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Defaulting on Maintenance Fees

Brian201

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
20
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8
Location
Hampton New Brunswick Canada
I tried to post this in the " Timeshare Default Credit Report/Collection Tracking " sticky at the top of the page but it doesn't seem to allow posts anymore. Back in December 2020 I notified my timeshare in North Carolina that I would no longer be paying maintenance fees and if they wanted it deeded back to send me the paperwork. My fees were sent to a collection agency in California who called a few times and sent collection letters but I haven't heard from them in over a year. The timeshare continues to send me bill for maintenance fees ( just recently got my bill for 2024). Just wondering how long they may continue to do this before starting foreclosure?
 
I tried to post this in the " Timeshare Default Credit Report/Collection Tracking " sticky at the top of the page but it doesn't seem to allow posts anymore. Back in December 2020 I notified my timeshare in North Carolina that I would no longer be paying maintenance fees and if they wanted it deeded back to send me the paperwork. My fees were sent to a collection agency in California who called a few times and sent collection letters but I haven't heard from them in over a year. The timeshare continues to send me bill for maintenance fees ( just recently got my bill for 2024). Just wondering how long they may continue to do this before starting foreclosure?
If your ts is in North Carolina, then the law of NC applies as to how many years of non-payment are required to lapse before the foreclosure process can begin.
 
If your ts is in North Carolina, then the law of NC applies as to how many years of non-payment are required to lapse before the foreclosure process can begin.
Thanks. I did a quick search of timeshare foreclosures in North Carolina and it mentioned it could start after 120 days of non payment which has obviously past. I was just wondering if others had let their timeshare go to foreclosure, how long it had been before the process started.
 
Thanks. I did a quick search of timeshare foreclosures in North Carolina and it mentioned it could start after 120 days of non payment which has obviously past. I was just wondering if others had let their timeshare go to foreclosure, how long it had been before the process started.
You really need to review the bylaws and CC&Rs of your ownership association. There is generally sections addressing the process upon default. What you need to understand is that the process involves both state law of the jurisdiction where the property is located and the rules and regulations (bylaws and CC&Rs) of the specific association you own. It is not simply a generic process. It depends upon where you own and how your association addresses defaults. So, asking in a forum isn't going to give you any specifics unless you find someone who owns what you own and went through the process.

NOTE: I'm assuming your ownership is actually deeded.
 
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if its already been 3 years, im not sure there is much for you to do at this point than continue waiting.

chances are itll hit a point where the resort will contact you and request you relinquish the deed back to them willingly to avoid the actual foreclosure process.

i cannot for the life of me understand why so many resorts let it go this far.
 
Here are the TS state laws for

North Carolina – NC: https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/ByArticle/Chapter_93A/Article_4.pdf


cc: @LeslieDet
 
Thanks. I did a quick search of timeshare foreclosures in North Carolina and it mentioned it could start after 120 days of non payment which has obviously past. I was just wondering if others had let their timeshare go to foreclosure, how long it had been before the process started.
Just FYI - a quick google search pulled up this statute. Unless it has been amended, assuming you have received a lien against your ownership interest, that lien is valid for 5 years. During that time frame, an action can be commenced to foreclose. Presumably, the less costly manner in NC would be a non-judicial foreclosure. But you'd really need to look at the association documents to determine if there is anything specific required. Perhaps you want to reach out again and see if they'll accept a deed?

Here's the statute I found:

2022 North Carolina General Statutes
Chapter 93A - Real Estate License Law
Article 4 - Timeshares.
§ 93A-62 - Delinquent assessments; developer guarantee.​

