Anyone else upset with assessment from Tamarack @ WI Dells?

[jperkins]

I am amazed I haven't seen anyone else on this forum mention the recent assessment handed out by Peppertree at Tamarack in Wisconsin Dells. The assessment was about 1/2 the annual maintenence fee's and was not due to any unforseen catastrophe.

Three weeks ago I sent the below letter to the HOA addressing my displeasure. Of course no one has responded. How does everyone else that own at this resort feel??

_________________________________________________________________

Dear Peppertree at Tamarack Board Members,

I am appalled at the size, administration, and application of this so called “special assessment”.

First and foremost I cannot fathom how our resort could have developed a shortfall of $11,700 ($225 X 52) for each and every unit in the entire project!! I could understand it if there had been some catastrophe or there was a major renovation that caused this shortfall, but I can think of no other scenario under which our HOA could have come up this short. Was everyone asleep at the switch or what?

I also feel that a better explanation regarding this situation is in order. What were the causes? How will we prevent this from happening in the future? I know there are numerous interests and ownerships in the resort. Were all parties assessed equally?
I am no expert in financial statements but looking at the financial information you have provided I cannot see where this assessment is in order. It looks like Operating Expenses were less than Total Revenues for the 2005 year!

Secondly I want to discuss your handling and administration of the “special assessment” payment. How can any of you in good conscience, send a payment request allowing approximately 10 days for payment to be received or a late fee will be charged. Even the “robber” credit card companies give you 20 days before assessing late fee’s. The late fee is in excess of a 10% penalty and the cost to pay in installments is even worse! This all seems very punitive. Why wasn’t the assessment due at the same time we normally pay annual maintenance fee’s? At least then we would only have to deal with payments to the HOA once rather than twice.

I understand that you have chosen not to raise the maintenance fee’s for the upcoming year. How can this be possible? Aren’t we setting ourselves up for another “special assessment” next year? If the maintenance fee’s are not sufficient to cover operating and maintenance costs then they should be raised to levels that are self sustaining. If the dues need to be raised to the point that ownership is not economically feasible then a decision needs to be made as to whether this is a viable operation.

I am enclosing the proxy cards for the upcoming annual meeting. Unfortunately I can not vote for any of the existing board members as I feel they have not kept the best interests of the owners in mind and have allowed the financial situation at the HOA to get out of control.

It is my intent to dispose of my ownership at Peppertree at Tamarack even if it involves a substantial loss. I currently own 7 other timeshares, none of which are having similar problems.

Needless to say I am very distressed and disappointed over the handling of this “special assessment” and intend to make public my displeasure on many of the timeshare forums that are available to me. Timeshares User Group (TUG), Timeshares Today, Redweek, and Bidshares to name a few. Your actions will not go unnoticed.

 

[gbvaassen]

I own at Peppertree. I wasn't happy with the assessment, but compared to another experience I've had, I'm not all that upset. I say that because I also have a week at Island Links, Hilton Head Island where our maintenance fee for 2005 was over $700. On top of that, we had a special assessment of over $1,200. At least Peppertree has a legitimate Home Owners Association with a legitimate Board of Directors to oversee the finances. All things considered, Peppertree is not a bad deal.

 

[RonaldCol]

Assessments? We don't need no "steenkin" assessments.

We had $100 assessments last year or maybetwo years ago at Christmas Mountain Village, Wisconsin Dells, WI, for the new indoor pool building. Not that bad but if you own several ownerships, then it adds up.

I look at the ongoing cost of timeshare ownership and always conclude that hotel room rates are going to creep up also.

 

[Tom52]

I was wondering about Tamarack

It is interesting that you posted about the special assessment. I have seen a marked increase in the number of units for sale on ebay during the last few months. I thought perhaps it had something to do with the severed relationship with Fairfield but maybe it is due to the special assessment as well.

On the ebay auctions I have seen it looks like a summer red week might be selling now for about $1,000 but the owners can't give away an off-season week.

 

[brucecz]

Tom, it might appear to some that Fairfield used that resort for huge profits and then Fairfield left the owners holding the bag on Special accessments.

Considering that our basic CMV UDI Oak Timbers maintenance fees have not gone in 4 years that special asccessment of $100 when we only had 5 UDI's was not so bad.

The CMV UDI Cottages maintenance fees have gone up about $57.90 in those last 4 years so even if you only got 3 reservations a year out of your Cottage UDI your maintenace fee increase per reservation was under $20 over the last 4 years.

I think in the last four years The Housekeeping fees for the CMV UDI Oak Timbers has went up per reservation up by $5 for the CMV UDI TImbers and $3 for the CMV UDI Cottages.

I noticed on redweek the cheapest CMV UDI Oak Timbers is listed for $12,000 and RonalCols $15,000 CMV Oak Timbers was not listed yesterday on Redweek when I looked unless I somehow over looked his listing.

