[2013] I am hoping to get on the Board at Barrier Island Station Duck

[Fayeoctober]

I am using this thread as a way of communicating with TUG members who might be owners at Barrier Island Station Duck in North Carolina. I have posted on the Barrier Island Station Duck Facebook group but that only includes an estimated 2% of the owners. My attempt to get the Email addresses of all the owners was turned down and I imagine it is a privacy issue so I understand that.

However, when I suggested that owners might be asked in advance of our annual meeting if they were interested in running for the Board in order that people could see their bios in advance of the meeting and before they sent their proxies in, I was turned down on that as well. The Marriott Manor Club sends out bios of people running for office along with the letter notifying members about the annual meeting so members can make an educated decision before voting. The BIS group didn't want to do that.

So to get my message across to more people than just those on Facebook, I am letting TUG people know that I intend to run for the Board at BIS Duck and will be present at our annual Owners Meeting on Saturday, October 19. If anyone here is interested in my qualifications, please let me know and I will forward them. My goal is to get Barrier Island Station Duck back to at least Silver status with RCI in the next few years and ultimately back to Gold Crown status. The resort has a wonderful location on the beach in Duck but suffered from too many years of mismanagement. While things are changing now that SPM is on-board, the changes are coming a little too slowly.

Thank you for reading this.

 

[Fayeoctober]

I am hoping to get on the Board at Barrier Island Station Duck

I am also curious if there are any Owners at BIS Duck who also post on TUG?

Really looking for help in trying to get my message across and trying to get some new blood on the board. I remember when Carolinian posted about this board being controlled by the Developer for a long period of time.

 

[stugy]

We are owners but will not be at the meeting....
Pat

 

[Fayeoctober]

Stugy - If you can't attend the meeting then please try and send in the card, and if you want to see some changes there, please make me your proxy. A number of members have been on the board for quite a long time, and I think some change is helpful. I am looking to get the resort back to the level it once was, and I think some increase in the maintenance fees beyond the 1 or 2% of recent years is necessary to do this. Not looking for a big increase but 1 or 2% really isn't enough. Based on an article in Reuters, BIS Duck maintenance fees are significantly below the National average.

 

[csxjohn]

Faye, as you know I was able to arrange a rental for a friend at your resort in July. They loved the area but asked why the place looked so neglected. I didn't have an answer but I think it shows that change in leadership is needed there.

It seems one of the 1st changes that needs to be made is the way the elections are handled.

Good luck in your efforts.

 

[Egret1986]

We bought our first timeshare at BIS in 1984

We are still owners at the resort. I have been hopeful over the years to see this resort get back to where it once was. I also agree that an increase in maintenance fees or a special assessment will be required to move things along. I was there last year. The unit definitely was in desperate need of some updates and repairs. However, we so enjoyed our stay that we bought a couple of additional units since that stay.

It was a positive, to me, when SPM became the management company. But, as you stated, things are moving slowly.

"However, when I suggested that owners might be asked in advance of our annual meeting if they were interested in running for the Board in order that people could see their bios in advance of the meeting and before they sent their proxies in, I was turned down on that as well. The Marriott Manor Club sends out bios of people running for office along with the letter notifying members about the annual meeting so members can make an educated decision before voting. The BIS group didn't want to do that."

I don't get this. I own at many different resorts, and receive the Bios of folks running, along with my proxy. Sounds like they want to keep the status quo. I support your efforts. You have encouraged me to consider attending the upcoming meeting in October. Since I consider BIS my true home resort (because we have been owners most of the last 29 years and it was our first ownership), you may have also encouraged me to take more of an interest in what's going on there.

 

[biswassb]

Hello Faye,

I think you will be a good member of the board. The problem is I am not planning to attend and I lost the card. Is there another way like email or electronic to vote for your? Thanks

Sam

 

[Fayeoctober]

I am hoping to get on the Board at Barrier Island Station Duck

Egret1986 - If you want to see some change at your home resort, the best way to do so is to attend the meeting. That is much better than sending in proxies which generally go to the President of the Board who has some stake in wanting things to stay as they are. She has been on the Board since the beginning. I am not sure where in Virginia you live, but it is likely to be closer than the distance I am traveling which is Pennsylvania.

biswassb - Sam - I would encourage you to attend the meeting in person but if you can't and you have lost the proxy card, then I suggest you go on the SPM Resort website; find the section for Barrier Island Station owners; and telephone the contact at SPM and ask for another proxy card. If you need information on an Email for the contact; let me know in a reply. If you are a member of the Barrier Island Station Duck Facebook group, I have posted the current contacts information on Facebook.

