get the required votes to continue.  The interior renovations would be nice and maybe worth the cost of special assessments if that was the only issue.  It's not.  As stated, "it's a mess."   I wish all the owners and Board members well.


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## Fayeoctober (Aug 9, 2017)

Egret1986 - I am really sorry to hear you say this.  I do agree that if interior renovations are to be done, a special assessment/maintenance fee increase will be necessary.  I think the Board members are working really hard and SPM at least doesn't seem to be too concerned right now about the termination vote. They feel we shouldn't worry that much for another couple years.   My husband and I are very concerned but feel a number of the buildings have a good chance of making it - what we don't know is how it will work if some make it and some don't?  Anyway, I am sorry you no longer own a unit there.

rfuruta - I don't know what is the price of the Week 29 in the 400 building that your family is considering.  Week 29 is an excellent week and if you are getting a good price - you can send me a private message on what I think that is - I think you will greatly enjoy BIS Duck.  I would be prepared for some additional funds to go toward renovating the interiors but I suspect you might be able to get that money by renting the unit out for one year.  This is just my opinion and I have to admit to being biased.


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## pedro47 (Aug 9, 2017)

The very best thing about this resort is it Location, Location & Waterfront Location. Waterfront land on OBX is priceless on OBX   This resort ocean front land must be worth million of dollars to someone.


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## Egret1986 (Aug 9, 2017)

Fayeoctober said:


> SPM at least doesn't seem to be too concerned right now about the termination vote. They feel we shouldn't worry that much for another couple years.



Yes, the Board is working very hard.  However, SPM not being too concerned right now and suggesting owners should not worry that much for another couple of years is a scary prospect for me.  SPM's lack of concern concerns me, personally.  My statements are my personal opinion based on being an owner, seeing what's happened at the resort over the years (32), attending HOA meetings, and knowing the obstacles facing the resort in the not too distant future.   If I'm wrong; I can live with that.

Again, I wish the owners and Board members well.


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## RLS50 (Aug 10, 2017)

From my conversations with Board members (I think there are some excellent and qualified people on the Board at BIS-Duck) and reviewing the status reports on the termination issue, I am actually cautiously optimistic they will get this done.  However, in this situation failure should not be an option.  Not even for one building.  In my view success requires that the termination clause is successfully resolved for all buildings.  I think the Board is correct to remain hyper vigilant on this issue and even though we are talking 2024 and 2027 I do not think it is "too early" to address it.

Worst case scenario, I think that SPM and the Board should do whatever is required from a legal perspective to make sure the sunset clause is resolved successfully.   Even if that eventually requires playing hardball.   For example, I still believe there is a valid legal argument that those owners in delinquency (20% +/-) have lost voting rights (just like they lost their usage rights) and those voting rights are now owned by the Board and SPM.

One other comment as to worst case scenario options, there have been statements already made about the great resort location.   BIS-Duck might be the single best piece of resort real estate in all of OBX.  This property is unique and special.  So the real estate here really is worth many millions of dollars.   I have to believe that one of the bigger systems would be interested in owning and operating this.   A Marriott, a Wyndham, or should I even dare utter the name...a Diamond (of these hypothetical options I would prefer Marriott).   So another option the Board has in the future is to approach one of these bigger companies who could buy up all the delinquent weeks in one single action and the problem would be resolved immediately.   Quite frankly, if I worked in M&A (strategic acquisitions) for one of these companies and wanted to establish a presence in OBX or expand my presence in OBX (i.e. Diamond), I would already be targeting this resort and buying up these delinquent weeks to establish a large ownership / voting block position.   I am not advocating for that, I only lay the option out there because again, I do not believe failure is or should be an option.

As to the resort itself, we have had guests and friends use some of our weeks this year.   All the reports we have received have been very positive and everybody has really enjoyed themselves.   In fact we have friends staying here this very week and they are loving the place and already want to go back next year.   Another positive of this resort that may not get mentioned enough is the resort staff.   They are one of the most well trained and knowledgeable resort staffs we deal with, and I am including the Marriott properties we are owners at in that statement.

JMO.