Does it seem that it is really getter harder to find for sales of either types of "pure" or "Blended" CMV UDI OAk Timbers?

I have never seen a CMV UDI Oak Timbers on ebay and only 3 CMV UDI Cottages in the last year. I that Tom52 got and one I picked up a bargin prices.

I have seen some crazy asking prices in the last as high as $23,000 for CMV UDI Cottage but it will not sell IMHO at anywere near that asking price.

Bruce

It is interesting that you posted about the special assessment. I have seen a marked increase in the number of units for sale on ebay during the last few months. I thought perhaps it had something to do with the severed relationship with Fairfield but maybe it is due to the special assessment as well.

On the ebay auctions I have seen it looks like a summer red week might be selling now for about $1,000 but the owners can't give away an off-season week.

 

[Willowbrook]

Does it seem that it is really getter harder to find for sales of either types of "pure" or "Blended" CMV UDI OAk Timbers?
Bruce

I think I mentioned to someone on the board that last year when I was looking to buy, I was offerred a UDI cottage for $3,000, a UDI Timbers for $8,000, and a summer week Villa for $5,000. I offerred $3,000 for the the Villa and bought it because I liked the size and layout. The others I didn't make an offer but assumed they would have taken less since that was their starting price.

In my opinion what keeps the value down is the number of reasonably priced rentals available. Why buy if you can rent for around the price of maintenance without any risk or capital invested.

 

[brucecz]

Last year the CMV UDI's for sales seemed easier to find as there were about 6 CMV UDI's listed for sale on Redweek about a year ago compared to the just one UDI I saw listed the other day on Redweek unless I missed a listing or two.


The Villas are very nice units and we stay in them during high red CMV summer weeks for less than 1/2 of your maintenance fees. Advantage to the CMV UDI over the CMV Villa.

If that was a "Pure" Cottage UDI I would have jumped on it instead of the Villa as I have a decent understanding of the dynamics of a UDI in regards to the many monatary economic and exchanging advantages and various usage oppertunities that a "pure" UDI can offer compared to a CMV Villa or any other single week ownership.Advantage to the CMV UDI over the CMV Villa.



But, IMHO you made a $$$ mistake as your one week costs you about $450 in maintenance fees while we have used $48 to $50 UDI white weeks for RCI exchanges for fourth of July CMV Villa weeks and RCI Points to stay in those Villas in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Our total costs ranged of from $179 to $249. Just on these 4 fourth of July weeks we saved about than $1,000 compared to your costs to stay in the Villas. Advanage to the CMV UDI over the CMV Villa.



On the 2006 week our sons family is using a Villa but because it is in RCI Points exchange there was no $49. cost for a Guest Certicacate.Advantage to the CMV UDI over the CMV Villa.



Yesterday using RCI Points from one UDI we booked a early summer week 2007 at the Baileys Harbor Yatch Club in Door County, Wisconsin and a Feb 2006 snowmobiling week in a 3 bedrooom, sleep 8 unit and still have over 100,000 possable RCI Points to grab with that one UDI ownership. A single Villa ownership can not reasonably exspect do that with a single week deposit.Advantage to the CMV UDI over the CMV Villa.



Villa's are very nice units but it is a IMHO huge mistake but to try and justify their purchase compared to a UDI for the same price in regards to over all value, savings per week used and usage flexiability. IMHO dollar for dollar cost wise and value wise the Villas can not come close to a CMV UDI.Advanage to the CMV UDI over the CMV Villa.


In regard to cheap rentals a CMV summer Villa average summer rental goes for about $750. We will avaerage almost 2 summer rentals out of each "pure" CMV UDI Cottage or CMV UDI Oak Timbers plus getting a white week or two rental out of each CMV UDI ownership plus other weeks to use for exchanges, airfare, etc.Advanage to the CMV UDI over the CMV Villa.


But one of the huge overlooked advantages of a CMV UDI is as follows, You should be able to reserve at least 6 white weeks per year off of each "Pure" CMV UDI. Those 6 white weeks would cost less that $300. Those 6 white weeks have a value of 67% of a CMV red week on the RCI Genaric Point chart.

So those 6 white weeks = 4 red weeks at a cost of only $75 per redweek for exchange purposes compared to your $450 CMV Villa week maintenance fee cost which is 6 times more per red week.Advantage to the CMV UDI over the CMV Villa.



We all have differant timesharing goals and the CMV UDI's IMHO beyond any reasonable doubt help us reach those overall goals more effectively cost wise, choice wise, etc than any other type of timeshare ownership could.Advantage to the CMV UDI over the CMV Villa.

IMHO the CMV UDI holds many of the same advantages over the Bluegreen Points.