Also I would encourage any TUG member who is a BIS Duck owner to join the Facebook group that has been set up.

Finally, those who haven't attended Owners Meetings in person may not realize that the attendees are usually those who live close by or retired individuals (like myself) who have the time now to attend the meetings. Most of the attendees at these meetings don't want to see maintenance fees raised at all, even when they need to be, because they are on a fixed income. Most of the attendees believe that keeping the maintenance fees down is more important than getting the resort back to where it should be. I don't agree with them. We need people who want to get the resort back to where it should be to attend the meetings.

I will get off my soapbox now. If you have any questions, I believe in being honest and you can contact me here or at FayeD1@aol.com. Thanks.

 

[Fayeoctober]

I am hoping to get on the Board at Barrier Island Station Duck

I appreciate those TUG members who have taken the time to reply. I am not sure how many of you are also on the Barrier Island Station Facebook group, but for those who aren't we did have a post from our new contact at SPM
- Jeff Lessey - his contact information is jlessey@spmresorts.com and he is a Vice President there who is new to us but has been connected to timeshare management for at least 25 years.

I have been advised that the Owners Facebook page isn't appropriate for campaigning. I understand that but am presented with a dilemma in terms of how to reach people. I appreciate the opportunity that TUG provides.

I did talk to Jeff on the phone today and mentioned to him the proposal made two years ago regarding Bios of people interested in running for the board. He was somewhat surprised that BIS was operating that way. Since a number of you may be surprised as well I am copying a portion of an Email sent to me by Lori Penna (the administrative assist. to our previous SPM VP, in reponse to some questions I raised. I am putting Lori's response in Bold Italics to distinguish it from my original question.


"Third - this was requested before and I am requesting it again and, accordingly, will copy all the members of the board on this. It seems that if the by-laws do call for mail-in proxy votes to be counted, that there needs to be a way to solicit nominations for the board well in advance of the meeting, ask those people to provide biographies, include those biographies in the letter that announces the meeting, and give the more than 5,000 unit weeks the opportunity to cast their votes for board members. [I]In response to your request for same at the 2011 Annual Meeting, this item was placed on the agenda of the April 28, 2012 Board Meeting. Following a lengthy discussion, it was the consensus of all Board members, to keep the current voting process in place. [/I]

 

[csxjohn]

I appreciate those TUG members who have taken the time to reply. I am not sure how many of you are also on the Barrier Island Station Facebook group, but for those who aren't we did have a post from our new contact at SPM
- Jeff Lessey - his contact information is jlessey@spmresorts.com and he is a Vice President there who is new to us but has been connected to timeshare management for at least 25 years.

I have been advised that the Owners Facebook page isn't appropriate for campaigning. I understand that but am presented with a dilemma in terms of how to reach people. I appreciate the opportunity that TUG provides.

I did talk to Jeff on the phone today and mentioned to him the proposal made two years ago regarding Bios of people interested in running for the board. He was somewhat surprised that BIS was operating that way. Since a number of you may be surprised as well I am copying a portion of an Email sent to me by Lori Penna (the administrative assist. to our previous SPM VP, in reponse to some questions I raised. I am putting Lori's response in Bold Italics to distinguish it from my original question.


"Third - this was requested before and I am requesting it again and, accordingly, will copy all the members of the board on this. It seems that if the by-laws do call for mail-in proxy votes to be counted, that there needs to be a way to solicit nominations for the board well in advance of the meeting, ask those people to provide biographies, include those biographies in the letter that announces the meeting, and give the more than 5,000 unit weeks the opportunity to cast their votes for board members. [I]In response to your request for same at the 2011 Annual Meeting, this item was placed on the agenda of the April 28, 2012 Board Meeting. Following a lengthy discussion, it was the consensus of all Board members, to keep the current voting process in place. [/I]

I remember from the days that I owned a TS in North Carolina that our board was not following NC law in regards to meetings and things like that. It took a threat of legal action from an owner attorney to get them to fall in line.