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## Fayeoctober (Sep 3, 2017)

I recently posted on the Beachwoods thread - in at least one post BIS Duck was mentioned - but didn't get much in the way of comments so I thought I would post this here since it is really about BIS Duck.   My husband is on the Board at BIS Duck. He gets to read all or most of the comment cards submitted especially those which come in via RCI. The comments are generally not good and in addition to those about the interiors - which we will be dealing with hopefully this year - a significant area of concern seems to be the starter packs and the number of towels we provide. It seems like RCI traders expect more in the starter pack - more dishwashing detergent,soap, toilet paper, towels, etc. In my mind starter packs should be just that starter packs. (When BIS Duck was just providing a few coffee filters which were folded, I had a problem with that given the extremely low price of filters and the folding ruined them, but it is my understanding that has been corrected.) Since the Board wants to consider adding to the starter packs (we are working with SPM on this) as well as some other things that will increase costs (again for now forget about the interior issue) I am wondering if BIS Duck should  consider implementing a daily fee for resort amenities in the Summertime for RCI Traders as well as renters other than those renting from an Owner? I have not discussed this at all with my husband but if people are expecting more, maybe they should be willing to pay for it. By the way when the lack of good WiFi was one of the main concerns, BIS spent a fair amount of money for that, so in addition to our great location, we do have excellent WiFi which it sounds like Beachwood doesn't. Some thoughts on implementing a daily fee for RCI traders and renters not renting from Owners is appreciated?  Along with my husband, I am looking for ways to increase our revenues, and if RCI traders have these expectations, which will cost additional funds to fulfill, then maybe they need to help pay for them.  Finally I noticed a Question Mark appears above my name.  I don't know how to get rid of it although I admit I started this thread with a question.


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## RLS50 (Sep 5, 2017)

Faye,

IMO BIS-Duck has as strong, or maybe even a stronger argument, for a summer peak season amenity fee for renters and traders as Beachwoods does.   Beachwoods has updated units, and a very nice outdoor and indoor pool (kiddie water park), but still has projects not completely finished, especially the beach access portion of the project, and the individual units still don't have WiFi.   BIS-Duck has dated interiors (soon to be addressed), but nice indoor and outdoor pools, (now) strong WiFi in each unit, a fully staffed, functioning, and successful Snack Shack, and excellent direct beachfront access.

I am not strongly for or against amenity fees.  We recently stayed in some JW Marriott's at different locations and they charged us daily amenity fees of about $18-$22.   It didn't bother me though because we got daily housekeeping, parking, great WiFi, great pool complexes, and discounts to onsite dining.   So it isn't the fee so much as what you are getting for the fee.

IMO Diamond didn't do themselves any favors when they rapidly implemented daily amenity fees at the former Gold Key resorts, but couldn't even provide renters and traders decent WiFi in their unit.  With non-functioning WiFi and so many uncompleted projects it made people feel like they were getting ripped off to pay a daily amenity fee for amenities that either didn't actually exist (i.e. WiFi) or weren't yet ready for prime time.

I am usually not one to advocate for amenity fees, but if BIS-Duck could raise additional revenue by implementing a summer peak season amenity fee, I think it should be considered.   One thing for sure that will help give BIS-Duck a fighting chance of making a complete comeback is continuing to provide and maintain great amenities.   If a daily fee for non-owner rentals and traders during summer can help provide additional revenue in that regard it should be considered.  JMO.


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## Egret1986 (Nov 18, 2017)

Fayeoctober said:


> I recently posted on the Beachwoods thread - in at least one post BIS Duck was mentioned - but didn't get much in the way of comments so I thought I would post this here since it is really about BIS Duck.   My husband is on the Board at BIS Duck. He gets to read all or most of the comment cards submitted especially those which come in via RCI. The comments are generally not good and in addition to those about the interiors - which we will be dealing with hopefully this year - a significant area of concern seems to be the starter packs and the number of towels we provide. It seems like RCI traders expect more in the starter pack - more dishwashing detergent,soap, toilet paper, towels, etc. In my mind starter packs should be just that starter packs. (When BIS Duck was just providing a few coffee filters which were folded, I had a problem with that given the extremely low price of filters and the folding ruined them, but it is my understanding that has been corrected.) Since the Board wants to consider adding to the starter packs (we are working with SPM on this) as well as some other things that will increase costs (again for now forget about the interior issue) I am wondering if BIS Duck should  consider implementing a daily fee for resort amenities in the Summertime for RCI Traders as well as renters other than those renting from an Owner? I have not discussed this at all with my husband but if people are expecting more, maybe they should be willing to pay for it. By the way when the lack of good WiFi was one of the main concerns, BIS spent a fair amount of money for that, so in addition to our great location, we do have excellent WiFi which it sounds like Beachwood doesn't. Some thoughts on implementing a daily fee for RCI traders and renters not renting from Owners is appreciated?  Along with my husband, I am looking for ways to increase our revenues, and if RCI traders have these expectations, which will cost additional funds to fulfill, then maybe they need to help pay for them.  Finally I noticed a Question Mark appears above my name.  I don't know how to get rid of it although I admit I started this thread with a question.



