Sandcastle P'town owners -Festiva

[e.bram]

The good thing is as Festiva collects deeds(not many prime weeks, hopefully)they have to pay MFs. It's harder for them to bail out than individual owners, even has club members bail out of Festiva(not pay club dues)

 

[Classylassy523]

Do you honestly believe that?

The good thing is as Festiva collects deeds(not many prime weeks, hopefully)they have to pay MFs. It's harder for them to bail out than individual owners, even has club members bail out of Festiva(not pay club dues)

Oh if that were the case then it wouldn't be so bad. Do you honestly think that Festiva is paying anything ... MFs or SAs? Why do you think Cliff won't respond to requests to check out the books? Why are deeded owners getting hit so hard with increases in MFs and then a SA that is raising almost $3 million dollars? Cliff won't even tell us how he came up with the number of 3300 owners footing the bill for the SA.

 

[Classylassy523]

Sandcastle employees are falling to the Festiva axe

Word came out today that long time employees of Sandcastle, some who have been there 10 years or more, are being summarily dismissed. Debbie in the office is one, there are 2 maintenance people and 2 more but don't know where they work. Following the history of Festiva ... this is their modus operandi .. get in, get rid of any employees who might have an allegiance with the owners, especially those employees who have been kind, friendly and helpful. Even quicker, get rid of anyone who knows the goings on behind the scenes.

Last year when I was there for my week, the employees were already nervous, and it has gotten worse. So there is a good chance when I go back this year I won't see any familiar faces, happy or otherwise. I do know that I will be face to face with Brumhilda the Hun (the Outfield greeter) who sits in the lobby grabbing owners as they check in. She is so miserable, grumpy and nasty that not one person I have talked with has had a decent thing to say about her. If there was a way to check in without going into the lobby I would do it.

 

[Classylassy523]

The King has spoken

The latest word from the King of the Castle:
Several employees were terminated recently for cause. I won't identify the employees or the specific reason why they were terminated except to say that criminal prosecution was possible.

Please notice the terminology ... was possible. Do you want to take bets on how true that is?

I wonder if these long time employees are aware of that. Sure wish I knew how to contact them and let them know what Cliff is saying about them. The state labor board might be interested also.

 

[Sou13]

Sandcastle Google Group

How do Sandcastle owners who want to join the Sandcastle Google group find you?

 

[Classylassy523]

Sandcastle Google Group

How do Sandcastle owners who want to join the Sandcastle Google group find you?

You have to contact one of the organizers and request membership. Be prepared for a ton of email unless you set yourself up for digest reports and go to the group and read the individual emails.

Check your group for an email from me ...

Jean

 

[Sou13]

What I mean is, suppose I'm a Sandcastle owner browsing the Google groups to see whether there's a Sandcastle group. I tried "Sandcastle Resort" and Sandcastle Provincetown and Sandcastle Massachusetts and Sandcastle owners and couldn't find you by doing a Google groups search!

 

[Sandy VDH]

What I mean is, suppose I'm a Sandcastle owner browsing the Google groups to see whether there's a Sandcastle group. I tried "Sandcastle Resort" and Sandcastle Provincetown and Sandcastle Massachusetts and Sandcastle owners and couldn't find you by doing a Google groups search!

Can someone invite me as well?

 

[ecwinch]

If I was going to get rid of an employee that might be a source of information for disgruntled owners after they were fired, I think I would raise the specter of criminal prosecution. Both to discourage the employee from talking and to potentially taint any information they might be able to provide.

BTW is the Sandcastle master deed around anywhere?

 

[Classylassy523]

Sandcastle master deed

It is online at the Registry of Deeds -Barnstable County
http://www.barnstabledeeds.org/

 

[Classylassy523]

Sandcastle owners group

This is the email address, but it will probably get kicked back ...

sandcastleowners@googlegroups.com

The group is called:

SandcastleOwners

http://groups.google.com/group/sandcastleowners

You will need to request membership. I have emailed the organizer and requested to post her email address here for people to request membership. You will have to provide your name, address, email address, your unit(s) and week(s).