Universal Citation: NC Gen Stat § 93A-62 (2022)
93A-62. Delinquent assessments; developer guarantee.
(a) Delinquent assessments may bear interest at the highest rate permitted by law or at some lesser rate established by the managing entity. In addition to interest, the managing entity may charge a reasonable administrative late fee for each delinquent assessment. Any costs of collection, including reasonable collection agency fees and reasonable attorney's fees, incurred in the collection of a delinquent assessment shall be paid by the owner and shall be secured by a lien in favor of the managing entity upon the timeshare with respect to which the delinquent assessment has been incurred.
(b) The managing entity may deny the use of the timeshare units or facilities, including the denial of the right to make a reservation or the cancellation of a confirmed reservation for timeshare periods, to any owner who is delinquent in the payment of any assessments made by the managing entity against the owner for common expenses, in accordance with the following:
(1) The managing entity must, no less than 30 days after the date the assessment is due, notify the owner in writing of the total amount of any delinquency which then exists, including any accrued interest and late charges permitted to be imposed under the terms of the timeshare program or by law and including a per diem amount. The notice shall be sent to the owner at the owner's known address as recorded in the books and records of the timeshare program.
(2) The notice shall clearly state that the owner will not be permitted to use the owner's timeshare, that the owner will not be permitted to make a reservation in the timeshare program's reservation system, or that any confirmed reservation may be canceled until the total amount of such delinquency is satisfied in full or until the owner produces satisfactory evidence that the delinquency does not exist.
(3) The notice shall be effective to bar the use of the owner and those claiming use rights under the owner, including the owner's guests, lessees, and persons receiving use rights in the timeshare through an exchange program; provided, however, that (i) a managing entity desiring to deny the use of the timeshare to persons receiving use rights in the delinquent owner's timeshare through an exchange program that has an affiliation agreement with the managing entity shall notify the affiliated exchange company in writing of the denial of use at the time that the notice was sent to the owner and (ii) any person claiming through the affiliated exchange program who has received a confirmed assignment of the delinquent owner's use rights from the affiliated exchange company prior to the expiration of 48 hours after the receipt by the affiliated exchange company of the written notice from the managing entity shall be permitted by the managing entity to use the owner's use rights.
(4) Any costs reasonably incurred by the managing entity in connection with its compliance with the requirements of this section may be assessed by the managing entity against the delinquent owner and collected in the same manner as if those costs were common expenses of the timeshare program allocable solely to the delinquent purchaser.
(5) A managing entity may not enforce the denial of use against any one owner or group of owners without similarly enforcing it against all owners, including all developers.
(c) In addition to the denial of use pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, the managing entity may give further notice to the delinquent owner that the managing entity may rent the delinquent owner's timeshare, or any use rights appurtenant thereto, in accordance with the following:
(1) A further notice of intent to rent must be given no less than 30 days after the date the assessment is due and must be delivered to the purchaser in the manner required for notices under subsection (b) of this section.
(2) The notice shall state that unless the owner satisfies the delinquency in full, or unless the owner produces satisfactory evidence that the delinquency does not exist, the purchaser will be bound by the terms of any rental contract entered into by the managing entity with respect to the owner's timeshare or appurtenant use rights.
(3) The notice shall state that the owner will remain liable for any difference between the amount of the delinquency and the net amount produced by the rental contract and applied against the delinquency, and the managing entity shall not be required to provide any further notice to the owner regarding any residual delinquency.
(4) The managing entity's efforts to secure a rental shall not commence on a date earlier than 10 days after the date of the notice of intent to rent.
(5) The managing entity must apply the proceeds of any rental, net of any rental commissions, cleaning charges, travel agent commissions, or any other commercially reasonable charges reasonably and usually incurred by the managing entity in securing rentals to the delinquent owner's account.
(6) A managing entity may make a reasonable determination regarding the priority of rentals of timeshares and, if the delinquent owner whose timeshare is rented cannot be specifically determined due to the structure of the timeshare program, the managing entity may allocate any net rental proceeds in any reasonable manner.
(7) In securing a rental, the managing entity shall not be required to obtain the highest nightly rental rate available, nor any particular rental rate, and the managing entity shall not be required to rent the entire timeshare or appurtenant rights; however, the managing entity must use reasonable efforts to secure a rental that is commensurate with other rentals of similar timeshares or use rights generally secured at that time.
(d) For timeshare estates located in this State, the managing entity shall have a lien on a timeshare for any assessment levied against that timeshare from the date such assessment becomes due. The managing entity shall also have a lien on a timeshare estate of any owner for the cost of any maintenance, repairs, or replacement resulting from an act of the owner or the owner's guest or lessee that results in damage to the timeshare property. All of the following apply to a lien imposed under this section:
(1) The managing entity, or the holder of the lien, may bring a judicial action in its name to foreclose the lien in the nature of an action to foreclose a mortgage or deed of trust and may also bring an action to recover a money judgment for the unpaid assessments without waiving any claim of lien. As an alternative to initiating a judicial action, the managing entity may initiate a nonjudicial foreclosure proceeding to foreclose the assessment lien.
(2) The lien is effective from the date of and shall relate back to the recording of the original timeshare declaration, or, in the case of lien on a timeshare located in a phase timeshare program, the last to occur of the recording of the original timeshare declaration or amendment creating the timeshare. However, as to first mortgages of record, the lien is effective from and after filing of the claim of lien in the office of the clerk of superior court in the county where the timeshare estate is located.
(3) The claim of lien shall state the name of the timeshare program and identify the timeshare for which the lien is effective, state the name of the owner, state the assessment amount due, and state the due dates. The claim of lien shall be signed and acknowledged by an officer or agent of the managing entity or the holder.
(4) The lien shall expire upon the earlier of:
a. The date it is satisfied.
b. Five years from the date the claim of lien is filed unless an action to enforce the lien is commenced within that time.
(5) A claim of lien for assessments may include assessments which are due when the claim is recorded and all assessments that subsequently become due and are delinquent. Upon full payment, the person making the payment is entitled to receive a satisfaction of the lien.
(6) A judgment in any action or suit brought to foreclose the claim of lien may include costs and reasonable attorney's fees for the substantially prevailing party.
(e) A successor in interest, regardless of how the timeshare has been acquired, including a purchaser at a judicial sale or foreclosure trustee sale, is jointly and severally liable with their predecessor in interest for all unpaid assessments against the predecessor up to the time of transfer of the timeshare to a successor, without prejudice to any right a successor in interest may have to recover from their predecessor in interest any amounts assessed against the predecessor and paid by the successor; provided, however, a first mortgagee or its successor or assignee who acquires title to a timeshare as a result of the foreclosure of the mortgage or by deed in lieu of foreclosure of the mortgage shall be exempt from liability for all unpaid assessments attributable to the timeshare or chargeable to the previous owner which came due prior to acquisition of title by the first mortgagee.
(f) If the developer agrees to guarantee the level of assessments for the timeshare program for any period of time, the developer may be excused from the payment of the developer's share of the assessments that otherwise would have been assessed against developer-owned timeshares during the guarantee period, provided that the developer guarantees that (i) during the guarantee period the assessments against owner timeshares will not increase over the dollar amount stated in the adopted, good-faith budget of the timeshare program and (ii) the developer will pay any amount by which all common expenses incurred during the guarantee period exceed the total revenues of the timeshare program during the guarantee period. (2021-163, s. 1(c); 2021-192, s. 5(a).)
 