Well, I was just notified by RCI that Barrier Island Station Duck and Barrier Island's Ocean Pines will now have a $125 "cleaning/linen fee" for incoming exchangers.  I haven't exchanged in, but simply have a reservation for my "home week" through RCI Points for my Ocean Pines week.  I plan to contact the resort to find out if by utilizing my home (deeded) week if I, too, will have to pay this fee.  I don't feel that I should since this is my deeded week.  However, I'll have to find out what the resort says and go from there.

It states that no matter if it's for 1 night or more nights that there will be a $125 fee for "exchangers".

While I have for many years enjoyed owning and exchanging into both Barrier Island Station Duck and Barrier Island's Ocean Pines, I now know that exchanging in to these resorts will no longer interest me due to what I consider an unreasonable fee.  I am currently looking for an exchange during March for the OBX Taste of the Beach.  However, these two resorts will no longer be a consideration.  

Over the years, I have seen the argument on other threads that as a timeshare owner, I am already paying "cleaning/linen" or amenity fees that are part of my maintenance fee.  Why should those exchanging in to use my week have an added fee tacked on?  

Location, location, location is great.  However, in considering that I'm being charged such a high fee for cleaning and linens (which should be a part of any timeshare stay), I'll opt out for exchanging back in when I need different dates from which I own.  BIS and Ocean Pines timeshare exchanges aren't the only "game in town" when staying on the Outer Banks.  

A $125 add-on fee for cleaning and linens is ridiculous.  Any add-on cleaning fee for exchanging back in would have been questionable, but $125; that's ridiculous.  I look forward to hearing how such a fee is justifiable.  My gosh, it seems like those responsible for this fee are really "grasping at straws".  It's very telling to me.  Maintenance fee + RCI membership fee + exchange fee + resort cleaning fee = too much to even consider an exchange into either resort, especially during the off or shoulder seasons.

I bet it was a tough one to name this new fee.  It couldn't be called an amenity fee since the amenities, especially at Ocean Pines, couldn't justify such a high fee.  But "cleaning/linen" fee....?  It seems quite obnoxious to me, whatever you call it. 

Also obnoxious, RCI stating that their same cancellation rules apply if you cancel due to this newly created fee.  One should be able to cancel an exchange when a fee is added after an exchange has been made or it should be waived if it did not exist at the time of exchange.


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## Egret1986 (Nov 18, 2017)

RLS50 said:


> Faye,
> 
> IMO BIS-Duck has as strong, or maybe even a stronger argument, for a summer peak season amenity fee for renters and traders as Beachwoods does.   Beachwoods has updated units, and a very nice outdoor and indoor pool (kiddie water park), but still has projects not completely finished, especially the beach access portion of the project, and the individual units still don't have WiFi.   BIS-Duck has dated interiors (soon to be addressed), but nice indoor and outdoor pools, (now) strong WiFi in each unit, a fully staffed, functioning, and successful Snack Shack, and excellent direct beachfront access.
> 
> ...



Barrier Island Station Duck and Barrier Island's Ocean Pines have implemented a $125 housekeeping/linen fee for those exchanging into the resort.  It's not a daily fee.  

According to RCI notice:

*The staff at BARRIER ISLAND'S OCEAN PINES BEACH has notified us that effectively immediately, all weeks and points stays will be charged $125 fee, which covers housekeeping and linens to all RCI Inbound guests. The length of stay does not matter.*

The talk of implementing a summer peak season amenity fee is now an "any season" housekeeping and linen fee.  

As I stated previously, it seems Ocean Pines and Barrier Island Station (sister resorts) are "grasping at straws" in their efforts to raise additional revenue.  

I'm sure there will be those that will think or say that this is the reason to be an owner where you want to go.  I owned at BIS for 30+ years. I currently own at Ocean Pines.  However, this outlandish new fee for exchange guests sends up red flags for me about the stability of the resorts (among other things).  Like at BIS, Ocean Pines maintenance fees have been kept unreasonably low over the years to the detriment of the resorts' maintenance and improvements.  I guess the Board members and resort management believe it's better to try to wring out additional revenue from exchange guests than to increase maintenance fees.  While owners may like the fact that their maintenance fees are low and the increases are minimal, there is a price to pay for this.  I guess for many, location, location, location is enough.  Cost-wise, I love the fact that my maintenance fee for 2018 will only be $550 for oceanfront units in the Summer at Duck.  However, I know, that such low fees cannot adequately maintain and upgrade this resort when needed.

I had to make the hard decision to sell off my last BIS weeks due to my perceived direction that the resort is going.  I'm sorry to say that this newest decision to enact a "junk" fee on exchangers to increase revenues will also weigh on my future decision on whether to keep my Ocean Pines weeks.  I could be wrong, but I think this crazy fee will negatively impact the resorts in the long run.


