Club Regina No more MF (2019)

[Dommt]

We are done. How do we get out? Walk away? Has anyone stopped paying them and what happens if you do? Can we give it away? We don't expire until 2025.

 

[Karen G]

Do you own it free & clear or did you finance it?

 

[easyrider]

We are done. How do we get out? Walk away? Has anyone stopped paying them and what happens if you do? Can we give it away? We don't expire until 2025.

Call them to let them know you want to cancel your membership. Keep calling them every week. Email them the same thing.

Even though you may have bought this in Mexico , Raintree Vacation Club is based in the USA and has the ability to enforce their contract if they think it is worth it. If you look at your credit score you can see who is reporting. If Raintree hasn't reported the mf payments, which I doubt they do, then they might need to go to court to get a judgement. The loan on the original contract would likely would show up on your credit report but the mf usually not.

Yes you can give this away. This is the easiest way out, imo. Post an add on the bargain deals in the forum. The special assessment and mf will need to be current.

Bill

 

[Dommt]

Do you own it free & clear or did you finance it?

We own it. Bought in 1995. We have 7 years left.

 

[Dommt]

Call them to let them know you want to cancel your membership. Keep calling them every week. Email them the same thing.

Even though you may have bought this in Mexico , Raintree Vacation Club is based in the USA and has the ability to enforce their contract if they think it is worth it. If you look at your credit score you can see who is reporting. If Raintree hasn't reported the mf payments, which I doubt they do, then they might need to go to court to get a judgement. The loan on the original contract would likely would show up on your credit report but the mf usually not.

Yes you can give this away. This is the easiest way out, imo. Post an add on the bargain deals in the forum. The special assessment and mf will need to be current.

Bill

We will give it away but we do not want to pay the 2019 MF due end of Jan I am not aware of any special assessments. We refused to pay the last one and they never asked again. Our credit score is excellent and I don't think this would do much damage. Maybe I am dreaming but I can't imagine with all the bad press about time shares anyone would take it seriously.

 

[Dommt]

Call them to let them know you want to cancel your membership. Keep calling them every week. Email them the same thing.

Even though you may have bought this in Mexico , Raintree Vacation Club is based in the USA and has the ability to enforce their contract if they think it is worth it. If you look at your credit score you can see who is reporting. If Raintree hasn't reported the mf payments, which I doubt they do, then they might need to go to court to get a judgement. The loan on the original contract would likely would show up on your credit report but the mf usually not.

Yes you can give this away. This is the easiest way out, imo. Post an add on the bargain deals in the forum. The special assessment and mf will need to be current.

Bill

We originally bought in Mexico from a Mexican company. It has changed hand a couple times since.

 

[Karen G]

Since there are just seven years left on the RTU, that might be attractive to someone who was interested in having it.

Do you know if there’s a Facebook page for owners of that property? That might be a way to connect with someone who’d like to have the unit. You could also offer to give it away in the TUG Bargain Deals forum.

 

[Dommt]

Since there are just seven years left on the RTU, that might be attractive to someone who was interested in having it.

Do you know if there’s a Facebook page for owners of that property? That might be a way to connect with someone who’d like to have the unit. You could also offer to give it away in the TUG Bargain Deals forum.

I certainly would go the TUG way 1st.

 

[easyrider]

We originally bought in Mexico from a Mexican company. It has changed hand a couple times since.

If you are certain your contract is a "Mexican contract signed in Mexico " I think you can just tell Raintree you are out and although they may threaten you there is really nothing worthwhile to pursue on their end. They wouldn't be able to enforce a Mexican contract in the USA.

Bill

 

[Karen G]

I certainly would go the TUG way 1st.

Great! Here's the link to the instructions for how and what to post: https://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/how-can-i-give-away-my-timeshare-on-tug.132509/

You should contact the member services dept. for your timeshare and ask them what the transfer fee would be and how the process works so you'll have the info you need to make your post in the Bargain Deals forum.

 

[LannyPC]

How do we get out? Walk away? Has anyone stopped paying them and what happens if you do?

There is a thread in this forum a few pages in (you will have to look for it) that discusses what has happened to some "owners" of Mexican right-to-uses or members of vacation clubs who have gotten out by just stopping payments. You can maybe review that thread and then decide what would be best for you.

The one big caution most here on TUG give to people in your situation is to not hire any of these companies, law firms, or charities that claim they can cancel or exit you from your timeshare or vacation club.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

If you are certain your contract is a "Mexican contract signed in Mexico " I think you can just tell Raintree you are out and although they may threaten you there is really nothing worthwhile to pursue on their end. They wouldn't be able to enforce a Mexican contract in the USA.

Bill

IMHO this is a relevant issue. It is important for you to know exactly what you own.

