RCI Suspended Eagle Village Tamiment

[LisaC]

I spoke with Jennifer at Resale Closing, LLC in May to get my sons names off one of my deeds. They are a real-estate firm outside Stroudsburg. They have been in business 10 years. I checked up on them on BBB. She said they have been doing deedbacks, title transfers etc for EV since the other lawyer who had been doing it retired. She charged 265.00 to take the names off, notify EV and record the new deed. She said for deed backs to the POA, it is closer 2600.00, which is industry standard. When you deed back, POAs always ask for compensation to try to cover lost MF s for a couple of years. Their fee is still 265.00 regardless. It's the best thing to do. No lawyer middleman telling you he will get you out of your timeshare, and then charging you an additional fee to simply contact this firm and do the exact same thing. Resale Closing is not one of those exit companies. It is a closing firm. 2600 may sound high, but 2 years of MFs and a possible assessment would cost the same. But at least you would be done.

I don't think $2,600 would be bad to get out of it. I am so concerned about assessment and MF's. I would love to get this done ASAP.

 

[LisaC]

I think they are readily taking back deeds. It's all through Resale Closings. You don't even have to contact EV and ask. The company contacts Sara Davidison, informs her and then sends her the records. Nia in the office says she has seen the paperwork and checks being recorded. Try calling the number
It was easy, simple and done in 2 weeks. Of course you MFs will have to be paid prior to a deedback. I think this is a way to circumvent Concord. Which would be fun to do , of course...

This sounds like a great way to get out of it. I have tried contacting them and waiting for a return call. Is anyone else planning on doing the deed back also?

 

[natalia]

Great points.

1. It sounds like they have a new management team, based upon what they're saying their Facebook post, pasted below.

This is just conjecture, but they're probably going to use the divide and conquer method so that each manager is in charge of a different aspect of the site based upon their skills, interests, and experience. For example, they might have a customer satisfaction manager, a building and grounds manager, a general manager, a social media manager, a housekeeping manager, etc. Some managers may have to take on multiple roles.

It seems like they will be integrating some of the existing staff into their employee structure, according to their latest Facebook post.

2. The q&a on their Facebook account appears to have the most nuanced answers. They seem to be primarily focusing on what they can do to keep the property open and continuing to produce income, then they're going to look at the budget and can get back to owners on how the new changes will affect us.

They seem to be answering questions on their latest Facebook post as best as they can for now while they're setting up their organizational structures and systems.

Below is their August 9th, 2024 referenced post:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Exciting New Beginnings at Eagle Village Resort!

We’re thrilled to share some transformative news that marks a new chapter in the story of our beloved resort! We understand that recent times have been challenging, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigated through a period of uncertainty and limited resources.

Over the past two decades, and more specifically in recent years, Eagle Village Resort has faced difficulties due to dwindling ownership and funds, leading to a period of disrepair for our properties and grounds. We are deeply grateful for your continued support and patience during these times, and we want to thank you for standing by us.

Exciting News: New Management and Renovations!

Eagle Village Resort is now under new management as of July 2024! This change marks the beginning of a rejuvenation process that will restore our resort to its former glory and beyond.

Our new management team has already initiated property cleanup efforts around the resort and the entry road. Watch the first installment of the progress video here.

We are currently preparing detailed budgets and receiving contractor bids for renovations. Our team is committed to enhancing every aspect of our properties and grounds, ensuring that your experience at Eagle Village Resort will exceed your expectations. During this approximately two-year renovation phase, please bear with us as we diligently work to improve our facilities. We will remain open throughout the renovations, and while you might notice some temporary mess, we assure you that the end result will be well worth it.

Improved Communication and Management Systems

In the coming weeks and months, we will transition to a new communication and customer/owner relationship management system to facilitate regular and efficient communication with you. Over the next month, we will also be updating our phone system. In addition, our new website will go through several updates, much like our physical property, and will eventually introduce modern online owner profiles, direct bookings, and more.

Please understand that the resort phones have been overwhelmed with questions recently. We request your continued patience as we set up the new system, transition the current staff, and integrate the new management team.

Ownership Transfers and Assistance

Some owners have expressed interest in leaving the ownership group. While we hope everyone will stay with us through the renovation process, we understand that some may have questions about completing timeshare ownership transfers to family, friends, or through private sales. For assistance with estate or divorce matters, name changes, and removing/adding names to timeshare ownership, or transferring your deed back to the owners association or the new management company, the new management company suggests you contact Resale Closings. ResaleClosings can be reached at (610) 863-1581 or Frank@ResaleClosings.com.

Thank you once again for being part of our community. Here’s to new beginnings and an exciting future ahead!


Warm regards,
The Eagle Village Resort Team"

Thank you.
I will say after reading the latest from EV it does sound encouraging.
I am hoping that all these plans come to fruition.
In regards to future maintenance fees and or special assessments we should be hearing about this in four short months.
I will wait and see before making any final decision concerning my obligations to my timeshare membership.

