Notice of special assessments- Grande Vista and other Florida MVCs??? [edit: Consensus is it’s a hoax/fake]

[LuvScience]

Hi. I just saw this notice posted by a Grande Vista deeded week owner on Facebook. Can anyone confirm that Grande Vista (and possibly other Florida resorts) are currently under a special assessment? If so, can you tell me how this works? The fee looks very large at 3,000-4,000 per week owned. And it says it will be billed by August 1st. Do you pay this fee all at once? What is it for??? This would definitely put a hold on my plans to purchase a resale week there until I know more. Thanks for any insight!!

 

[dougp26364]

Can’t verify the validity, but FL made fully funded reserves all but mandatory. I suspect most of the FL resorts will have a lot of ground to catch up for their reserves to be fully funded.

 

[PamMo]

Oh, wow! That’s painful! A special assessment of $2,721.01 to $4,487.13 for one week of ownership? Is this for all the owners at Grand Vista? I’m gobsmacked!!!

 

[dioxide45]

I looked in my online account under the billing notices and don't see anything. I also don't see anything currently outstanding or due. What I find strange about this is that it is on old letterhead. They don't use that logo anymore and haven't for a few years. It is also very generic. Just signed "Owner Services". Usually a communication like this would come from the HOA and board president and not actually from Marriott Vacation Club. Marriott Vacation Club International doesn't issue special assessments. The Trust Owners Association would also not issue a special assessment for a specific resort. Also, why is only the resort address provided and not the resort name. MVC Trust Owner's association could issue a special assessment if it was issued special assessments from the resorts.

The wording on this looks like it is the Trust Owner's Association that is issuing the special assessment. That really doesn't make sense. Generally the HOA would issue the assessment to deeded week owners. The trust being owners of many deeded weeks. Overall the letter looks like it was written by someone who is trying to make something up vs. any actual communication that came from an official source.

I know a lot of salespeople have been trying to sell owners on points by spooking them into there being huge increases in annual fees for Florida properties. It is quite possible this is just something that a salesperson made up themselves as a sales tool. Hard to say. It certainly could be possible, but the wording on it doesn't make sense. It all reads kind of fishy.

 

[dioxide45]

What Facebook Group is this in?

 

[TUGBrian]

brutal news for many owners, and I agree its highly likely this is a direct result of the new laws enacted in florida for condos/etc.

 

[LuvScience]

It was on this thread. I really hope it’s a fake!

 

[dioxide45]

It was on this thread. I really hope it’s a fake!

View attachment 96517
View attachment 96518

Thanks. Now it is even more suspect. That screen shot includes the owner names, which I can't find on record in Orange County Florida as owning any kind of property. Let alone Grande Vista. That doesn't necessarily mean they don't. Perhaps the week is in a trust or an LLC.

It is also much more suspect based on my question and response in that group. I asked where it came from, "down the chimney". When I look at the profile of the person that posted it, it seems suspect.

 

[Jandk2011]

I'm very skeptical. That letter has Grande Vista's address as 5925 Avenida Drive but Grande Vista's address is 5925 Avenida Vista.

 

[dioxide45]

I'm very skeptical. That letter has Grande Vista's address as 5925 Avenida Drive but Grande Vista's address is 5925 Avenida Vista.

Good catch. I didn't even see that.

 

[billymach4]

Four letter word! HOAX

 

[LuvScience]

I’m sure it has to be fake. No one on the FB owners page has seen anything either. I thought it was suspicious when I first saw it but hadn’t seen anything posted here - I figured everyone would have been up in arms already.

 

[VacationForever]

If you are a member of that FB page, please report the fake report to the administrator.

 

[dougp26364]

One more reason I stick with TUG over FB groups. There is far more collective knowledge on TUG to weed out the imposters and discern fact from fiction.
At one time I joined a couple of FB groups. It didn’t take long before I left those groups. There was either too much disinformation, the owner of the group was out to make a buck or it was only a complaint page without any real information.

That said, with the new FL statutes that concern resorts cash reserves being fully funded, it’s not unreasonable to expect higher than typical MF’s until the reserves reach the level necessary to comply with the current laws. That makes the hoax more believable if you’re in a group that doesn’t have the collective knowledge found here on TUG.

