[2009] White Sands Waikiki Resort Club

[Blackwhat]

Can you provide address's for BB's mentioned

I would like to send a message to one or two of the BBs you mentioned. Blackwhat

Like all of you, this special assessment infuriates me. I am very frustrated and a little mad at myself for being suckered in by Prefered Equities.

I have written to Celebrity Resorts, the BBB for FL and HI, and the AG for FL and HI. No real response from anyone yet...

I also posted on Celebrity Resorts "contact us" form. I stated that in reviewing my contract from PE's, there is not provision for a special assessment and increases to the annual assessment are only allowed if the property financials have been managed prudently. Since they amditted that they failed to do their due diligence when the purchased the bankrupt block of business, prudent does not seem to apply here.

In addition, the contract states that written complaints will be acknowledged in writing within 20 business days of receipt. As of today, they have not responded to my initial letter and so technically are in default on the contract. The provision goes on to state that the formal response must be provided within 60 business days and during that time, the company is not allowed to report any negative information to any consumer reporting agency.

This did generate a response from Cookie Bodison, who was forwarding my communication to the "research" department. Supposedly, I will receive some type of response in 7-10 days.

Interestingly enough, I have not received any calls regarding the SA not being paid, but I am probably toward the end of their very long list of people to call...

 

[jlr10]

This did generate a response from Cookie Bodison, who was forwarding my communication to the "research" department.

I had correspondence with Cookie Bodison at Celebrity in regards to our Hanalei Bay ownership. She responded to "Mr. Robinson." She provided no help, only stated she had no idea who we were unless I provided them with their account number, which was what I was requesting in the first place. Anyway...I responded to her email and also stated I was "Mrs. Robinson." She sent another reply to "Mr. Robinson." When called on it her only response was "Sorry for the typo." Once is a typo, twice is someone who is overworked or just doesn't care. From the tone of the emails I vote for the latter. Good luck. It seems like you are going to need it.

 

[rachel1998]

I just went to look at my weeks I have deposited with RCI and my week at White Sands has been deleted from my available weeks. I will call RCI tomorrow. Has anyone else who hasn't paid the special assessment have this happen to them?

 

[JeffW]

I was wondering if they would try to do that...

 

[rachel1998]

What should I do now. I paid my MF months ago and deposited my week with RCI. Don't I have the right to use my week. RCI probably already exchanged my week with someone. That person might have used the week already. That doesn't seem right that a last minute letter giving us a month to pay a SA would be legal.

 

[JeffW]

That brings up a very interesting situation. Assuming the situation rachel1998 described, is it right that they would allow an RCI exchanger to occupy your unit, but not you?

I would think to avoid situations like this, it should be RCI's policy to not allow previous deposits (valid at the time of the deposit) to be subsequently revoked. Otherwise you get into unfair situations like this.

Jeff

 

[DK09]

rci weeks

looks like celebrity is starting to play some dirty pool.
Comes down to the fact that you paid your maintenance fee but you can not use your weeks unless you pay, a catch 22, which puts them in a good position to get your money for the s.a. I still wouldn't pay.
keep us updated
IF you already paid your maintenance fee and they won't let you use your week, they owe you the maintenance fee back.

 

[JeffW]

What I posed to RCI in an email:

I have a general space banking question. For an owned week, suppose the resort's annual fees are up to date, and the unit is banked with RCI. Subsequently, the resort starts a special assesement fee. I understand that the resort will likely not allow further deposits with RCI unless this fee is paid.
However, does anything happen with previously-deposited banked weeks? Can the resort cancel the spacebank previously done?

I'll see if they provide a real answer.

 

[rachel1998]

I will call RCI tomorrow and ask that very question. I am really angry at this. This is blackmail. I still have no intention of paying the money.

 

[Blackwhat]

Special Assessment

If you review the special assessment line items you will note that all of the five or six items listed refer to bad bebt of one sort or another. The one that really gets me is the one that refers to "projected additional deficit" in the amount of one million plus dollars. Who is doing all the projecting and what happens if it is incorrect. Do we get a refund. That would be a laugh. What happens to the hotel income that they will be raking in when many owners fail to pay. They have probably collected the annual dues from many members and the hotel receipts should cover the assessment short fall. They at the least owe the members aa explanation much more detailed than that provided in that mickey mouse letter which accomanied the SA billing.
Management has failed miserably in its duty to manage the financial affairs of the membership by not getting the bad debt off the books over the years.
Blackwhat

 

[DK09]

real estate taxes

could someone help me out with the real estate tax amount for celebrity waikiki
In the proposed budget they sent with our maintenance fee 2008, they list real estate taxes as $150,000.00 for the year. If I go to the web site for city and county of honolulu public access for property tax information they show the property taxes are $26,000.00 THe resort is assessed at 2,102,000.00. Where is the other 124,000.00 from ??