You have a big task ahead of you and must first find out with the resort docs say and what NC has to say. Of course those on the board will not want to get into the 21st century.

 

[Maple_Leaf]

Good Luck

We passed on a summer week here several years ago in favour of a summer week in Hilton Head at a resort with much better governance. I hope you are successful in getting the HOA to spend a bit of money to remediate the problems with the property. The location itself is great.

 

[Fayeoctober]

I am hoping to get on the Board at Barrier Island Station Duck

Maple Leaf - thank you for the comment.

 

[Fayeoctober]

I am hoping to get on the Board at Barrier Island Station Duck

Wanted to bump this up and also to say that the unit we are staying in this week (RCI Exchange) seems very nice with some updates, but the burgundy carpet remains. The Internet service has been spotty at best and can be very frustrating at times. Want to continue to encourage any TUGGERs who are owners at BIS Duck to try and attend the meeting in person.

 

[Fayeoctober]

Bumping this up. Internet connection here is slow. Please try and get to meeting or consider giving me your proxy. Many members of this board have been on too long.

 

[Laurie]

Good luck, hope you can make this happen.

It's my favorite resort and location on the OBX. I've exchanged in, and I'm sure I will again. I once bid (what I thought was a substantial amount) on a summer week - for my own use, which I have never done before, or since - only to be outbid. I would love to see your vision be realized.

 

[timeos2]

There is no valid excuse not to send out the proxy ballots with candidates bios. Even the most backwards operation of 20 years ago could handle that. Today it should be mailed as well as being available on line. And not allowing a Facebook page for a campaign? What world are these people living in? They need some fresh thinking on that Board that's for certain.

Sent proudly from my Samsung S4 and Tapatalk

 

[Fayeoctober]

I am hoping to get on the Board at Barrier Island Station Duck

I am hoping for some legal assistance. An earlier poster said the following:

" I remember from the days that I owned a TS in North Carolina that our board was not following NC law in regards to meetings and things like that. It took a threat of legal action from an owner attorney to get them to fall in line."


I am not a lawyer. My daughter is but she practices in another state and is currently very busy with an IPO. I have checked the by laws and find no mention one way or another about bios being mailed out in advance of an Owners Meeting. I don't know how to check NC law with regard to timeshares and when I do a Google search the main thing that comes up is how to get out of a timeshare.

I am hoping someone can provide some link or hints on how to get information regarding North Carolina rules and regulations with regard to timeshare boards? Please help me!

 

[Joe33426]

I am hoping someone can provide some link or hints on how to get information regarding North Carolina rules and regulations with regard to timeshare boards? Please help me!

I'm more familiar with Florida Statutes, but I found the attachment after doing a Google search for "North Carolina Time Share Act".

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/

You can also search the above website, keyword "Time Share", for some reason NC sees that was two words.

I did a quick look at the attachment and not much to the law, not like Florida that has extensive laws for condominiums, timeshares, HOAs, etc.

Good luck!

 

[Fayeoctober]

I am hoping to get on the Board at Barrier Island Station Duck

Thank you Joe. I didn't see anything there regarding this particular issue but I appreciate your time and if anyone else has anything to offer, thanks in advance.

 

[csxjohn]

Faye, I'm going to look through my papers in the next 2 days to see if I kept anything at all on the issues we had at our resort in NC. We gave that unit away a while ago and I may not have kept anything.

I can't even remember the exact issues that were being fought over but NC law kept being quoted by both side of the argument.

 

[Fayeoctober]

Thank you CSXJohn.

