Voluntary ARDA "Fee" Annoyance

[Eric B]

Having paid my 2024 MFs last month for The District, this week I got a statement from the TD Owners Association, Inc., documenting that I've paid everything except for a $7 balance, matching the Voluntary ARDA "Fee". (Quotation marks are mine.) The statement does not state anywhere on it that this "fee" is a contribution to a lobbying organization and only softens it by including the word "Voluntary" in the line item. It also includes the following statement dire warning:

Failure to pay the Total Amount Due within 30 days of the Date Due will result in the imposition of a LATE CHARGE OF $50.00 per ownership interest. Failure to pay the Total Amount Due within 30 days of the Date Due will result in the imposition of a FINANCE CHARGE. The FINANCE CHARGE will be applied to the past due balance (maintenance fees and assessments) and will be computed at a rate of 1.00% per month. This is an ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE OF 12.00%. All payments and credits are deducted from the past due balance prior to computation of the FINANCE CHARGE. If you are an Owner at more than one owners association, a separate check must be prepared for each association to avoid commingling of funds.

My account on the website naturally shows a balance due of $0 because it's not a "fee" and is only voluntary. Fortunately, I'm an informed consumer thanks to my membership here, but this continues the trend I've mentioned before that HGV does not in good faith disclose that this is a separate entirely voluntary contribution you can make or not make and don't have to opt out of in any way without consequence - just don't pay it. They include the Voluntary ARDA "Fee" amount in the maintenance fees disclosed on estoppels for resale purchases, which can wind up costing a resale buyer an extra $7 in MF reimbursement if they don't know what they are doing. This situation raises a few questions for me beyond what's been posted about ARDA and the resort companies before:

1. Why is HGV calling this a "Fee" on the billings?
2. The line item shows it going to ARDA and not to ARDA-ROC. Does that reflect the actual destination of the funds collected? Is it appropriate for a resort corporation to solicit funds for ARDA rather than ARDA-ROC from the owners of resort weeks/points?
3. I get solicited for voluntary contributions to all sorts of things in annual billings. The better ones explicitly make this sort of thing an opt in rather than an opt out. HGV does so implicitly; if you don't pay it, they don't hold it against you despite the dire warning on the billing statements. This doesn't seem right for a large corporation - if the fee is going to be used for political lobbying expenses it should really be disclosed as such and separated from the billing of timeshare owners (who are, like it or not, a fairly easily segmented market of targets for fraud).

 

[HuskerATL]

That is odd. I never pay the ARDA fee and have not gotten that notification.

 

[alwysonvac]

That's not normal.
All of my HGVC statements and online payment screens always show voluntary (see example below) and I've never received a notification regarding missing ARDA fees.

 

[Eric B]

That's not normal.
All of my HGVC statements and online payment screens always show voluntary (see example below) and I've never received a notification regarding missing ARDA fees.

View attachment 88155


View attachment 88154

My comment was regarding the way they list it on the paper bill I was mailed. The lower half of the image you posted came out the same way - "Voluntary ARDA Fee". It's better in the online version, which is how I always pay mine anyway, where it is labeled as a "Voluntary ARDA Contribution." There are still people out there that pay there bills by check in the mail (as well as having .aol emails). Those folks are getting stuff in the mail saying they owe a fee and might be convinced that they have to pay it - it's also included in the MF listings in estoppels where nothing is separated out by line item. There's also the issue of whether it's going to ARDA or to ARDA-ROC, which is the part of ARDA that is supposed to represent resort owners interests rather than resort operators interests. Your image of the bill includes the "Failure to pay" warning that is on my bill, too - that warning doesn't have an exception for the Voluntary ARDA Contribution, which could arguably be covered by the parenthetical "(maintenance fees and assessments)" limitation on the "past due balance" but for them listing it as a "Fee" rather than a "Contribution". It just seems like shenanigans that I would hope the HGV legal department would advise them against doing when they were asked by ARDA to include the "voluntary contribution" solicitation in the billing.

I realize that there are some folks that are happy to support ARDA-ROC and maybe ARDA. I choose not to personally and would prefer it to be an opt in as it is on the website, though I don't recall whether it defaults to a checked box that you have to uncheck when you pay. As I own a number of TS, those voluntary contributions would add up to a decent chunk of change and I'm not entirely sure that the destination for this one, ARDA, is aligned with my interests, which might be better served by ARDA-ROC, though I'm not entirely convinced that their interests are completely aligned with mine and they have never asked me for any input or provided much in the way of an explanation of what value they add to my life.