 

[Classylassy523]

Can someone invite me as well?

Sandy, if you want to email me with your email address I will forward it to the organizer of the group and she will contact you.

Jean

 

[Sandy VDH]

Sandy, if you want to email me with your email address I will forward it to the organizer of the group and she will contact you.

Jean

I created a google group logon, but I could not find a group called sandcastleowners? Are you wrong about the name of the group?

 

[Classylassy523]

Copied it right off the screen. They probably have it set up as private or some other setting to keep from public access without permission. Just trying to control who gets on the list.

 

[Classylassy523]

Oh if that were the case then it wouldn't be so bad. Do you honestly think that Festiva is paying anything ... MFs or SAs? Why do you think Cliff won't respond to requests to check out the books? Why are deeded owners getting hit so hard with increases in MFs and then a SA that is raising almost $3 million dollars? Cliff won't even tell us how he came up with the number of 3300 owners footing the bill for the SA.

Got an answer to the 3300 owners. Cliff was quoted as saying there were 4000 owners. When questioned why the SA was based on 3300 owners, his answer: In order to be fiscally conservative, we had to factor in a delinquency factor. We currently have 3300 owner paying their maintenance fees and that's the number we project factoring in both new delinquencies and sales to new owners.

So paying owners are now held responsible for paying the share of those owners NEVS considers to be not paying. And this is before they even know who is and who isn't paying. That isn't being fiscally responsible. The Board of Trustees should be actively pursuing collection and if that fails, then foreclosure. That is being fiscally responsible. They have a collection agency in California and according to Cliff's newsletter, they are aggresivley chasing down owners who don't pay. And, shouldn't unpaid MFs and SAs be part of next years MFs. Why do we have to pay others delinquencies in advance. I would be willing to bet there is a legal problem in this. I wonder if they even sent bills to these owners they don't expect to pay, and if they did and some paid rather than face the threat of lawsuits, does that mean money will be refunded? Highly unlikely.

 

[Classylassy523]

Sandcastle deed

If I was going to get rid of an employee that might be a source of information for disgruntled owners after they were fired, I think I would raise the specter of criminal prosecution. Both to discourage the employee from talking and to potentially taint any information they might be able to provide.

BTW is the Sandcastle master deed around anywhere?

I have been able to get a copy of the Sandcastle deed. It is in 4 PDF files. If you are still interested in it, please email me and I will forward it to you.

 

[Classylassy523]

Attention - Sandcastle Owners Who Are Victims Of Outfield Marketing

Tom Mitchell, a Sandcastle owner, has an appointment on Wednesday, September 16, with the Mayor's Office of Consumer Protection which is the Local Consumer Protection Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office in Springfield. His intent is to carry information that will be useful in proving the acts of deceptive marketing carried out by the Outfield Marketing sales people.

If you turned over your deed(s) because you believed what you were told and later found it to be false, or because you were pressured or felt threatened, and now want your deeds back, contact Tom with your story. He wants as many cases as he can gather to demonstrate to the advocate that there has been deception and wrong doing.

The dealings with Outfield have to have taken place within the boundaries of Massachusetts but not limited to Provincetown. If you met with them at the resort, then Tom wants to hear about it. If they came to your home and you live in Massachusetts then send Tom your story.

If you live outside of Massachusetts, but the dealings happened in Massachusetts then Tom wants to hear from you, too.

If you know of other owners who would want to have their story presented to the advocate, please contact them and give them this information and Tom's email address

Please do this as soon as possible as his meeting is this coming Wednesday.

Tom's email address is: tominspfld@gmail.com

Thank you

 

[Classylassy523]

Sandcastle Owners Google Group

Specifically for Sandcastle owners and former owners

There is a group of owners and former owners keeping in contact and communicating among themselves ... the intent is to develop and carry out plans and programs to right the wrong that is going on at our resort.