Some history to explain. The Raintree Mexican resorts were originally sold as Club Regina. Club Regina membership gave access to the three Club Regina resorts (Cancún, Cabo, Puerto Vallarta) with specific use rights for certain sizes of units during specific times.

This was before Raintree entered the picture. When Raintree acquired Club Regina, their sales program tried to get existing Club Regina owners to upgrade to Raintree Vacation Club ownership. When an owner upgraded to Raintree Vacation Club, the owner could then access all of the Raintree properties, not just the Club Regina properties. Also, their Raintree ownership now became "gem" levels, a quasi-points system which allowed greater flexibility in making reservations. (Currently, the Raintree system has pretty much converted entirely to points in lieu of the old gem levels.)

An easy way to figure out whether your ownership is a Raintree membership or an unconverted Club Regina membership is to see what inventory is available to you. If you can only reserve at Club Regina properties, you own Club Regina (regardless of what the letterhead might be on your notices and statements). If you can reserve at all of the Raintree Resorts, then you own Raintree.

Now, circling back to easyrider's post, if you own Club Regina, you probably have a Mexico contract. If you have Raintree, it's probably a US contract. That's a bit of free advice, and always remember that free advice is worth exactly what you paid to receive it, and often less than that.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

We are done. How do we get out? Walk away? Has anyone stopped paying them and what happens if you do? Can we give it away? We don't expire until 2025.

For ourselves, we bought into the Raintree 7 program a few years ago - we have seven usage rights over 15 years, and then we are done. We can pull them forward or defer them, as we choose. Our intent is to burn them off as quickly as we can, since I believe Raintree is a sinking ship.

********

If you can share what you own, we can give you more help on deciding what to do. By that I mean, if you have Raintree, what is your "gem" level (silver, gold, platinum, emerald, ruby) or the number of annual points? If it's Club Regina, in what seasons can you reserve and what size unit?

Depending on what you own, the value can range from "pay the transfer fees to have someone take it off your hands" to possibly several thousand dollars with the proper marketing.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

Depending on what you own, the value can range from "pay the transfer fees to have someone take it off your hands" to possibly several thousand dollars with the proper marketing.

If it is a Club Regina - end date 2026 - it may go quickly to a Puerto Vallarta / Cancun / Cabo user - who is retired & wants more weeks right now - but with a guaranteed exit .
That won't get OP any $ - but it may get an easy out for Dommt.

 

[Dommt]

IMHO this is a relevant issue. It is important for you to know exactly what you own.

Some history to explain. The Raintree Mexican resorts were originally sold as Club Regina. Club Regina membership gave access to the three Club Regina resorts (Cancún, Cabo, Puerto Vallarta) with specific use rights for certain sizes of units during specific times.

This was before Raintree entered the picture. When Raintree acquired Club Regina, their sales program tried to get existing Club Regina owners to upgrade to Raintree Vacation Club ownership. When an owner upgraded to Raintree Vacation Club, the owner could then access all of the Raintree properties, not just the Club Regina properties. Also, their Raintree ownership now became "gem" levels, a quasi-points system which allowed greater flexibility in making reservations. (Currently, the Raintree system has pretty much converted entirely to points in lieu of the old gem levels.)

An easy way to figure out whether your ownership is a Raintree membership or an unconverted Club Regina membership is to see what inventory is available to you. If you can only reserve at Club Regina properties, you own Club Regina (regardless of what the letterhead might be on your notices and statements). If you can reserve at all of the Raintree Resorts, then you own Raintree.

Now, circling back to easyrider's post, if you own Club Regina, you probably have a Mexico contract. If you have Raintree, it's probably a US contract. That's a bit of free advice, and always remember that free advice is worth exactly what you paid to receive it, and often less than that.

I know for sure we are club only. 3 resorts. We refused to buy our unit a second time so we could be Raintree

 

[Dommt]

For ourselves, we bought into the Raintree 7 program a few years ago - we have seven usage rights over 15 years, and then we are done. We can pull them forward or defer them, as we choose. Our intent is to burn them off as quickly as we can, since I believe Raintree is a sinking ship.

********

If you can share what you own, we can give you more help on deciding what to do. By that I mean, if you have Raintree, what is your "gem" level (silver, gold, platinum, emerald, ruby) or the number of annual points? If it's Club Regina, in what seasons can you reserve and what size unit?

Depending on what you own, the value can range from "pay the transfer fees to have someone take it off your hands" to possibly several thousand dollars with the proper marketing.

We have club Regina prime. 47 weeks avail. Floating time. No Christmas Easter or thanksgiving.

 

[Dommt]

We have club Regina prime. 47 weeks avail. Floating time. No Christmas Easter or thanksgiving.