 

[HuskerATL]

For the Tuscany Village and Blvd, it says voluntary on the mailed statements:

Tuscany Village

Blvd

 

[Tamaradarann]

Having paid my 2024 MFs last month for The District, this week I got a statement from the TD Owners Association, Inc., documenting that I've paid everything except for a $7 balance, matching the Voluntary ARDA "Fee". (Quotation marks are mine.) The statement does not state anywhere on it that this "fee" is a contribution to a lobbying organization and only softens it by including the word "Voluntary" in the line item. It also includes the following statement dire warning:



My account on the website naturally shows a balance due of $0 because it's not a "fee" and is only voluntary. Fortunately, I'm an informed consumer thanks to my membership here, but this continues the trend I've mentioned before that HGV does not in good faith disclose that this is a separate entirely voluntary contribution you can make or not make and don't have to opt out of in any way without consequence - just don't pay it. They include the Voluntary ARDA "Fee" amount in the maintenance fees disclosed on estoppels for resale purchases, which can wind up costing a resale buyer an extra $7 in MF reimbursement if they don't know what they are doing. This situation raises a few questions for me beyond what's been posted about ARDA and the resort companies before:

1. Why is HGV calling this a "Fee" on the billings?
2. The line item shows it going to ARDA and not to ARDA-ROC. Does that reflect the actual destination of the funds collected? Is it appropriate for a resort corporation to solicit funds for ARDA rather than ARDA-ROC from the owners of resort weeks/points?
3. I get solicited for voluntary contributions to all sorts of things in annual billings. The better ones explicitly make this sort of thing an opt in rather than an opt out. HGV does so implicitly; if you don't pay it, they don't hold it against you despite the dire warning on the billing statements. This doesn't seem right for a large corporation - if the fee is going to be used for political lobbying expenses it should really be disclosed as such and separated from the billing of timeshare owners (who are, like it or not, a fairly easily segmented market of targets for fraud).

I totally agree that the ARDA "Fee" should be an opt-in rather than an opt-out. It should be an option like the points protection when you make a reservation on the HGVC website.

 

[Eric B]

For the Tuscany Village and Blvd, it says voluntary on the mailed statements:

Tuscany Village
View attachment 88169

Blvd
View attachment 88170

The use of the phrase "Voluntary ARDA Fee" seems to be consistent throughout the resorts based on the limited number I've seen. In my opinion, there is cognitive dissonance between the adjective "Voluntary" and the noun "Fee". In common English, a "fee" is "a payment made to a professional person or to a professional or public body in exchange for advice or services." I can't say that I've been provided either by ARDA, which is the trade association for the timeshare industry according to its website. ARDA-ROC is a non-profit organization formed to represent the interests of timeshare owners at the federal, state and local levels of government according to its website. I understand about the inclusion of the word "voluntary" in all of the statements, but judging from what I've seen of the behavior of the vast majority of timeshare owners that don't even know about the existence of TUG, I would be willing to wager that more than half don't look at anything other than the total amount due and pay that. I find the fact that a major timeshare corporation that is a supporter of its trade association, ARDA, would solicit funds for that trade association in its routine billing of the timeshare owners in this manner a bit disturbing.

I've seen a few complaints about how Vistana includes similar line items in its MF billing for ARDA-ROC, but it's at least labeled as "ARDA-ROC PAC VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION" and the bills including the following disclaimer:

ARDA-ROC PAC is a federal political action committee. Contributions are voluntary and are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. You may refuse to contribute or contribute more or less without reprisal or otherwise affecting your membership rights. In accordance with U.S. federal law, only contributions by individual U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens (green card holders) will go to ARDA-ROC PAC. All other voluntary contributions (including contributions from corporations or contributions made on a corporate credit card) will go to ARDA-ROC. You may find out more about ARDA-ROC at www.arda-roc.org.

That seems a more appropriate way of notifying owners of what's going on with this.

 

[dayooper]

Take a peek at the HVC/DRI forum and see how DRI used to treat the “fee.”

 

[alwysonvac]

The use of the phrase "Voluntary ARDA Fee" seems to be consistent throughout the resorts based on the limited number I've seen. In my opinion, there is cognitive dissonance between the adjective "Voluntary" and the noun "Fee". In common English, a "fee" is "a payment made to a professional person or to a professional or public body in exchange for advice or services." I can't say that I've been provided either by ARDA, which is the trade association for the timeshare industry according to its website. ARDA-ROC is a non-profit organization formed to represent the interests of timeshare owners at the federal, state and local levels of government according to its website. I understand about the inclusion of the word "voluntary" in all of the statements, but judging from what I've seen of the behavior of the vast majority of timeshare owners that don't even know about the existence of TUG, I would be willing to wager that more than half don't look at anything other than the total amount due and pay that. I find the fact that a major timeshare corporation that is a supporter of its trade association, ARDA, would solicit funds for that trade association in its routine billing of the timeshare owners in this manner a bit disturbing.