Bruce

I think I mentioned to someone on the board that last year when I was looking to buy, I was offerred a UDI cottage for $3,000, a UDI Timbers for $8,000, and a summer week Villa for $5,000. I offerred $3,000 for the the Villa and bought it because I liked the size and layout. The others I didn't make an offer but assumed they would have taken less since that was their starting price.

In my opinion what keeps the value down is the number of reasonably priced rentals available. Why buy if you can rent for around the price of maintenance without any risk or capital invested.

 

[Willowbrook]

But, IMHO you made a $$$ mistake as your one week costs you about $450 in maintenance fees while we have used $48 to $50 UDI white weeks

I think you said it best when you said "We all have different timesharing goals".

 

[brucecz]

Agreed.

Bruce

I think you said it best when you said "We all have different timesharing goals".

 

[Willowbrook]

I found the files (see links below) I used last year to calculate whether purchasing a UDI would be worth it to me and how I would use it. The numbers are calculate for the number of units you could reserve from CMV per year from 1 to 10. I've updated a few of the numbers to reflect the new RCI points cost for Jan. 1.

I made some assumptions to make the numbers easier to deal with so Bruce don't beat me up on the numbers.

Two things are apparent.
- The more volume you deal with the more your costs go down (pretty obvious).
- A mix of renting and PFD would be much better than just renting or just PFD


Assumptions
[*]Purchase price of $8,000 for Timbers and $3,000 for Cottage
[*]I included cost for lost capital income of the principle @ 10% rate
[*]I did not include any cost for the personal time involved to get weeks and to rent them
[*]I made some guesses on the rental income assuming some weeks would go unrented
[*]The calculations in this example assume you are not using any of the CMV weeks
[*]I used a 1 to 1 ratio for weeks added to weeks grabbed from Points. I know this wouldn't be the case, but it made the math easier.
[*]The calculations assume you could get 10 Timbers in a year which may not be the case.
[/list]

Timbers:
http://www.sharemation.com/xythoswfs/webui/_xy-3564562_files
Cottage:
http://www.sharemation.com/xythoswfs/webui/_xy-3564563_files

 

[brucecz]

I am very impressed with the work you put into to your charts. I think you covered it very well.

You have few slight errors that are not major. They are the Oak Timbers housekeeping fees are $50 per reservation and the yearly maintenance fees are $657.90 for the "Pure"UDI Cottages and $680 for the 'Pure"UDI Oak Timbers. Add about $121 for the "Blended " UDI yearly Bluegreen Points Club Dues but not to the "Pure" UDI's without the Bluegreen Points.

Also the $99 RCI Points membership fee would be paid when you join RCI Points to be able to have your RCI Points resort become useable for RCI Points so it is not a direct cost caused by the UDI's but by the RCI Points resort membership.

In 12 months in 2004 with more restrictions regarding in booking reservations with on our first "Blended" UDI Oak Timbers ownership with 9,000 Bluegreen Points compared to our "Pure" UDI Oak Timbers. We booked 16 reservations which on 3 of them we cancelled to grab better dates so we ended up with 13.

So I feel your projected 10 reservations reserved per year is a very reasonable amount to exspect if you are a bit on the ball.

IMHO I think the non ebay Cottage prices paid are a bit higher.

IMHO for people who are going to stay at the resort several times a year the higher cost of a UDI Oak Timbers may be worth it to them if they take advantage of the free golfing and skiing which can be a very big savings.

The other thing is puting a worth on the weeks someone uses to stay at CMV. We have had no problem renting out at least one red summer week per UDI Cottage and Oak Timbetrs ownership over the last 3 years. Last year we got $589 and $689 per summer full week. The summer larger, etc 2 bath Oak Timbers units IMHO and experiance rent out easier and faster the Cottages.

I would will email you as a email attachment of the Bluegreen printout mentioned above we received from Bluegreen for that single ownership but with the new Tug email setup I do not know how to send it as a emailmail attachment. If you care to send me a direct email at judybruce@wi.rr.com and then can send you that email attachment.

Again I would like to say that you did a excellant calculation with in limited information that you had. I would be more than happy during a phone conversation to fill in a few blanks.

But for most people the UDI Cottage should be the most cost effective UDI that would involve the lease amount of work but if you want to go to CMV a couple times a year and you or your family golf or ski then a UDI Oak Timbers may be a better overall long term cost effective choice.

Bruce

I found the files (see links below) I used last year to calculate whether purchasing a UDI would be worth it to me and how I would use it. The numbers are calculate for the number of units you could reserve from CMV per year from 1 to 10. I've updated a few of the numbers to reflect the new RCI points cost for Jan. 1.

I made some assumptions to make the numbers easier to deal with so Bruce don't beat me up on the numbers.