 

[Egret1986]

Special Assessments coming to the resort

Dear Fellow Barrier Island Owners:

As you are aware, our buildings are in dire need of renovation, both exterior and interior. The exterior issues are severe, including foundations, roofs and decks. These items are at the point of becoming safety issues and will affect the resort’s ability to operate. In addressing these issues, several factors have to be considered:

Time Frame
Cost
Affordability

Financial Considerations, including the current cost of “band-aiding” the issues and the financial strength of the association after completion of this major project. The exterior work has to be done soon, or we risk injury, safety, and in time, being condemned by the local government.
Cost and affordability go hand in hand. As with any project, the question of how to pay for it is important. Options include raising maintenance fees, a special assessment, or a bank loan. The option to increase maintenance fees would increase your annual payment by almost 70%. The Board is not in favor of this option since experience has proven, once maintenance fees increase,the fees almost never go down. A special assessment alone, paid over time to make it affordable, would mean that the work could not be paid for fast enough to prevent substantial structural problems.

Obtaining a bank loan and paying it back over time from the proceeds of the special assessment would allow us to perform the necessary work over the next 2 years, while providing our association with an affordable payment plan.
Once we commit to the mandatory exterior work, the unit interiors still need attention. If only the exteriors are refurbished using funds from the bank loan and special assessment, it may be difficult to obtain additional funds for the interiors.

Your Board of Directors has considered all of the above factors, and then some. We’ve sliced this pie a dozen different ways, and feel that we’ve arrived at a solution that balances the needs of the property, the desires of the owners, and affordability.

Our plan would address the exteriors over the next two years, starting this winter. Upon completion, residual funds remaining from the special assessment would be applied towards some of the unit interiors as needed.
Over time, the units themselves have become a bit of a hodge-podge, as items in desperate need have been replaced, but not full interior renovation. This means that each unit has different needs. Our plan includes designating approximately $6,000 to $8,000 on the individual unit’s interior needs.

In order to do this work, the Association will have to initiate a bank loan, which would be paid back over a three-year period. Each owner would be assessed an amount ranging from $1,200 to $1,400. In order to help with affordability, owners will have the option to pay this amount in
three installments, over three years, in addition to the Annual Maintenance Fee. The special assessment would be due in June or July of each year and will be separate from the yearly maintenance fee payment due on January 1st.

All of this will be discussed in further detail at the Annual Homeowners’ Meeting scheduled for Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. at the Black Pelican Restaurant in Kitty Hawk. If you are unable to attend, feel free to email questions and comments to the following email address:
bisreno@spmresorts.com and we will address any questions to the best of our ability.

The Board thanks you for your contribution to the resort over the years. Please join us in returning Barrier Island Station to a world class resort. We look forward to putting a bright new face on Barrier Island Station at Duck!

Sincerely,

Your Board of Directors
Barrier Island Station, Duck

************************************************

I've owned at the resort since 1984. No one likes special assessments, but it is a necessity with this resort. It's a mess right now.

Unfortunately, I just began the sale last week of one of my units there. Since the closing just started, I feel I need to email the letter to the buyer and let him determine if he still wants it. He's new to timeshare ownership. Probably not.

It should be an interesting annual meeting this weekend.

 

[csxjohn]

Dear Fellow Barrier Island Owners:

As you are aware, our buildings are in dire need of renovation, both exterior and interior. The exterior issues are severe, including foundations, roofs and decks. These items are at the point of becoming safety issues and will affect the resort’s ability to operate. In addressing these issues, several factors have to be considered:

Time Frame
Cost
Affordability

Financial Considerations, including the current cost of “band-aiding” the issues and the financial strength of the association after completion of this major project. The exterior work has to be done soon, or we risk injury, safety, and in time, being condemned by the local government.
Cost and affordability go hand in hand. As with any project, the question of how to pay for it is important. Options include raising maintenance fees, a special assessment, or a bank loan. The option to increase maintenance fees would increase your annual payment by almost 70%. The Board is not in favor of this option since experience has proven, once maintenance fees increase,the fees almost never go down. A special assessment alone, paid over time to make it affordable, would mean that the work could not be paid for fast enough to prevent substantial structural problems.

Obtaining a bank loan and paying it back over time from the proceeds of the special assessment would allow us to perform the necessary work over the next 2 years, while providing our association with an affordable payment plan.
Once we commit to the mandatory exterior work, the unit interiors still need attention. If only the exteriors are refurbished using funds from the bank loan and special assessment, it may be difficult to obtain additional funds for the interiors.

