# Caribbean islands - RTU or deeded?



## rtasket (Mar 9, 2006)

It seems like some of the timeshares in the Caribbean are Right to Use (RTU) for a fixed number of years instead of deeded. Is this a by-island phenomena (where the government owns the land and leases it) or is it at the discretion of the developer (or a combo of both)? What islands are exclusively RTU (with goverment oversight)?


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## arlene22 (Mar 9, 2006)

Bahamas has both types.


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## zendala (Mar 9, 2006)

It varies by island. The government *may not own * the land but I would say the rules of ownership of the land is *controlled* by the government, same as here.  Many of the Carribean islands are akin to Mexico, in that non-citizens may not own the land. Or they may not allow non-citizens to own oceanfront property, etc. Each then will have varying rules for getting around it, if allowed. as an example, in Barbados, for instance, a lot of the earlier timeshares were constructed as leases or RTU ending at some defined period - say 2046. The Residences at the Crane (new), I think is in RTU in *perpetuity*, but the land itself is held in Trust for the benefit of the "owners" as opposed to the older units in the original castle which end in about 25 years and were leaseholds. 

I am not definite on the dates, etc,. but that is the general concept.

It may depend also on whether you are buying a timeshare versus building a villa which would be your primary or secondary home.


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## somerville (Mar 9, 2006)

I own in the Cayman Islands.  Foreign citizens can own land there, but I believe all of the timeshares there are RTU.  Mine is.  I doubt there is much government oversight in the Cayman Islands, given what happened to timeshare owners at Indies Suites.


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## caribbeansun (Mar 10, 2006)

It's island by island although I've found that the majority are RTU.  In most cases the developer owns the land not the government.


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## mjs (Mar 10, 2006)

caribbeansun said:
			
		

> It's island by island although I've found that the majority are RTU.  In most cases the developer owns the land not the government.


 
On Paradise Island,  Harborside is deeded, while Sunrise Beach Club and Paradise Harbour Club and Marina are RTU.  So maybe not island by island.
Mark


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## caribbeansun (Mar 11, 2006)

Fair enough - what I meant was that each island will be different.  In other words some will be just RTU, others may be just deeded and some may be both.

I do know that some islands have to be RTU so there's just as likely to be those that can offer both.  SXM and Cayman come to mind about those that must be RTU, I've heard of both RTU and deeded on Aruba (although I've often wondered if those deeded ones are actually RTU), seems to me Barbados was RTU as well...


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## Carolinian (Mar 11, 2006)

The French side of St. Martin is set up like South Africa, where you own a share of stock in a corporation.  Every 99 years the shareholders have to vote whether to continue the corporation.  That is a better setup than RTU.


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