 

[natalia]

I see they are bidding out for contractors. I hope they have experience in selecting contractors. Some contractors can be so corrupt. They can make false promises, sign a deal, then subcontract out cheap, inexperienced labor to do the job with minimal supervision. They find backend ways to double or triple their initial "estimates" when they open a wall and say, "we never expected this, were going to have to do a change order." then they write a recurring sequence of wildly expensive new contracts during the whole process with the same excuses to get more money. It can be a money pit if contractor selection and ongoing management of them isn't done carefully. Hopefully, they'll be on top of this potential major capital expense.

Hopefully there is or will be an experienced staff in place to ensure that all renovation/construction issues are handled in a professional, legal and ethical way.

 

[194725RR]

Thank you.
I will say after reading the latest from EV it does sound encouraging.
I am hoping that all these plans come to fruition.
In regards to future maintenance fees and or special assessments we should be hearing about this in four short months.
I will wait and see before making any final decision concerning my obligations to my timeshare membership.

I agree.

 

[LisaC]

Is anyone going to do the deedback process?

 

[194725RR]

Is anyone going to do the deedback process?

Personally, I don't have enough facts to make this decision yet. I might take this route, but I need to know if EV is setting up a group deedback deal with their recommended processing company, when the property will be reinstated with RCI, what our maintenance fee will be and if it will be stabilized for any period if time, what (if any) assessment there will be, and what "renovation" means and looks like after units are renovated (ie, are the mattresses, textiles, and carpets 45ish years old and stained after the renovations, is old plumbing being replaced with PEX and PVC?), and what the grounds and new service levels will look like. Hopefully, they will be transparent and forthcoming on a regular basis.

 

[MOWYN]

We are in the middle of doing a deedback. Resale Closings sent us a document that transfers our week to Eagle Village and releases us from any future claims. We had to sign it with a notary. We just mailed it with a check. The money is held in escrow until the deedback is complete. Then the money goes to Eagle Village.

When I talked to Frank at Resale Closings a couple of weeks ago he told me that he had had a meeting with John Oaks the day before. He was told that there would be a special assessment and an increase in maintenance fees next year.

 

[194725RR]

We are in the middle of doing a deedback. Resale Closings sent us a document that transfers our week to Eagle Village and releases us from any future claims. We had to sign it with a notary. We just mailed it with a check. The money is held in escrow until the deedback is complete. Then the money goes to Eagle Village.

When I talked to Frank at Resale Closings a couple of weeks ago he told me that he had had a meeting with John Oaks the day before. He was told that there would be a special assessment and an increase in maintenance fees next year.

Thank you for this information. Can you share what you're out of pocket cost was for the deed back?

 

[slarney77]

I feel they got nerve owners are paying maintenance fees in good faith ,they let us down they should do the right thing take the deed back if people choose to do that for the cost of the transfer, As owners don't we have a say

 

[natalia]

We are in the middle of doing a deedback. Resale Closings sent us a document that transfers our week to Eagle Village and releases us from any future claims. We had to sign it with a notary. We just mailed it with a check. The money is held in escrow until the deedback is complete. Then the money goes to Eagle Village.

When I talked to Frank at Resale Closings a couple of weeks ago he told me that he had had a meeting with John Oaks the day before. He was told that there would be a special assessment and an increase in maintenance fees next year.

As I mentioned recently an increase in maintenance fees and a special assessment is going to present further challenges.
I believe it will very difficult to justify this with current Time Share owners.
I am interested in exactly what the current salaries are and who the individuals are that are employed at EV.

 

[Sammy1234]

As I mentioned recently an increase in maintenance fees and a special assessment is going to present further challenges.
I believe it will very difficult to justify this with current Time Share owners.
I am interested in exactly what the current salaries are and who the individuals are that are employed at EV.

Any idea what he means by a special assessment in way of dollar amount? I think we should be charging them an assessment fee for the money we paid for maintenance and said maintenance was not being done. If a lot of people do a buy back, how will Eagle village ever survive. As far as John Oakes using this property for wedding venues, how many people get married in the pocono's anymore? There was also mention of him using it for people to stay at after the concerts at his venue. I have no idea, but does anyone know if those concerts draw a big crowd. As far as wanting to know the employees salaries, you can do a right to know.

 

[slarney77]

Any idea what he means by a special assessment in way of dollar amount? I think we should be charging them an assessment fee for the money we paid for maintenance and said maintenance was not being done. If a lot of people do a buy back, how will Eagle village ever survive. As far as John Oakes using this property for wedding venues, how many people get married in the pocono's anymore? There was also mention of him using it for people to stay at after the concerts at his venue. I have no idea, but does anyone know if those concerts draw a big crowd. As far as wanting to know the employees salaries, you can do a right to know.

I feel they are going to raise fees to force ownership abandonment for a purpose only they are aware of

 

[MOWYN]

Thank you for this information. Can you share what you're out of pocket cost was for the deed back?

We paid $2500.