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## RLS50 (Nov 18, 2017)

Egret1986 said:


> Barrier Island Station Duck and Barrier Island's Ocean Pines have implemented a $125 housekeeping/linen fee for those exchanging into the resort.  It's not a daily fee.
> 
> According to RCI notice:
> 
> ...


Wow, that is a hefty fee.  I wasn't expecting anything like that.  I think I really dislike that decision.   At the very least the fee seems like it should be a daily fee.  What exactly does the guest get for this?  Daily housekeeping?   Every other day?  A single housekeeping visit during their stay?   That seems like a lot of money to charge someone unless you deliver something of real value in return?

While I stated I don't have a real problem per se with daily amenity fees (provided the resort charging those fees is actually providing top shelf amenities), I agree with you that this housekeeping charge seems excessive and could potentially backfire on the resort(s) in a number of different ways.    I don't like mandatory "housekeeping" fees anywhere, daily or otherwise.  Especially at places like the BIS Resorts in Duck / Ocean Pines where most units have access to a washer / dryer.  Many Guests, who are already timeshare owners elsewhere who traded in, may be perfectly fine doing their own laundry and housekeeping.   Owners and Guests should have the option to pay extra for housekeeping like at many Marriott's offer, or like Diamond has done at the Virginia Beach properties.

Personally I believe a daily mandatory amenity fee is a far better option to raise additional funds versus charging mandatory housekeeping fees.   All guests may not want housekeeping, and may resent such a large mandatory expense for something they don't even want.   However even though many guests may grumble about a daily amenity fee, if a resort charges the fee but in return provides blazing fast WiFi, great pools, gyms, volleyball / tennis courts, activity centers, maybe even a mini-golf course, etc, etc...most guests will use one or more (or maybe all) of those amenities and end up having a great trip and whatever initial frustration they had over a daily amenity fee will largely dissipate once they realize how much they enjoyed access to all of them.   WiFi is a big one these days.  Since every device uses it, just providing great WiFi at a resort is a significant potential revenue stream from a daily amenity fee perspective.

BIS-Duck especially has potential to have one of the best collections of amenities of any resort in OBX.   And they recently upgraded their WiFi network, which seems to be getting great reviews.  So implementing a daily amenity fee (say $15 per day?), seemed like a logical option IMO.   That could have represented a "virtuous cycle" opportunity where daily amenity fees, especially during heavy peak season use periods, could be used to continually keep maintaining and upgrading amenities and reduce the wear and tear burden on Owners and the annual MF's.  Under that scenario, I think it could have represented a Win/Win for both Owners and Guests.  

But a mandatory housekeeping flat fee of $125?   Not so much.  I think this might prove to be a miscalculation and missed opportunity for BIS-Duck and BIS-Ocean Pines.

It's interesting how there can be so many facets / different sides to a topic like this.


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## RLS50 (Nov 18, 2017)

On another related note, the BIS-Duck Owner's Meeting was broadcast live and the webcast is probably still available on the BIS-Duck Facebook page. 

Kudos to the BIS-Duck BOD and SPM for providing this option to owners who were not able to attend in person.  And I thought the presentations / comments / contributions of Denise Truesdale, Carmen Di Giovanni, and Bob Allen were excellent.   The new GM Tom Youngblood also gave a good presentation.  Whatever happens to BIS-Duck in the future, it seems like some very committed and qualified people are trying their best to improve things.


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## Fayeoctober (Nov 18, 2017)

I am not sure where this information came from, but Barrier Island Station Duck has NOT implemented a policy of charging $125 for housekeeping for a regular one week stay.  I can't comment on Ocean Pines but my husband is the Treasurer at BIS Duck.  What has been implemented at BIS Duck is that an exchanger staying for less than a week has to pay the $125 and that is to pay for the extra cleaning necessitated by the shorter stay.  I think this is reasonable.


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## Egret1986 (Nov 19, 2017)

Fayeoctober said:


> I am not sure where this information came from, but Barrier Island Station Duck has NOT implemented a policy of charging $125 for housekeeping for a regular one week stay.  I can't comment on Ocean Pines but my husband is the Treasurer at BIS Duck.  What has been implemented at BIS Duck is that someone staying for less than a week has to pay the $125 and that is to pay for the extra cleaning necessitated by the shorter stay.  I think this is reasonable.