http://www.honolulupropertytax.com/...bmnu=Values&pin=260210290000&cp=1&tp=2&Data1=

 

[DK09]

celebrity tax listing

don't know if this matters but they are listed on the tax rolls as a hotel and resort apartment

 

[Blackwhat]

Hotel and Resort

That is great detective work if correct. In California the property tax is usually about 1.15 percent of the purchase price and then goes up about 2 percent per year.
I do not have any idea of the value of the White Sands property but if the same ratio were applied as in California 26,000 dollars in tax would put the value of White Sands at about $2,260,869. (thats 2 million plus change)
On the other hand if the budget figures are correct then the value of the property would come to about ten million dollars based in California's rates. Not being familiar with Hawaiian real estate that is about as far as I can go.
BlackwhatThe disclosure statement we received on signing our contract specifically states that it is a Hotel and resort apartment as opposed to a condo project. Blackwhat

 

[DK09]

budget figures

It scares me to think that they have been charging us for property taxes on what they think the place is worth and not on what the actual and legal tax assessment and tax bill are. By the way the resort is now late in payment and thus has accrued additional interest and penalties.

 

[Blackwhat]

property tax question

DK, I will forward your input to RICO in Hawaii. I have looked at the web site you mentioned and find the info very strange compared to our billings for property taxes over the past several years. I now have a Case number and hopefully that will expidite their interest. Blackwhat

 

[rickandjenn]

Well, I heard back from the AG and BBB today. Neither feel that they can help, based on our original contract. I am still waiting to get a formal response from Celebrity, but with the BBB's unwillingness to intervene, this does not look good.

The grace period is up on Tuesday...

 

[Blackwhat]

see DK09 message regarding taxes

You need to read up on the web site posted by dk09 this date and check the property tax records that imply that we may be on to something regarding inconsistancies within the budget proposals over the past several years..

 

[DK09]

office of consumer protection

Has anyone filed a complaint with the office of consumer protection in hawaii?
Could be another way as celebrity has been very deceptive with a lot of things and also they will no longer let us use our time through the end of the contract-even though we paid our maintenance fee
I know some have filed complaints with Rico but didn't know about the OCP-go to their website, sounds like a very powerful tool for us

http://hawaii.gov/dcca/areas/ocp/consumer_complaint/

 

[rickandjenn]

As "owners" aren't we privy to all of the tax information on file in HI? I did try to find the tax information on HI's property tax site, but there is no information provided. I will call tomorrow and see if I get anywhere...

 

[rickandjenn]

Yes and I have not had any response... I did get responses from the AG and BBB in FL. (see previous post...)

 

[DK09]

tax info

As "owners" aren't we privy to all of the tax information on file in HI? I did try to find the tax information on HI's property tax site, but there is no information provided. I will call tomorrow and see if I get anywhere...

go to the site previously listed or here it is again

http://www.honolulupropertytax.com/...bmnu=Values&pin=260210290000&cp=1&tp=2&Data1=

it is the city and county tax site and lists assessed values and tax details from 2001 to present.

 

[Blackwhat]

go to the site previously listed or here it is again

http://www.honolulupropertytax.com/...bmnu=Values&pin=260210290000&cp=1&tp=2&Data1=

it is the city and county tax site and lists assessed values and tax details from 2001 to present.

In addition to the property tax question I would like an explanation of how we needed $59,000 for compuer and software expense. It might be due to a network required at the hotel desk but still deserves an answer.
If the property tax question proves to be what most of us think it does then we might think about a restraining order on Celebrity and the Assoc. from pursing collections prior to an explanation. Blackwhat

 

[DK09]

Queen Emma Land Lease

Does anyone have any ideas on how to find out what Celebrity pays each year for the land lease (Not the amount on the maintenance fee bill ) I am assuming it is with the Queen Emma Foundation.

 

[Blackwhat]

lease expense

I suggest a letter to the Queen Emma Land Co.
1099 Alakea St. Ste 100
Honolulu, Hi 96813

As a member indicate you are concerned with the amount in proposed budget and would like verification.

 

[Blackwhat]

Another Budget Question

I have to wonder about the revenue collected for Rental and Other income, At $62,590 that comes to about $172 a night if one unit was rented each night of the year. The question that needs to be answered is how many weeks or nights are rented out of the 1000 unsold units and how are these rents allocated in relation to the other rents collected.
I guess we are getting down to the fact that we are all suspicious of Celebrities ability to be trusted.

PS The property tax inconsistancy question has been mailed to RICO with supporting documentation.
Blackwhat