[2015] ARDA-ROC Voluntary Contribution on Annual Bill

[Jason245]

Here is a copy of the letter

It is nice to know that the letter ADMITS that they are funded by DEVELOPERS.

My suspicion is true. It is a SHAM PAC controlled by developers with owners only being included via small donations as a means to make it seem like it lobbies for more then developer interests.

"one million plus vacation owners,developers, and managers"

The goal to "Enhance the vacation purchase" says it all too...

Also, what are they doing lobbying on immigration reform? how does that relate to timeshares?

 

[Larry M]

Also, what are they doing lobbying on immigration reform? how does that relate to timeshares?

Umm, less expensive labor for maintenance, landscaping, and housekeeping?

 

[vacationhopeful]

A little hard to change over TS units when your labor force was picked up in a raid by INS?

 

[bankr63]

Foreigners must opt out

Just wanted to add that foreigners MUST opt out of paying the ARDA-ROC contributions. It is illegal for foreigners to contribute to a US PAC; don't want us meddlesome Canadians impacting US legislation!

I am always surprised to see the contribution on my MF statements year after year. You would think that the resorts would realize that they are inducing me to break the law. Since they mail my Statements to Canada every year, they should know that I am most likely not a US Citizen. I often wonder what the percentage of foreign ownership is and how many of these are paying the dues.

 

[dioxide45]

Just wanted to add that foreigners MUST opt out of paying the ARDA-ROC contributions. It is illegal for foreigners to contribute to a US PAC; don't want us meddlesome Canadians impacting US legislation!

I am always surprised to see the contribution on my MF statements year after year. You would think that the resorts would realize that they are inducing me to break the law. Since they mail my Statements to Canada every year, they should know that I am most likely not a US Citizen. I often wonder what the percentage of foreign ownership is and how many of these are paying the dues.

I think it is illegal for ARDA-ROC PAC to accept contributions from foreigners. I don't think they would target the foreigners for making the contribution but rather the PAC for accepting the contributions. It would be a violation of campaign finance law.

Here is some information from the Federal Election Commission.

The Prohibition
The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) prohibits any foreign national from contributing, donating or spending funds in connection with any federal, state, or local election in the United States, either directly or indirectly. It is also unlawful to help foreign nationals violate that ban or to solicit, receive or accept contributions or donations from them. Persons who knowingly and willfully engage in these activities may be subject to fines and/or imprisonment.

I believe that Westgate got in trouble with this a few years ago. Timeshare companies shouldn't be including the contribution on the MF bill for anyone with a non US based address.

 

[theo]

Who says that ARDA is a "PAC", anyhow?

Just wanted to add that foreigners MUST opt out of paying the ARDA-ROC contributions. It is illegal for foreigners to contribute to a US PAC; don't want us meddlesome Canadians impacting US legislation!

I am always surprised to see the contribution on my MF statements year after year. You would think that the resorts would realize that they are inducing me to break the law. Since they mail my Statements to Canada every year, they should know that I am most likely not a US Citizen. I often wonder what the percentage of foreign ownership is and how many of these are paying the dues.

I claim no knowledge or position in this particular arena, but I am nonetheless prompted to wonder if ARDA is, in fact, even a "PAC" in the first place (in the eyes of applicable law). To be clear, I have no use whatsoever for ARDA and am certainly not in any way waving their flag and I don't "contribute" to them.

Clearly, ARDA is developer supported and developer oriented as an "association", with private interval owners being merely an afterthought (...if indeed of any thought at all). Just as clearly, ARDA quietly exerts influence in legislative matters of concern (i.e., benefit) to developers, as plainly witnessed in the recent (and quite shameful, IMnsHO) timeshare-related legislative debacle in Florida. Just the same, I have to wonder (but do not claim to know) if ARDA, in fact, actually qualifies as literally being a "Political Action Committee", legally speaking. I certainly dunno --- but am frankly a bit dubious.

 

[dioxide45]

I claim no knowledge or position in this particular arena, but I am nonetheless prompted to wonder if ARDA is, in fact, even a "PAC" in the first place (in the eyes of applicable law). To be clear, I have no use whatsoever for ARDA and am certainly not in any way waving their flag and I don't "contribute" to them.

Clearly, ARDA is developer supported and developer oriented as an "association", with private interval owners being merely an afterthought (...if indeed of any thought at all). Just as clearly, ARDA quietly exerts influence in legislative matters of concern (i.e., benefit) to developers, as plainly witnessed in the recent (and quite shameful, IMnsHO) timeshare-related legislative debacle in Florida. Just the same, I have to wonder (but do not claim to know) if ARDA, in fact, actually qualifies as literally being a "Political Action Committee", legally speaking. I certainly dunno --- but am frankly a bit dubious.

