2010 Maintenance Fee Thread

[yumdrey]

Are they really though...or is this just another way for people to justify paying exorbitant MF fees?

For the sake of argument, I would concur that they are often nicer units...but 2-3 times nicer ( in comparison with paying 2-3 times the MFs that would be paid at Worldmark)? It seems like Worldmark owners seem to have similar trading power on RCI or II, and if they are staying at a Marriott or Starwood property, Who is getting the better deal?

I often compare what I can see on II with Worldmark (2BR) and WMH (gold plus 2BR). I can say that Worldmark has much BETTER trading power than WMH, especially after starwood changed their trading rule. The only benefit of WMH is 3 days starwood priority. When I could see Marriotts (even in Hawaii) with Worldmark, WMH could not see them.
For domestic exchanges, Worldmark has a little stronger power than WMH. For international exchanges, Worldmark is much better than WMH.
For about the MF, I pay $1,000/year for 20,000 worldmark credits (it is equal to two prime season 2BR), and I pay $1,500 PLUS real estate tax (around $140/year) for WMH.
I have never stayed at worldmark resort, but I exchanged my worldmark points to Royal Sands (summer), Westin Lagunamar, many Marriotts and DVC. So the resort quality of Worldmark isn't matter for me.

 

[Surfcat]

Typical Scum

At WKORV, where the resale value is still 4-5 times MFs the HOA should foreclose and resell the weeks. Even if they did it via a broker they should come out well ahead after commissions and foreclosure costs.

Instead what I believe has been happening is that they are renting them using Starwood. I've posted my theory on what happens here in other places, but in a nutshell after Starwood deducts a 50% commission and 7 housekeeping charges not much is left over to cover the delinquencies...

A recent report from the Board meeting this week posted in the Starwood forum says that they are planning to start foreclosing and reselling. In my view, that is good news at this resort - but let's see if they follow through.

Hawaii si trying to bankrupt themselves by taxing timehsares as residences...pure genius!

 

[zcrider]

why do our MF $$ go toward delinquent accounts?

Sorry if I should know the answer to this, but I don't see why we should be billed for other poeple not paying their MF's. They get forclosed on and the week gets resold.........the cost is recouped (probably many times over by starwood developer prices). In the mean time since that person is not using that week..........starwood rents it for a profit anyway, especially now that they keep the best weeks for themselves! This seems like pure BS to me. Why don't we fight the issue?????

 

[GeneNWendy]

Possible Class Action Suit against Westin St John

Hi Henry,

There's probably going to be a class action suit against WSJ and Starwood for the extremely high maintenance fees there. This suit could escalate to other Starwood resorts. Please send me a private message with your contact info. if you're interested in participating.

GeneNWendy

Just got the proposed Harborside maintenance bill for 2010. I was holding my breath but I knew it would be a big increase.

My 2009 bill for a 2 bedroom lockoff unit (Phase 1) was $2,485.27. The proposed 2010 bill is $2,979.24. Almost a 20% increase.

These timeshare vacations are getting more and more expensive. Oh well. It is a great resort.

 

[mariawolf]

The problem is that Starwood isn't making any attempt to do anything to the owners who don't pay their fees except not let them use their units.
According to someone at the annual meeting they aren't making any attempt to rent the units--and apparently foreclosing isn't as easy in the Bahamas.
It is likely the owners who have loans who aren't paying their fees so they wouldn't be able to use them anyway.
Something has to be done to force the Board to rent these units and pay the maintenance fees on them so we don't have to!

 

[DavidnRobin]

The thing is that they are being used by SVO by exchange or renting methods - unlikely much money making it back to the HOA. This is the real issue that needs to be exposed.

 

[Troopers]

The thing is that they are being used by SVO by exchange or renting methods - unlikely much money making it back to the HOA. This is the real issue that needs to be exposed.

My recollection is that revenue from delinquent weeks goes back to the delinquent account.

Not sure if that's exactly right but it's something like that.

 

[mariawolf]

That may in fact be the case.
However, are they using the week the owner owns or are they somehow capturing the premium weeks that are not reserved by the 10 or 8 month timeframe--that may explain why it is almost impossible for owners who own in really popular locations (Harborside or St John) can just about never book in their own season in their own resort??
I never really thought about it when I tried to reserve==but now with so many delinquent owners you would think it would be easier but it is not.

 

[naka4]

Hi Henry,

There's probably going to be a class action suit against WSJ and Starwood for the extremely high maintenance fees there. This suit could escalate to other Starwood resorts. Please send me a private message with your contact info. if you're interested in participating.