if its already been 3 years, im not sure there is much for you to do at this point than continue waiting.

chances are itll hit a point where the resort will contact you and request you relinquish the deed back to them willingly to avoid the actual foreclosure process.

i cannot for the life of me understand why so many resorts let it go this far.
I wonder, do a lot of these get brought current in like the 4th year or something? What constantly amazes me about many of these sorts of things is - many parts of these processes seem like lose - lose (assuming there are no outstanding loans). Even if a company didn't want it widely known about the resale market - how does having non paying weeks help? It seems to me if they are really making so much money on selling developer, then why not get back these weeks with as little friction as possible. Then re-sell it for a big profit again and again. This also seems like it would help sales - you could say as long as there's no loan owing on it, you can always easily walk away from the MFs at any time. Kind of like a paid off car, you can pretty much just stop putting money into it whenever you choose.

And on the other side where if the company doesn't want to deal with re-selling the weeks for some reason, why have all these transfer fees etc? I don't mean the deed fees, I mean the company fees. The sooner it's with someone who wants the week, the sooner ongoing MF payments are assured.

The only thing I can really think of is maybe in the points systems the management company can rent out the non paying weeks, but that still doesn't help actually pay for the resort, or does the company have to pay the MF to rent out a week?

So much of this seems like "we've always done it this way" vs how to have a better product.
 