If you would like to join this list please contact Beryl Soparkar and provide your name, address, phone number, email address, unit(s) and week(s) owned.

Beryl's email address is: BSopar@aol.com

Thank you

 

[NEVMSLLC]

Word came out today that long time employees of Sandcastle, some who have been there 10 years or more, are being summarily dismissed. Debbie in the office is one, there are 2 maintenance people and 2 more but don't know where they work. Following the history of Festiva ... this is their modus operandi .. get in, get rid of any employees who might have an allegiance with the owners, especially those employees who have been kind, friendly and helpful. Even quicker, get rid of anyone who knows the goings on behind the scenes.

Last year when I was there for my week, the employees were already nervous, and it has gotten worse. So there is a good chance when I go back this year I won't see any familiar faces, happy or otherwise. I do know that I will be face to face with Brumhilda the Hun (the Outfield greeter) who sits in the lobby grabbing owners as they check in. She is so miserable, grumpy and nasty that not one person I have talked with has had a decent thing to say about her. If there was a way to check in without going into the lobby I would do it.

None of this is true.

 

[NEVMSLLC]

Oh if that were the case then it wouldn't be so bad. Do you honestly think that Festiva is paying anything ... MFs or SAs? Why do you think Cliff won't respond to requests to check out the books? Why are deeded owners getting hit so hard with increases in MFs and then a SA that is raising almost $3 million dollars? Cliff won't even tell us how he came up with the number of 3300 owners footing the bill for the SA.

Festiva is paying their maintenance fees and their assessments. I do respond to owner requests. The number of owners includes a delinquency factor in order to be fiscally conservative.

 

[mweinberg]

None of this is true.

Then you are saying that no long-time employees at the Sandcastle have been fired? Because in an email you sent to Hillard Forman on September 10 seems to contradict that statement. In that email, you state that "Several employees were terminated recently."

 

[ecwinch]

Festiva is paying their maintenance fees and their assessments. I do respond to owner requests. The number of owners includes a delinquency factor in order to be fiscally conservative.

So rather than budget a bad debt expense, you discount the number of owners that will pay the m/f and assessment. Is that a standard practice in the timeshare industry?

 

[NEVMSLLC]

Then you are saying that no long-time employees at the Sandcastle have been fired? Because in an email you sent to Hillard Forman on September 10 seems to contradict that statement. In that email, you state that "Several employees were terminated recently."

Two employees were recently terminated. Neither had ten years of service. Debbie is still the resort manager and I have no idea who the other two are who were supposed to have been terminated.

Perhaps you will answer a question for me. Why is it that Mr. Forman and your group have refused to meet with me to try and answer your questions and resolve your issues? I've offered many times to meet and it seems that none of your group is interested in meeting with me or learning the truth. Instead I continue to see misrepresentations, defamatory statements and outright lies repeated by members of your group. My concern is that those things are being represented by your group to other owners as facts when they are not. I repeat my offer. I'll be happy to meet with your group at your convenience.

 

[Laurie]

Debbie is still the resort manager

Cliff,

Are you saying that you are continuing to offer her the position of resort manager, with no end date?

Or do you mean that she still has that position at this moment (and will not in the foreseeable future, but you're not addressing that)?

 

[ChrisH]

Meeting

Two employees were recently terminated. Neither had ten years of service. Debbie is still the resort manager and I have no idea who the other two are who were supposed to have been terminated.

Perhaps you will answer a question for me. Why is it that Mr. Forman and your group have refused to meet with me to try and answer your questions and resolve your issues? I've offered many times to meet and it seems that none of your group is interested in meeting with me or learning the truth. Instead I continue to see misrepresentations, defamatory statements and outright lies repeated by members of your group. My concern is that those things are being represented by your group to other owners as facts when they are not. I repeat my offer. I'll be happy to meet with your group at your convenience.

Hi Cliff
I'd like to meet with you, at the Advisory Committee meeting that you have scheduled, with the owners you have appointed. So, can we come?
ChrisH