Thank you, Faye, for responding.  Perhaps RCI got this fee wrong.  Perhaps it should have been relayed as you have stated, that there will be a $125 extra cleaning fee for less than a one week stay vs. "...*all weeks and points stays will be charged $125 fee"*.  Heck, when I contacted Angela at BIS in October, she indicated that there wouldn't be an Owners' meeting this year for Ocean Pines.  I can understand that since a quorum hasn't been met the last several years that I have attended.  I get the extra cleaning fee charge for less than 7 nights.  Most, if not all, resorts charge this fee.  Securing housekeeping services is a real issue that all resorts and privately-owned homes are facing on the Outer Banks.  Another resort that I own at on the OBX has had to increase the housekeeping budget significantly due to this factor.  It's not just the Outer Banks that's facing the issue of having issues in securing adequate housekeeping staff.  When I attended an Owners' meeting last year in Virginia Beach, this was also a stated issue.

Thanks again, Faye.  I will be contacting BIS to find out what's going on with this Vacation Notice that I received from RCI.  I can't imagine that it is correct.  I also can't imagine that this would be enacted only for Ocean Pines and not BIS also.  After all, they are sister resorts managed by the same folks.  Guests of Ocean Pines have the ability to use BIS's amenities.

Sorry about my "tirade" if this is an RCI error.  If true (regarding Ocean Pines only), I'll be very interested to see what SPM has to say about imposing such a ridiculous "housekeeping/linen" fee for all weeks and points stays.


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## Egret1986 (Nov 19, 2017)

RLS50 said:


> Wow, that is a hefty fee.  I wasn't expecting anything like that.  I think I really dislike that decision.   At the very least the fee seems like it should be a daily fee.  What exactly does the guest get for this?  Daily housekeeping?   Every other day?  A single housekeeping visit during their stay?   That seems like a lot of money to charge someone unless you deliver something of real value in return?
> 
> While I stated I don't have a real problem per se with daily amenity fees (provided the resort charging those fees is actually providing top shelf amenities), I agree with you that this housekeeping charge seems excessive and could potentially backfire on the resort(s) in a number of different ways.    I don't like mandatory "housekeeping" fees anywhere, daily or otherwise.  Especially at places like the BIS Resorts in Duck / Ocean Pines where most units have access to a washer / dryer.  Many Guests, who are already timeshare owners elsewhere who traded in, may be perfectly fine doing their own laundry and housekeeping.   Owners and Guests should have the option to pay extra for housekeeping like at many Marriott's offer, or like Diamond has done at the Virginia Beach properties.
> 
> ...



Hopefully, as Faye has responded, since no such fee exists at BIS for "all weeks and points stays" for RCI exchanges that this is simply an error on RCI's part for Ocean Pines.  I hope so.  I can't imagine that it would be instituted at Ocean Pines and not BIS since they are "sister" resorts and have the same management.  My husband just stated that maybe I just got "trolled" or it's "fake news". 

Anyway, I'll settle down a bit until I get word from the resort.  I'll report back.


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## Fayeoctober (Nov 19, 2017)

I want to go on record that while Barrier Island Station Duck and Ocean Pines share the place where they check in and also share management, they have two independent Boards.  The Board at BIS Duck does not include any representatives from the original developer.  In 2014, the individual who was President of the Board for a very long time, was voted out in favor of my husband.  I believe that individual is still the President of the Board at Ocean Pines.  In the past the Owners Meetings at BIS Duck and Ocean Pines were always held on the same day with one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  They had been held at the Black Pelican which was owned (and may still be owned) by the former President of our Board.  When she was no longer on the Board, we went elsewhere for our Owners Meetings and this year made it a point that it not be on the same day as the Ocean Pines meeting.  If Ocean Pines didn't have an Owners Meeting, I don't know why, although I understand that their rules make it almost impossible for the Board to change members.  Frankly, if there was no meeting I am surprised that SPM let that happen.  Maybe it is just the mood I am in right now, but I really think that unless Ocean Pines owners are happy with the way things are, they should push SPM to make sure that meetings that are supposed to be happening actually happen.  And if Oceans Pines owners think that their resort can be maintained with such low maintenance fees, they might want to look at our resort and what happened under their President's reign.  I really think things at BIS Duck are going in the right direction and we did pick up a lot of Yes votes recently regarding the termination issue so there is a good chance we will make it.


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## Egret1986 (Nov 19, 2017)

Fayeoctober said:


> I want to go on record that while Barrier Island Station Duck and Ocean Pines share the place where they check in and also share management, they have two independent Boards.  The Board at BIS Duck does not include any representatives from the original developer.  In 2014, the individual who was President of the Board for a very long time, was voted out in favor of my husband.  I believe that individual is still the President of the Board at Ocean Pines.  In the past the Owners Meetings at BIS Duck and Ocean Pines were always held on the same day with one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  They had been held at the Black Pelican which was owned (and may still be owned) by the former President of our Board.  When she was no longer on the Board, we went elsewhere for our Owners Meetings and this year made it a point that it not be on the same day as the Ocean Pines meeting.  If Ocean Pines didn't have an Owners Meeting, I don't know why, although I understand that their rules make it almost impossible for the Board to change members.  Frankly, if there was no meeting I am surprised that SPM let that happen.  Maybe it is just the mood I am in right now, but I really think that unless Ocean Pines owners are happy with the way things are, they should push SPM to make sure that meetings that are supposed to be happening actually happen.  And if Oceans Pines owners think that their resort can be maintained with such low maintenance fees, they might want to look at our resort and what happened under their President's reign.  I really think things at BIS Duck are going in the right direction and we did pick up a lot of Yes votes recently regarding the termination issue so there is a good chance we will make it.