We would have done the 7 year thing except for the thousands of dollars they wanted.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

We would have done the 7 year thing except for the thousands of dollars they wanted.

We said "no" when they presented it during a sales presentation. It would also have included buying more points to use in the remaining years. Made zero sense.

Then about six months later we got an email from corporate, offering us the opportunity to convert to Raintree 7 for about $1500, without buying any more points. Our contract was a 2046 expiration, so we thought that was a good price to get out from under some years of payments that we weren't going to use.

I also thought about why they would be making an offer such as that; the only rationale I could come up with is that they needed cash and this way to convert a future money stream into current cash. Which made perfect sense considering how they tried to use a special assessment to pay for ordinary maintenance, and how some of the resorts they built, such as Teton Club and Miners Club, weren't nearly as successful as they had anticipated. And the dissociation of Villa Vera resorts - to my mind likely triggered by Raintree having more inventory - and the associated financial obligations - then they were able to sell or place.

We enjoy Club Regina Puerto Vallarta very much. I had been hoping to make use of the Villa Vera resorts in Isla de Mujeres and Oaxaca, but couldn't do so before they disappeared.

So were going to burn off our membership using Puerto Vallarta. I think we have five more to go. We were doing good until the hurricane hit Cabo; the Cabo damage forced people to Puerto Vallarta, and having been to Puerto Vallarta members seem to have discovered how nice it is. Ten years ago when I was making reservations for February, Club Regina Cabo filled up first and it was easy to get time in Puerto. Now the reverse is true.

 

[Dommt]

We originally bought in Mexico from a Mexican company. It has changed hand a couple times since.

In looking over our contract, it is with a Mexican Company out of Mexico City. There is wording in there that they entered into an agreement for administrative and billing with Resort Communications Inc. a consumer credit organization in Ca. that will manage, follow up, and collect of accounts opened by the buyer for the purchase of a share issued by Club Regina.
So we definitely bought in mexico from a mexican company. What happened after Starwood and Raintree entered I don't know, but we never signed anything or "upgraded" when these companies made their offers. (to rebuy what we already owned).

 

[Dommt]

We have club Regina prime. 47 weeks avail. Floating time. No Christmas Easter or thanksgiving.

2 bedrooms which can be split into a studio and a one bedroom with studio so it can be made into 2 weeks.

 

[DonnaD]

I certainly would go the TUG way 1st.

I am at Club Regina in PV for next 8 weeks. I have helped several members gift their memberships to people who are happy to take them. No charge for my help. If I understand your posts, you have a 2 bedroom prime time which is considered Platinum member. What are your maintenance fees?
Are you willing to pay transfer fee? I have 2 other people whom I am helping also and both are willing to pay the transfer fee of about $499. You can email me at donnadanne@yahoo.com.
DonnaD.

 

[Dommt]

I am at Club Regina in PV for next 8 weeks. I have helped several members gift their memberships to people who are happy to take them. No charge for my help. If I understand your posts, you have a 2 bedroom prime time which is considered Platinum member. What are your maintenance fees?
Are you willing to pay transfer fee? I have 2 other people whom I am helping also and both are willing to pay the transfer fee of about $499. You can email me at donnadanne@yahoo.com.
DonnaD.

Donna, I will give it some thought. We are not certain what direction we will go at this point. MF are $1,459.00. Ridiculously high. I get 39 points when I split it to deposit in RCI. they don't refer to us as Platinum or any other. We're kind of black sheep. We have not paid the MF. They are due Jan 28. I am not anxious to throw any more money at it. Dom

 

[PamMo]

Dommt, I feel your pain, but if DonnaD can find someone, it's a great way to get out from under those never ending MF's. I've been awed by her ability to find new owners for Tuggers' unwanted timeshares in Mexico.

 

[Dommt]

For sure, Thanks for everyones input. It is appreciated. Just a lot to process. We are also considering using our 2019 time at our home resort. That would put this off another year. Dom

 

[DonnaD]

For sure, Thanks for everyones input. It is appreciated. Just a lot to process. We are also considering using our 2019 time at our home resort. That would put this off another year. Dom

Dom, using your membership is best solution. If you use it as a one bedroom unit, you could stay week and a half or so. Check in on a Sunday, you could stay 22 nights. It takes 10,000 points for a Friday and Saturday night and 6000 points per week night which gives you 10 nights plus the weekend for a total of 12 nights. That amounts to $121/night in a beachfront condo. That seems reasonable to me.
Maybe you are not using your points to your best advantage. If I can be of help, let me know. Come to Puerto Vallarta and enjoy our beautiful resort, the great staff and members here. It is my Mexican family! And our snowbird flock is very friendly.