I've seen a few complaints about how Vistana includes similar line items in its MF billing for ARDA-ROC, but it's at least labeled as "ARDA-ROC PAC VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION" and the bills including the following disclaimer:

That seems a more appropriate way of notifying owners of what's going on with this.

Yes, they can do a better job. Folks can call and/or write a letter recommending changes to HGVC's billing statement.
HOA Service Department can be reached at 888-875-4479 (US & Canada) and 1-407-210-1088 (worldwide) or via email at hoa@hgvc.com


Currently, HGVC points folks to their online website for questions regarding their billing statement.
The following is from https://club.hiltongrandvacations.com/en/help/understanding-your-hoa-statement

 

[Talent312]

I'll bet there are plenty of accounts in which the payor - perhaps a business, trust or estate - does not look at the details and simply cuts a check for the bottom line, unbeknownst that they are making a 'contribution' to a developers' lobby and can avoid doing so.
.

 

[HuskerATL]

I guess that I understand what the word "voluntary" means and they assume owners do also but maybe they need to put the definition below it for the ones that don't.

If I remember correctly, I think ARDA has been fighting against exit company scams and similar owner protections so they probably do some good.

 

[Eric B]

I think ARDA has been fighting against exit company scams

If so, they've done a lousy job - I constantly get scam phone calls regarding timeshare exits, rentals, etc.

 

[HuskerATL]

If so, they've done a lousy job - I constantly get scam phone calls regarding timeshare exits, rentals, etc.

Timeshare Industry Fighting Back to End Exit Fraud: One Major Firm Disbarred and Another Files Bankruptcy | ARDA

www.arda.org

 

[Eric B]

If you find value in ARDA, feel free to contribute the Voluntary ARDA Fee. My point is that sticking it on a bill even with the word "Voluntary" on the line item and requiring unchecking a box to opt out of paying it isn't a great way of doing business. YMMV.

 

[artringwald]

When my $7 balance doesn't disappear, I call them and ask them to remove it. I also ask them how long it will take to remove it. If it doesn't disappear, then I keep calling until it does. It's a waste of my time, but I have plenty of time. I hope it wastes enough of their time that they'll make it easier to opt out.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[TUGBrian]

Timeshare Industry Fighting Back to End Exit Fraud: One Major Firm Disbarred and Another Files Bankruptcy | ARDA

www.arda.org

"ARDA created a Joint Investigative / Enforcement Taskforce last fall to minimize fraud in the secondary market."

yet arda still promotes upfront fee resellers on their own websites....

 

[TUGBrian]

after making efforts to get vistana to change their policy on "automatically charging" this voluntary fee and getting nowhere, it was only after a complaint was filed with the Florida DPBR did we actually see someone in that office actually initiate an investigation and a few months later the policy got changed. (a huge % of timeshare developers are all headquartered in florida)

Id urge anyone with a complaint on this matter regarding another developer file a complaint here:

File a Complaint – MyFloridaLicense.com

www.myfloridalicense.com

 

[HuskerATL]

"ARDA created a Joint Investigative / Enforcement Taskforce last fall to minimize fraud in the secondary market."

yet arda still promotes upfront fee resellers on their own websites....

Didn't Judi work with them in FL to end some fraudulent practices there?

 

[TUGBrian]

plenty of people have worked with them in the past on this "effort"...however the only people actually putting forth an effort are those people working with them.

arda (or arda roc) could take a stand overnight on this, but instead its just been a game of kick the can for going on decades.

 

[MM9]

Timeshare Industry Fighting Back to End Exit Fraud: One Major Firm Disbarred and Another Files Bankruptcy | ARDA

www.arda.org

Lmfao. So Hilton wants us to not only pay obscene maintenance fees but also for their Lobbying Efforts to keep their ̷s̷c̷a̷m̷ business operations away from congressional and state oversight? What a joke.

 

[MM9]

"ARDA created a Joint Investigative / Enforcement Taskforce last fall to minimize fraud in the secondary market."

yet arda still promotes upfront fee resellers on their own websites....

Do not be fooled. It's a lobbyist company for all these Timeshare Companies. They most certainly do not have our best interest at heart.