According to the letter in post #25, they do refer to ARDA-ROC as a PAC.

 

[theo]

According to the letter in post #25, they do refer to ARDA-ROC as a PAC.

Right you are. I missed and did not open that PDF postscript in post #25, but having now done so it seems quite clear --- PAC it is.

 

[dioxide45]

Here is a 2010 article where ARDA-ROC PAC was fined by the FEC, in part for accepting contributions from foreign nationals.

 

[taterhed]

Ok. Guess I'll drop that 'voluntary' contribution next year. Wonder if I call they would drop it this year (already paid) Marriott.

 

[dioxide45]

Ok. Guess I'll drop that 'voluntary' contribution next year. Wonder if I call they would drop it this year (already paid) Marriott.

Not sure if you can get a refund if the fee has already been paid. Is that what you are asking?

 

[taterhed]

Not sure if you can get a refund if the fee has already been paid. Is that what you are asking?

don't think it's processed yet....but yes

 

[Maple_Leaf]

Just wanted to add that foreigners MUST opt out of paying the ARDA-ROC contributions. It is illegal for foreigners to contribute to a US PAC; don't want us meddlesome Canadians impacting US legislation!

Actually, it is my understanding that it is illegal for ARDA-ROC to solicit contributions from Canadians. However, it appears to be resort management that is soliciting money from Canadians on behalf of ARDA-ROC, some more aggressively than others. I am not certain that this is illegal but if my HOA is in the federal hoosegow soon I guess I'll know.

 

[palmtree7339]

Florida Timeshare Owners Group bans ARDA from attending all future meetings.

Good minds can agree to disagree. And I do disagree with SueDonJ here.

Any good that ARDA/ROC does for owners it does for developers ten times over. Its allegiance is with the developers, as is the rest of ARDA. I feel that they want devised ARDA/ROC so they could show us how concerned they were about us owners, and then maybe they could get some money out of us, too.

$5. isn't that much, you say? When they started extorting (oh, my bad, make that collecting) on the maintenence bills, it was $3. not $5. And $5. is a lot of money, even if only half a resort's owners pay, when the resort has, say 100 units. That's 5000--5100 unit weeks. Lets say half pay, that's $1250. Not that much, but many of the resorts asking are much bigger.

None of the smaller resorts seem to wamt ypu to pay, but all of the biggest ones do. And many of them are not an "add on," but you can cross if off it you want. Some don't even make that easy, have you asked why?

I didn't buy my timeshare to be coerced into extra payments like this, and I do feel the way it is billed by many is coercion. I won't ever pay it. And I don't think any informed timeshare owner should.

Fern

Would like to add that our organization, FTOG, unanimously voted to ban all representatives of both ARDA and ARDA-ROC from future attendance, as well as serving as Guest Speakers, at our two meetings per year, due to ARDA's substantial financial backing and promotion of the recent revisions in the 2015 Florida Timeshare Act, which were strongly opposed by all timeshare owners organizations here in Florida, due to the fact that this legislation was blatantly favoring Florida developers, and significantly harming the legal protections of owners and future owners of timeshare property within our state. The National Timeshare Owners Assn. and The Villages Timeshare Club also vehemently opposed this injurious legislation, which was rammed through the state legislature and enacted into law this past summer.
So, in effect, any timeshare owner who donated $5 to ARDA & ARDA-ROC, has financially supported the developers interests over the interests of their own, fellow timeshare owners, and all future purchasers.
Simply put, ARDA & ARDA-ROC do not represent the interests of the timeshare owner public, and it's about time that this be totally recognized.
Frank Debar, Chairman. Florida Timeshare Owners Group. tsownersgroup.com

 

[arnief]

Does everyone pay the voluntary ARDA? [MERGED]

I know it's only $5.00 but just curious. I had an accountant who always unchecked the box for us to contribute $1.00 for the donation to the election contribution.

 

[Jason245]

I know it's only $5.00 but just curious. I had an accountant who always unchecked the box for us to contribute $1.00 for the donation to the election contribution.

I don't pay. They don't support owners so I don't support them.

 

[presley]

I never pay it for any of my timeshares and they all put it on the bill.

 

[falmouth3]

I do not pay the ARDA, but I do pay the presidential $1. It does not add to your tax burden.

 

[artringwald]

I stopped paying once I found out what it was.

 

[PigsDad]

I have never paid it.

Kurt

 

[csxjohn]

I do not pay it.

Summer Bay Orlando did not include it in my bill this year so I did not have to opt out.

 

[linsj]

I have never paid it.

Kurt

Me neither.

 

[GrayFal]

Nope

 

[Passepartout]

I subtract it from the billed amount and send the check.

 

[dioxide45]

Lengthy discussion over in the Buying, Selling, Renting forum