Your Board of Directors has considered all of the above factors, and then some. We’ve sliced this pie a dozen different ways, and feel that we’ve arrived at a solution that balances the needs of the property, the desires of the owners, and affordability.

Our plan would address the exteriors over the next two years, starting this winter. Upon completion, residual funds remaining from the special assessment would be applied towards some of the unit interiors as needed.
Over time, the units themselves have become a bit of a hodge-podge, as items in desperate need have been replaced, but not full interior renovation. This means that each unit has different needs. Our plan includes designating approximately $6,000 to $8,000 on the individual unit’s interior needs.

In order to do this work, the Association will have to initiate a bank loan, which would be paid back over a three-year period. Each owner would be assessed an amount ranging from $1,200 to $1,400. In order to help with affordability, owners will have the option to pay this amount in
three installments, over three years, in addition to the Annual Maintenance Fee. The special assessment would be due in June or July of each year and will be separate from the yearly maintenance fee payment due on January 1st.

All of this will be discussed in further detail at the Annual Homeowners’ Meeting scheduled for Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. at the Black Pelican Restaurant in Kitty Hawk. If you are unable to attend, feel free to email questions and comments to the following email address:
bisreno@spmresorts.com and we will address any questions to the best of our ability.

The Board thanks you for your contribution to the resort over the years. Please join us in returning Barrier Island Station to a world class resort. We look forward to putting a bright new face on Barrier Island Station at Duck!

Sincerely,

Your Board of Directors
Barrier Island Station, Duck

************************************************

I've owned at the resort since 1984. No one likes special assessments, but it is a necessity with this resort. It's a mess right now.

Unfortunately, I just began the sale last week of one of my units there. Since the closing just started, I feel I need to email the letter to the buyer and let him determine if he still wants it. He's new to timeshare ownership. Probably not.

It should be an interesting annual meeting this weekend.

One of my resorts is doing a renovation starting this winter. The place is no where near the bad shape yours is in but it it still time for an upgrade. They are taking a similar approach, a four year loan and are increasing the reserve amt by $100 for the next couple of years.

We have been paying about $100 a year into the reserves fund so a large SA won't be necessary.

I don't feel the amt your resort is talking about is excessive and if you present it to your buyer as a good thing for the future of the resort, he may still go ahead. It is a nice area but the resort looks pretty run down according to a friend of mine that I helped arrange a rental for there this summer.

 

[Egret1986]

I look forward to Fayeoctober's thoughts on this

I'm not part of Facebook, so there may be rumblings over there.

While owning two, maybe three, units at the resort means a hefty upcoming bill that was not expected (it should have been; a long time ago); I believe this is way overdue.

Outer Banks Beach Club is currently the only Gold Crown in that area; yet it would never be considered Gold Crown to the average person. Timeshares on the Outer Banks are rustic; even the Gold Crown OBBC. However, Barrier Island Station in Duck is way past rustic.

We were there in 2012 for a June weekend getaway provided by a kind TUGGER wave. The unit had the same furnishings, color schemes, appliances, rugs, fixtures, TVs, etc. from when we purchased in 1984

There was a rotting exterior door that did not lock. It was overall shabby. Was I excited to be there? You betcha. I was in Duck, on the Outer Banks, in "potentially" the best resort on the Outer Banks. It's 2 hours away from my home, but a world away, where I have been going for 45+ years. I will never own a vacation home on the OBX (nor do I care to, at this point). My timeshares afford me the opportunity to vacation at a favorite location. My maintenance fees afford me the opportunity to do so without the worries of maintenance, grounds keeping, daily resort upkeep and unit cleaning. That's not happening.

I support the assessment, but I am interested in lots more details.

I am glad the Board was considerate and provided this letter prior to this Saturday's meeting. I am curious if a USPS mailing was also sent out. I wonder if this will encourage more folks to come out to this meeting.

 

[Laurie]

That sounds imminently reasonable to me - as a non-owner, but as a maybe wannabe someday.

If this passes, they'll need a plan to deal with non-payers/foreclosures efficiently, because there will be some ... so I'd be asking about that.