 

[pedro47]

Thanks. Now it is even more suspect. That screen shot includes the owner names, which I can't find on record in Orange County Florida as owning any kind of property. Let alone Grande Vista. That doesn't necessarily mean they don't. Perhaps the week is in a trust or an LLC.

It is also much more suspect based on my question and response in that group. I asked where it came from, "down the chimney". When I look at the profile of the person that posted it, it seems suspect.
View attachment 96521

Thanks Dioxide45 for your investigation and for reporting / sharing the truth about this scam on this website.

 

[Mlvnsmly]

Good catch. I didn't even see that.

It's also a screenshot of a Word Document as you can see the name is spell checked. In addition, it says "Ownership Services" while we all know it's called Owner Services.

This was created by a scammer who doesn't own anything and wouldn't necessarily know that the inaccuracies pointed out in this thread would be wrong. Reminds me of a phishing email.

 

[Dean]

There's also no name or title on it. If it were real it would have a name and title, likely either from the BOD or GM. And it would have been in the minutes from the a previous meeting so we would have known about it prior to it being posted on Facebook.

 

[tompk]

I received my Limited Proxy letter this week regarding the MVC Trust Owners annual meeting. There is mention of voting on waiving the full funding of reserves and it sounds like Florida resorts will still be able to waive full funding of reserves if there are sufficient votes in favor of doing that. Perhaps they are able to waive full funding one last time due to the meting being in September, only time will tell.

 

[dioxide45]

I received my Limited Proxy letter this week regarding the MVC Trust Owners annual meeting. There is mention of voting on waiving the full funding of reserves and it sounds like Florida resorts will still be able to waive full funding of reserves if there are sufficient votes in favor of doing that. Perhaps they are able to waive full funding one last time due to the meting being in September, only time will tell.

I believe they can still waive fully funded reserves for certain reserve items. The new restriction just applies to structural reserve items.

 

[VacationForever]

I received my Limited Proxy letter this week regarding the MVC Trust Owners annual meeting. There is mention of voting on waiving the full funding of reserves and it sounds like Florida resorts will still be able to waive full funding of reserves if there are sufficient votes in favor of doing that. Perhaps they are able to waive full funding one last time due to the meting being in September, only time will tell.

I swear it did mention voting on waiving the full funding of reserves. You have to read the 2nd page of that.

 

[GrayFal]

Thanks. Now it is even more suspect. That screen shot includes the owner names, which I can't find on record in Orange County Florida as owning any kind of property. Let alone Grande Vista. That doesn't necessarily mean they don't. Perhaps the week is in a trust or an LLC.

It is also much more suspect based on my question and response in that group. I asked where it came from, "down the chimney". When I look at the profile of the person that posted it, it seems suspect.
View attachment 96521

Thanks for investigating.
Always scare tactics and untruths.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

In regards to the letter for Trust Points reserves, its a bit confusing but I noticed they mentioned some of the component associations may waive full funding of the reserves.. Are there perhaps some resorts/associations not covered under the new rules? I don't recall the details on the new regulations, is it triggered by building height or location, or does it cover all condo buildings?

 

[dioxide45]

In regards to the letter for Trust Points reserves, its a bit confusing but I noticed they mentioned some of the component associations may waive full funding of the reserves.. Are there perhaps some resorts/associations not covered under the new rules? I don't recall the details on the new regulations, is it triggered by building height or location, or does it cover all condo buildings?

Waiving fully funded reserves applies to all associations in Florida. However, the new rules about inspections and reserve studies applies to buildings with three or more stories. Waiving of fully funded reserves in 2025 only applies to non structural items. Structural component reserves must be fully funded.

 

[TUGBrian]

ha, that guy. all he does is advocate for an exit company.

i debunk his nonsense everywhere i see it...he is on a ton of different owner facebook pages trolling for victims offering them "legal termination"

 

[WBP]

That letter looks fraudulent to me.

That Marriott Vacation Club logo/letterhead is a few years old. I have not seen that logo/letterhead used by MVC in several years.

I don't buy it.