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Silver Lakes Vacation Club Dilemma - TUG Question of the Day #8

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TUGBrian

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To who ever may be able to help us ?.

Without going into to much detail, in 1997 we purchased a weeks time share with Silver lakes vacation club in california with this membership we were able to either visit the the resort or most importantly to exchange our weeks via RCI,

It was a life of the trust membership. In 2001 we were advised that we could up grade to perpetuity membership, with all its advantages, and benefits, we decided to upgraded, again we were able to either visit the the resort or most importantly to exchange our weeks via RCI.

In 2005, we were advised that RCI were no longer accepting exchange weeks from Silver lakes vacation club, but from 1/1/2006 we would be able to bank our weeks with Donita's dial an exchange, at San Diego California, again with many more advantages and benefits, this as worked very well for us, as we live in the United Kingdom [ Britain], we have only returned to the resort on one occasion, so it is important that we are able to exchange our weeks.

In 2008 we have been advised that RCI are returning to Silver lakes vacation club, but this will be by the points system, and that we would have to to upgrade to the points system to enable us to exchange. The cost to upgrade is huge, and as both my wife and I are 70 year old, and pensioners, and live in the UK, we are unable to afford to do this, if we do not join the points system we are told that we will have to pay a special assessment fee of $1500.00, and still have to pay our maintenance fees, for which we will only be able to visit the resort, this is some thing we will be unable to do. This , in our opinion defeats the objective of time share ownership.

It appears to us that they are changing the rules of the contract we have with them. [They appear to have down graded us, to right to use membership only] we have the contracts, and all the letters that they have sent us proclaiming the benefits we would have from being members of the Silver lakes vacation club, as in the original life of the trust membership and then as perpetuity members.

We have sent them a number of letters, pointing out our situation, but they have only replied via telephone calls, telling us that this is the situation and that we have to accept it.

This is not about us wanting to sell the time share, in fact we have offered them to have it free of charge, but they want $4114.00 to sign a release agreement, we are also prepared to pay our annual maintenance fees, as long as we are able to exchange our time with somebody. We have recently paid the 2008 maintenance fees, and asked them to bank a week for us, which they said they would do, but to date have not done so.

We hope that some one within your organization will be able to help us .if not advise us of somebody who may be able to help us.

[ Earlier in the year we were told, in a telephone conversation that it would cost about $2500, 00, to be released from our agreement, later we were told it would $3000,00,now they have sent us a letter asking for $4114,00, they seem to be saying ,think of a number and this what we will charge, we are very concerned, that time is running out, they want this money by 31 - 12- 2008, so we need to resolve this as soon as possible ]

Quite the dilemma
 

teepeeca

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First of all, (I believe) you NEVER would be forced to join a points system. Next, it seems that the resort might have unused weeks; developer weeks; or home-owner acquired weeks, that "some" entity is trying to sell, via a "points" system, be it the RCI points system, or some other system.

Many people like the RCI points system, and, if it would be good for you, then join it. However, you STILL own a week at the resort, and that cannot be taken away from you. You can ALWAYS obtain a week at the resort, provided you reserve a week early enough in the year. (See how far in advance you may reserve a week, and then DO reserve a week at that first opportunity.)

Take that reserved week, and put it in for an exchange at any of the "independent" exchange companies (NOT RCI or II). Most of the independent exchange companies DO NOT charge an annual fee, just the exchange fee. (It seems that you like Dial-an-Exchange, so keep on using them.)

As far as a "special assessment" is concerned, if the HOA/management company institutes a special assessment, then ALL of the owners would have to pay it, NOT just the "weeks" owners, but also the owners that own into the points system.

Hope this relieves your mind, and you are able to exchange your week(s) for excellent holidays/vacations.

Tony
 
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charles selby

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silver lakes dilema

hello
the problem We have is that silver lakes are trying to sell new points
associated time shares, which we cannot afford, RCI is refusing to accept weeks from Silver Lakes, niether will Dial an exchange accept weeks from Silver Lakes, there for we are only able to vist the resort, again we have only ever been back to the resort once, can they change the rules in this way?,when we have been able to deposit our weeks with either RCI, or DAE in the past without any problems.

We have a letter dated June 1, 2008 stating that a special assessment will apply to all non-RCI points members of $1500, from 1/1/2009, so can they actualy do this, Ufortunatly I am still very concerned by the situation, and time is running out , if I am to beat this deadline of 1/1/2009
your charles selby
 

DeniseM

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T_R_Oglodyte

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hello
the problem We have is that silver lakes are trying to sell new points
associated time shares, which we cannot afford, RCI is refusing to accept weeks from Silver Lakes, niether will Dial an exchange accept weeks from Silver Lakes, there for we are only able to vist the resort, again we have only ever been back to the resort once, can they change the rules in this way?,when we have been able to deposit our weeks with either RCI, or DAE in the past without any problems.

We have a letter dated June 1, 2008 stating that a special assessment will apply to all non-RCI points members of $1500, from 1/1/2009, so can they actualy do this, Ufortunatly I am still very concerned by the situation, and time is running out , if I am to beat this deadline of 1/1/2009
your charles selby

I'm guessing that you are the person that TUGBrian quoted in the first post in the thread.

This is a long shot, but it may be worth a try. You have all of the documentaiton about what was promised, etc. I suggest you try contacting the San Bernardino County District Attorney's office and see if they can give you some help of have any interest in the matter.
 

Bill4728

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[Message deleted. Duplicate posts are not permitted on these forums. Dave M, BBS Moderator]
 
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Dave M

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Since this is an old thread which duplicates some other discussions, I'm closing it. See the link in Denise's post above for further discussion.
 
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