 

[MOWYN]

I feel they are going to raise fees to force ownership abandonment for a purpose only they are aware of

When Frank at Resale Closings talked to John Oak he said that he didn't have any numbers for what the special assessment would be. He also said the maintenance would increase "significantly."

 

[slarney77]

As owners what is our recourse to special assessment or a significantly raise is it something that is voted on is John Oak now on the board or a owner now

 

[natalia]

Will be waiting to hear from the Board of Directors.
If we are going to expect an increase in maintenance fees and a special assessment, this information should have been communicated immediately to the members by the Board of Directors.
I assume as with their last statement they will wait until January or later.
Thankfully we have Time Share owners that are part of this forum and are able to share this news with us.
Thank you to those members that have and continue to provide us with these updates along with investigating this entire situation.

 

[nellevad]

According to their Facebook page, they are working on a detailed budget. Expect to see that around November. Typically, assessments are sent out to timeshare owners in November. They will probably notify us of the new MF then, too. They should allow us to pay the assessment in installments. That is industry norm. John Oakes cannot be on the board because he has not been elected. MFs and assessments are determined by the owners who are elected to the board. Non-board owners don't have a say in that process. It appears to me that John Oakes is operating like Capital Vacations Management. All deedbacks appear to be going into a new LLC.

 

[194725RR]

I emailed customer service about a concern I have today. They responded that they are looking into it and if they allow me to post their reply I will provide an update. I'll let you know either way. Hopefully, they will begin providing owners direct informational updates in the near future.

"Based upon your FB posts and posts in the EV TUGGBS forum, it seems you are still sorting out the budget and how you will be structuring everything.

If you provide us needed budget and renovation information in early 2025, will you expect us to pay 2025 MF's and a possible assessment immediately or will you provide a grace period to decide? If so, and your budget requirements surpass my reasonable expectations with respect to the value of ownership and I subsequently choose to do a deedback, I would be out 2025 MF's and any assessment plus $2,500 for a DB.

Once we're informed in 2025, it would seem more ethical to allow a deedback without paying 2025 fees, or to credit them to a deedback sometime in 2025 so we don't overload Frank's ability to process them near the time of received information.

If the new MF's and possible assessment surpass my perceived value of the property once we are notified and you expect 2025 MF's, and assessment, and deedback fees (which mostly go back to you) it would seem like price gouging.

I want to wait and give continued ownership a chance, but this is concerning to me.

Please advise at your earliest convenience. "

 

[nellevad]

Very nicely outlined question. Shows that we, as owners, are between a rock and a hard place.

 

[slarney77]

Can John oak get majority control if so what use would the board or a vote be?

According to their Facebook page, they are working on a detailed budget. Expect to see that around November. Typically, assessments are sent out to timeshare owners in November. They will probably notify us of the new MF then, too. They should allow us to pay the assessment in installments. That is industry norm. John Oakes cannot be on the board because he has not been elected. MFs and assessments are determined by the owners who are elected to the board. Non-board owners don't have a say in that process. It appears to me that John Oakes is operating like Capital Vacations Management. All deedbacks appear to be going into a new LLC.

 

[Saworkman01]

It does appear the "deed backs" are going to a new company. A holding company also managed by John Oakes and I will assume ultimately owned by The Oakes Group. We need to obtain a copy of the full agreement since it is executed now. The recording only contains the 3 pages shown below.

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[natalia]

It does appear the "deed backs" are going to a new company. A holding company also managed by John Oakes and I will assume ultimately owned by The Oakes Group. We need to obtain a copy of the full agreement since it is executed now. The recording only contains the 3 pages shown below.

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Thank you for sharing.
Now I’m not really sure what to think.

 

[slarney77]

Sounds like a back door way to get a hotel or rental

 

[nellevad]

Bushkill Property Owners looks to also be connected to John Oakes company. This group is listed as owning the lake front area opposite the rec center, to the north of Phase 2, several acres. Its address is 265 Tom Ridge Dr, same as the new Bushkill PA eagle Village, LLC and Poconos Park. When I look at the video, it is shown briefly, and it looks like they are clearing it. Maybe our own lake front access? It was transfered to this company in 2022, when the Tamiment Hotel lawsuit was finally settled. I feel that John Oakes has been in the background for a while with plans to create a versatile vacation, music venue. His plans on a RV park, and offering chalets, a lake , a pool, would only increase the draw. I don't think this is a bad thing for us. I suspect his ownership will increase as people deedback. Our POA might even being going to deed him a group of units in payment for spending millions on the renovations that benefit us all. Our POA will then be able to rent or lease the other ones for a good amount. That would help to srablize our MFs. In the end we will be a very small timeshare community (800?) in the midst of a versatile vacation Resort. That can only increase our unit values, both on the real-estate market and RCI points. I'm holding on to my units till after renovation is complete. I just rented my one in August. Next year should be easier with partial renovations done. I crunched some hypothetical numbers. If I pay MFs, and assessment, they renovate, and then I sell, I get those back. If I deedback now, it costs 2500, and it's over. I am going to wait and see. It's the bottom now. No where else to go but up.