Two things are apparent.
- The more volume you deal with the more your costs go down (pretty obvious).
- A mix of renting and PFD would be much better than just renting or just PFD


Assumptions
[*]Purchase price of $8,000 for Timbers and $3,000 for Cottage
[*]I included cost for lost capital income of the principle @ 10% rate
[*]I did not include any cost for the personal time involved to get weeks and to rent them
[*]I made some guesses on the rental income assuming some weeks would go unrented
[*]The calculations in this example assume you are not using any of the CMV weeks
[*]I used a 1 to 1 ratio for weeks added to weeks grabbed from Points. I know this wouldn't be the case, but it made the math easier.
[*]The calculations assume you could get 10 Timbers in a year which may not be the case.
[/list]

Timbers:
http://www.sharemation.com/xythoswfs/webui/_xy-3564562_files
Cottage:
http://www.sharemation.com/xythoswfs/webui/_xy-3564563_files

 

[auntieb46]

I've been a member at Peppertree since 1990. This is the first assessment that I can remember. My only objection is there wasn't a detailed enough reason. Since I also trade my week, I always support proper funding so the units have high trading value.

 

[Kaiopect8]

Could you please help with a rookie question: A timeshare at Tamarack is listed on eBay, and indeed the renovation fee shows up: ebay item #160237936776. But it IS listed as a "Fairfield," so I'm confused by the comment in posts #4 and #5 that the relationship was severed. Does this mean that owners are no longer part of the Fairfield Points system, despite what the listing says?
Thanks!

 

[janapur]

It is no longer Fairfield or Peppertree. I called the resort today, as I just won a week 27 on ebay for the rediculous price of $105.50 no closing costs, and was told they are in fact Fesitiva. She answered the phone as Tamarack. I asked "are you no longer Peppertree at Tamarack?" To which she explained that we were sold to Festiva.


Jana

 

[rickandcindy23]

This is in Fairfield points, so it should stay Fairfield points.

 

[Kaiopect8]

Wow! So, does that mean that you can't use the Fairfield points which I assume your listing suggested? I'm off to present the question to the Seller of the current eBay listing #160237936776.

 

[rickandcindy23]

It is no longer Fairfield or Peppertree. I called the resort today, as I just won a week 27 on ebay for the rediculous price of $105.50 no closing costs, and was told they are in fact Fesitiva. She answered the phone as Tamarack. I asked "are you no longer Peppertree at Tamarack?" To which she explained that we were sold to Festiva.


Jana

How can an older resort get "sold" to Festiva. It's the property of the owners, not of the management company, which happens to be Festiva. I am concerned about this because I am thinking of a purchase at another resort that is currently managed by Festiva, an older resort as well. Festiva claims to own the resort there too.

So I think this is a good question for the HOA, who had to decide to affiliate with Festiva somehow.

 

[JLB]

Not so good.

Worse.

Worser.

Only Wastegate is left.

As far as Festiva goes, I posted a comment from a Branson Stormy Point employee about them.

It is no longer Fairfield or Peppertree. I called the resort today, as I just won a week 27 on ebay for the rediculous price of $105.50 no closing costs, and was told they are in fact Fesitiva. She answered the phone as Tamarack. I asked "are you no longer Peppertree at Tamarack?" To which she explained that we were sold to Festiva.


Jana

 

[rickandcindy23]

Maybe the management company was sold to Festiva. But the owners can change management. I hope they do at Blue Ridge Resort.

 

[janapur]

How can an older resort get "sold" to Festiva. It's the property of the owners, not of the management company, which happens to be Festiva. I am concerned about this because I am thinking of a purchase at another resort that is currently managed by Festiva, an older resort as well. Festiva claims to own the resort there too.

So I think this is a good question for the HOA, who had to decide to affiliate with Festiva somehow.

I wondered and asked the same thing, clearly trying to correct the resort rep, "so you mean that Festiva now manages the resort?"

No, she insisted that they bought it. I didn't push it any further.

 

[janapur]

Not so good.

Worse.

Worser.

Only Wastegate is left.

As far as Festiva goes, I posted a comment from a Branson Stormy Point employee about them.

I know, but I have very limited options in the Dells. I have to start studying Bruce's approach with UDIs.

On the brighter side, the location is fabulous. Reviews are pretty good. Maybe I can resell it at the pool!

 

[CharlesS]

Who owns what.

I wondered and "asked the same thing, clearly trying to correct the resort rep, "so you mean that Festiva now manages the resort?"

No, she insisted that they bought it. I didn't push it any further.

It is my understanding that "we owners" own our unit/week and we may or may not, through the HOA, own the pool, the clubhouse, the surrounding land, etc. If it is the latter, then only Festiva could build new units (if allowed by the original plan), an indoor water park, etc.

The units sold when by Fairfield when Fairfield owned the resort should still stay in the Fairfield system and probably are reserved through Fairfield and maintenance fees paid to Fairfield.

Charles