GeneNWendy

I'm another unhappy owner and very interested in participating!

 

[naka4]

Early Maintence Fee Drawing

Did anyone get suckered into paying your maintenance fees early to get into the contest? We did and I was just told by SVO that only the winners would be notified and they would not be publishing the names of the winners!

How do we know they actually awarded anything! Did anyone here?

 

[tsltsltsl]

Maui time-share taxes surge

check out the recent article in Pacific Business News (Honolulu) - by Janis L. Magin Pacific Business News

http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2010/01/25/story1.html?b=1264395600^2773301

title of article is: Maui time-share taxes surge

 

[GeneNWendy]

Please send me a private message

If you want to participate, please send me a private message with:

1. Name
2. Address
3. Contact Telephone number
4. Week(s) Owned
5. Unit(s) Owned

GeneNWendy

I'm another unhappy owner and very interested in participating!

 

[ada903]

Finally got the maintenance fee bill for 2010 for my two bedroom townhouse at Sheraton Vistana Courts. Bill due is $953.17, which is a 12% increase from last year's bill. They dropped the refurbishment fees by $402, instead of a total refurbishment fee of $2,555, now the total bill will be $2,153. I was expecting a 20% increase in the maintenance fee and no decrease on refurbishment, so I am somewhat relieved. I am wondering if they will still invite us, Courts owners, to join Starwoods when the refurbishment is completed, as they promised?

 

[DeniseM]

When/where did they make that promise? I hadn't heard that. Only Courts and not the rest of the renovated phases?

I think MF for SVR were due around Jan. 10th - when was your's due?

 

[ada903]

I have a nice printed flier from them stating clearly they are reducing refurbishment fees for the Courts for the remaining three payments; the reduction does not apply retrospectively to the two payments that were already made in 2009, but it applies to the remaining three payments: "the three remaining payments will now be in the amounts of $251.24 for villas and $376.86 for townhomes, which are reductions of $89.44, and $134.16, per payment, respectively. These amounts represent a 26.3% reduction from the originally budgeted 2010 payments. The refurbishment project fees will be billed separate from the maintenance fee and two months prior due to their due dates of May 1, July 1, and October 1.". My maintenance fee bill is due April 2, 2010, in a total of $953.17 (excluding the optional $5 for ARDA), and I own a townhome (not a villa).

 

[DeniseM]

This is the part of your statement that I was asking about:

I am wondering if they will still invite us, Courts owners, to join Starwoods when the refurbishment is completed, as they promised?

 

[ada903]

I have a printed flier they mailed when they first sent us the refurbishment dues, and it stated than upon completion of the refurbishment project, the owners will be invited to join Starwoods: "An added benefit that will be available to Courts Owners at completion of the refurbishment project is membership into the Starwood Vacation Network (SVN). Entrance into this system will open the availability of direct exchange into other SVN member resorts."

 

[DeniseM]

Thanks ada903 - in the past, some of these offers stipulated that the owner must have purchased their TS by a certain date to qualify - did your offer have a date?

 

[ada903]

No, it doesn't have any dates or other details. I bought my unit in the summer of 2008 on resale and I am the one who paid the full refurbishment fees on it, so I hope the cutoff date is not before summer 2008, that would make me very angry.

 

[DeniseM]

I hope so too, but that has sometimes happened in the past. Good luck!

 

[jerseygirl]

Hold onto your letter if you want to join (depending on your usage patterns, you could get more value trading through II or RCI points). I don't see how they could weasel out of it if the letter was sent to you (not the previous owner).

 

[jarta]

jerseygirl is right. Hold on to any letter.

And read this TUG thread: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83438

... eom

 

[ada903]

I have the paper even though it's full of my handwriting on the sides; perhaps I should scan it and post it somewhere so we can remind Starwood of their promises? Denise, is there some place we can put it if I scan it?

 

[jerseygirl]

I don't think you'll need to remind them --- it's in Starwood's best interests ($$$$) to enroll as many people as possible in SVN. They only discriminate against resale buyers as it's an effective tool in moving developer inventory for some buyers.

If there's a date on the letter, and it's after the date the deed was transferred to your name .... or if your name and address is printed on it .... you're probably fine.

 

[Ken555]

I'd love to see a copy of that letter. I spoke with several people at SVN and they refused to qualify my SVR weeks (bought in spring 08). They even said that the refurbishment "has nothing to do with admittance to the SVN program" several times to me on the phone.

Personally, I want it in the program so my travel options open up in future, assuming SVN stays around. At the moment, I'm getting much better results by using those weeks in II, though of course that's also sometimes a challenge.