Thank you again, Faye.  I apologize if my posts have contributed to the "mood" you're in right now.

It is impossible, as you have stated, to ever hope for a change in board members at this resort since a quorum is never reached.  Fortunately, for BIS, there are enough owners that stay involved enough to reach a quorum and make things happen.

The change at BIS in Board Members was indeed a boon to the resort when the former long-time President was finally ousted. 

After reading your post, I went on the SPM Owners portal for Ocean Pines.  There actually was a meeting on October 21.  However, the communication that I received on October 20 was confusing.  However, in rereading it today, I believe what was being stated was that there would be no voting vs. no meeting.  I assume that they had already determined that there were not enough proxies received to reach a quorum.  I apologize for providing incorrect information.

I think the inability to reach meeting quorums at Ocean Pines reflects owner involvement and awareness.  A majority of owners must be "happy with the way things are" for the most part.  Maintenance fees not going up keeps many satisfied.  I, for one, would like to see fees increased to support the maintenance and upgrades that are needed at Ocean Pines.  Over the years, I watched with great dismay and sadness as BIS deteriorated due to low maintenance fees. There were exterior and interior renovations completed at Ocean Pines in 2014/2015 after a special assessment.  Unfortunately, there's more work to be done to the amenities and there needs to be an ongoing maintenance plan for this resort.  There's no way either can be accomplished with such low fees.

You and your husband were/are very proactive BIS owners and it has resulted in positive changes being made that one could have only dreamed of during the reign of the former BOD President.  I was witness, as an owner, for many years as to what can happen to a resort when a BOD President "rules" at a resort with their own best interests in mind.  This same President and the developers also ran another OBX resort into the ground to near bankruptcy until it was recently acquired by another developer, and then shortly thereafter acquired by a much larger developer.  The resort was "saved" and is quite nice.  However, it does not have the bragging rights to WIFI like BIS has now nor the prime location, location, location.

You and your husband, as stated previously, have helped make positive changes (along with the participation of other owners).  I'm not sure what I can do to affect similar change at Ocean Pines due to the lack of participation and interest by the majority of owners.

I am happy to hear that more "yes" votes have been received regarding the termination clause and that things continue to head in the right direction.

I'm happy to hear also that BIS isn't charging a $125 housekeeping fee to RCI exchangers for 7-night stays.  In this case, I have to believe the Vacation Notice that I received is an error on RCI's part......but maybe not.  If not, it will be to the detriment of Ocean Pines and its owners, IMHO.


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## RLS50 (Nov 19, 2017)

Faye / Egret,

I am not an RCI member, so thanks for the clarification.  I guess the fee for a short stay only actually does make some sense.  

Is this short stay fee just for RCI exchangers or will it also apply to guests coming into the resort via online sites like Booking.com and Orbitz?   Not that it matters to me, but just curious.


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## tschwa2 (Nov 19, 2017)

One of the reasons most timeshares only charge $60-$80 for 2 bedroom short stay though is if someone comes in for the second part of the week they also are paying the fee and only one additional housekeeping was performed.  If no one books the second part of the week then no extra house keeping and supplies were used.


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## Fayeoctober (Nov 19, 2017)

Barrier Island Station Duck charges a $125 Housekeeping fee for RCI Points stays that are less than a week.  RCI Weeks Owners since they are staying for a week would not incur this charge.  I assume this additional charge applies to short stays that are booked via on-line sites as well but I don't know that for sure.  It is my understanding that the minimum stay allowed is three nights.  I suggest that people booking short stays via on-line sites check with BIS Duck about this charge.  With regard to BIS Duck and Owners Meetings, only 10% of the Owners have to be present in person or via proxy for a meeting to happen.  A few years ago, an owner from Ocean Pines told me they needed 25%.  Quite a difference.  If I owned at Ocean Pines I would want to see where it states the 25%?  It is my understanding that the Ocean Pines property was originally started by a developer not connected to BiS Duck but was ultimately purchased by the same BIS Duck developer and that is how our former President got to be there.  I just want to restate again, that BIS Duck and Ocean Pines are two separate properties and we currently have a very active Board who is doing their best to keep BIS viable for years to come.