Thanks everyone for your helpful information. I think I will return the 2024 payment invoice with the same notification ( that I will not be paying it ) and see what happens.
 
agreed, i cant imagine a high % of owners suddenly decide to bring their accounts current after 3-4-5 years of non payment...

I can only guess that these policies are established by the management company and or whatever attorney they used to draft/create their collections policy.... after all, there is good money in mailing out late payment notices, collections notices, and notices of intents month in and month out!

its actually more profitable from the management companies side of things for owners to drag things like this out as long as possible because those fees (on top of the printing/mailing/collation/etc) are usually paid by the association, vs the owner. the association would only be paid back if the owner pays in full. (or at least thats how it works here in Florida).

im involved in a 400 unit hoa and it costs us hundreds of dollars a month in fees like this(all on top of the monthly management fee), i can only imagine what is collected by management companies of resorts or associations with thousands or tens of thousands of owners!
 
I wonder, do a lot of these get brought current in like the 4th year or something? What constantly amazes me about many of these sorts of things is - many parts of these processes seem like lose - lose (assuming there are no outstanding loans). Even if a company didn't want it widely known about the resale market - how does having non paying weeks help? It seems to me if they are really making so much money on selling developer, then why not get back these weeks with as little friction as possible. Then re-sell it for a big profit again and again. This also seems like it would help sales - you could say as long as there's no loan owing on it, you can always easily walk away from the MFs at any time. Kind of like a paid off car, you can pretty much just stop putting money into it whenever you choose.

And on the other side where if the company doesn't want to deal with re-selling the weeks for some reason, why have all these transfer fees etc? I don't mean the deed fees, I mean the company fees. The sooner it's with someone who wants the week, the sooner ongoing MF payments are assured.

The only thing I can really think of is maybe in the points systems the management company can rent out the non paying weeks, but that still doesn't help actually pay for the resort, or does the company have to pay the MF to rent out a week?

So much of this seems like "we've always done it this way" vs how to have a better product.
Can you say more about the relation of the trustees of your HOA to the developer? I find that at Festiva Southcape the trustees who have the power to set assessments and enforce a lien foreclosure are really just employees of the developer. By deed they are the responsible overseer. But they are partial to what the developer wants.
I’m not a lawyer. I have read of the managing entity at another resort of Festiva telling an owner to forget its dues obligation to the HOA by pleading hardship in a letter to the Festiva Exit Department. That departmen, if they want your title, will cut a deal for you to pay a premium to the developer, perhaps $2000, and he retains your letter that you begged to get free from the HOA contract. He then takes your title and that ends your obligation to the HOA community if he promptly registers your title. (He may hold onto it but since he controls the trustees they will arrange to stiff the HOA. ) The HOA does not invoice itself for any expenses and the rest of your former community in your HOA continues on just it has to carry the burden of ownership of your empty interval week. The community dues go up incrementally next year. The resort manager (also works for trustees) may actually rent your vacated interval and turn over the rent to the HOA, less his expenses and overhead, or not. At Festiva they have honed the operation to a money science. Back to your complaint, I think they must follow NC law with proper notice to satisfy the 14th amendment of due process. I presume that would mean a lien then foreclosure. I’m not advocating that but it is a legal process and you have certain rights.
 
if its already been 3 years, im not sure there is much for you to do at this point than continue waiting.

chances are itll hit a point where the resort will contact you and request you relinquish the deed back to them willingly to avoid the actual foreclosure process.

i cannot for the life of me understand why so many resorts let it go this far.
At Festiva’s Southcape Resort the trustees run the management entity. Its resort manager allows she could cut down the inventory of deadbeats by processing liens or an accelerated assumption of title but she and the HOA board said it was a lot of effort/expense so she just rented. It was entirely uneconomic an onlynyo=ielded about 1/7 of dues. And, by ignoring deadbeats, now that termination is at hand, hundreds of remote owners and estates musts be contacted and accounts of dues owed and rents received must be reconciled with any equity after expenses for geneaologits and detectives to locate heirs. The trustees are just employees of Festiva with casual titles of trustee. They just don’t care for the stability of the HOA community that the developer created. And the trustees eclipse HOA board elections by appointing themselves. It is hard to get clear answers from a board of developer employees.
 
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