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## Egret1986 (Nov 22, 2017)

Egret1986 said:


> Hopefully, as Faye has responded, since no such fee exists at BIS for "all weeks and points stays" for RCI exchanges that this is simply an error on RCI's part for Ocean Pines.  I hope so.  I can't imagine that it would be instituted at Ocean Pines and not BIS since they are "sister" resorts and have the same management.  My husband just stated that maybe I just got "trolled" or it's "fake news".
> 
> Anyway, I'll settle down a bit until I get word from the resort.  I'll report back.



In response to my query to the resort management:

*Ocean Pines resort is charging a $125.00 cleaning fee for all RCI bookings. If you make a home week reservation into your unit for your week then no you will not be charged.

Barrier Island is charging a $125.00 cleaning fee for RCI reservation that are less then 7 nights and if the reservation is booked mid week, not Saturday to Saturday or Sunday to Sunday.
*
While I'm glad to hear that I won't be charged the $125 housekeeping fee when using my Home Week through RCI Points, I'm perplexed why such a fee is being charged to RCI exchange guests for all exchanges.  I had a death in my family in October and was unable to attend the HOA meeting this year.  As usual, due to no quorum, there was not voting at meeting.  However, I have to believe this new fee was discussed.  I sure wish I had been there to find out the reasoning behind such a decision.


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## ctyankee62 (Dec 7, 2017)

i stayed at BIS-Duck in November as a guest. The property is beautiful. The staff, on the whole, less impressive. In fact I wondered if the resort was closing; their demeanor was so detached. I filled out a feedback form, provided my name, phone and email and offered to give detailed feedback on my stay. I have heard nothing in the last month.

So, a committed Board is great but the potential buyer interacts with the staff. They need to be great, too. Sadly that was not the case last month.


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## pedro47 (Dec 7, 2017)

I agree this resort has the potential to be a Gold Crown Resort. Just the Location is a ten and if someone could remodel all the villa at this resort. The true property value would be a 100 times it’s present value and the land value would be sky high.

I had a friend who purchased a lot in Duck around 1980 for $10,000.00 not on the Oceanside.
It sold for over $60,000 in 1990.

This location and land is an outstanding opportunity for a major hotel like Marriott  or Hyatt.  Oceanfront land on OBX is very, very limited and oceanfront acres in Duck. Wow is a luxury.

I can foresee this resort going into

foreclosure and being purchase by a major chain. For  Pennies on a Dollars.
This is my personal opinion only.


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## topmom101 (Dec 8, 2017)

I personally hope all this gets sorted out in a positive way as my husband and I are soon moving to the  Carolinas and vacationing at Barrier Island/Duck is on the list of resorts North and South Carolina has to offer. I will be following this thread with interest.


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## pedro47 (Dec 8, 2017)

The Months of June to the first week in September their came be a million tourist on OBX.
Please book early for summer months rentals and short stays on OBX.


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## topmom101 (Dec 8, 2017)

Thank you, Pedro. I surely will.


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## Fayeoctober (Dec 9, 2017)

This reply is addressed to ctyankee62 who logged on as a Guest and also to pedro47   My husband is on the Board at Barrier Island Station Duck.  He has been on it for three years and replaced a long time President who was actually part of the original Developer's team and it is my belief that for a long period of time the President and some of her followers contributed to the resort going downhill because of inadequate maintenance fees.   In our most recent election, two new people were elected to the Board - one replacing a long time member who while good wasn't really pro-active enough.  Our two new Board members are really digging in and working hard so that hopefully we will not have our land purchased for "pennies on the dollar."  Anyway, what I really wanted to say to ctyankee62 was we appreciate your turning in a comment card with your name and phone number but the card has to make it to the Board and I personally am not that confident that it will on a timely basis.  If you want to make sure your comments get the quickest attention it would be helpful for you to send me a private message and I can send you my husband's email address.  It would also be very helpful if you can provide the names of the staff that you felt were "detached."  That way the Board can help see that they get some extra customer service training.  With regard to the other comment, it is not likely that Barrier Island Station will get foreclosed.  We don't have a mortgage.  Admittedly we have a lot of non-paying owners but we are trying to deal with that.


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## pedro47 (Dec 10, 2017)

I wish this HOA Board and this Resort the very best for the coming New Year.

Suggestion only and food for thought: can you increase the maintenance fees by ten or twenty dollars per owner to cover what you need these fees to cover at the resort.


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## RLS50 (Dec 10, 2017)

pedro47 said:


> I wish this HOA Board and this Resort the very best for the coming New Year.
> 
> Suggestion only and food for thought: can you increase the maintenance fees by ten or twenty dollars per owner to cover what you need these fees to cover at the resort.


The annual MF's for 2018 have been raised to $750 versus $680 in 2017.  In addition there will be a Special Assessment levied at some point in 2018 of approx. $1,100 to $1,300 per owner (per week) to cover the full interior renovations.  I believe this is now tentatively scheduled to begin in the fall of 2018.  As I understand it from the annual meeting the next 9-10 months will be spent finalizing a design partner and scheduling and finalizing the start dates.


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## Fayeoctober (Dec 10, 2017)

First I want to thank pedro47 for the best wishes.  An increase in maintenance fees of only $10 or $20 dollars per owner isn't going to come close to making up for years of inadequate maintenance fees.  While I agree there was a significant increase in fees between 2017 and 2018, there had been no increase for a few years and in looking at the time period between 2010 and 2018, while the fees went up a total of 25%, there were still significantly below the National average for all Domestic resorts.  We definitely need to get our delinquencies down and the Board is working on that.  I see a problem in trying to balance what the resort needs in Revenue while at the same time not making fees or assessments so high that the delinquency rate goes up.  The estimates that have been received for the full interior renovations are turning out to be significantly higher than planned.  We need to get them down.  I think some of the problem is that there are a significant number of different floor plans and the designers couldn't get into all the units while there were people in them.  The renovations involve a lot more than just furniture, carpets, appliances, etc.  I really hope this all works out


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## Maple_Leaf (Dec 11, 2017)

Fayeoctober, the National Hospitality Group (NHG) claims on their website the BIS Duck is one of their destinations.  Are you free to clarify the relationship between NHG and BIS Duck?


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## pedro47 (Dec 11, 2017)

This resort is located in OBX and the location is Awesome.


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## Fayeoctober (Dec 11, 2017)

Maple_Leaf -  don't know what the National Hospitality Group is?  Before I get Hubby stirred up about something, can you give me information on where you saw this.  I do know that MVP is selling timeshares for our owners and also selling some timeshares that have been turned in under the Deed-in-Lieu program and also trying to get some delinquent owners into the fold.  I don't know if they are connected to this, but we are definitely not part of any vacation club.  If something is going on that isn't supposed to, we need to know.  Please either comment here or send me a private message.  Thank you.


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## Fayeoctober (Dec 11, 2017)

Okay, I Googled them which I probably should have done to begin with.  SPM Resorts manages BIS Duck but we have an independent Board which my husband is on as the Treasurer.  SPM is apparently part of the National Hospitality Group and that transaction occurred sometime this year I think.  SPM Resorts handles our money - in other words taking it in and spending it.  They are also responsible for the day to day activity but the Board provides the general policy guidance.  BIS Duck is an independent resort, and is associated with RCI.  We are not part of any vacation club nor are we looking to be part of one.  To my knowledge, Owners can't trade a week at BIS Duck for a week at one of the National Hospitality Group resorts unless they do the trade through RCI.  Is there other information you are seeking?


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## Maple_Leaf (Dec 11, 2017)

Fayeoctober said:


> Okay, I Googled them which I probably should have done to begin with.  SPM Resorts manages BIS Duck but we have an independent Board which my husband is on as the Treasurer.  SPM is apparently part of the National Hospitality Group and that transaction occurred sometime this year I think.  SPM Resorts handles our money - in other words taking it in and spending it.  They are also responsible for the day to day activity but the Board provides the general policy guidance.  BIS Duck is an independent resort, and is associated with RCI.  We are not part of any vacation club nor are we looking to be part of one.  To my knowledge, Owners can't trade a week at BIS Duck for a week at one of the National Hospitality Group resorts unless they do the trade through RCI.  Is there other information you are seeking?


You've answered my question, thank you. NHG lists BIS Duck as a destination solely because SPM manages the resort.


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## Jkreming (Jul 10, 2018)

Hello, looks like a lot going on with BIS Duck...I'm looking at purchasing week 34 (end of aug) in building 300 (by the indoor pool). Any additional thoughts or things I should be wary about? How high do you anticipate annual assessments to go and settle at? I don't fully understand the conversation about some buildings potentially failing...?

-Jason


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## Fayeoctober (Jul 11, 2018)

The bids for the Interiors have not been finalized and a new bidder may be coming into the picture.  In addition once all the bids are in and are trimmed as much as possible there will be a survey sent to all the Owners in terms of options for interiors and how much owners are willing to pay.  The amount of the assessment (if any) won't be decided for several months, but it is very likely there will be an assessment.  Included in the timeshare documents was a termination clause which was standard for timeshares built at that time.  Rather than go into a lot of detail here, if anyone is thinking about purchasing please ask the seller for information on this.


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