What are some guardrails in WM bylaws/governance docs?

[mountainboy]

We were having a convo over the HGVC thread on WorldMark & changes made by Wyndham over time (vis-a-vis HGVC's acquisition of Embarc, a similar vacation club).
What guardrails are there in WM bylaws/governance docs that Wyndham hasn't changed (or some things it has)?
(Esp asking longtime owners of WM who have seen it pre-Wyndham & now, with Wyndham))
TY!

 

[CO skier]

We were having a convo over the HGVC thread on WorldMark & changes made by Wyndham over time (vis-a-vis HGVC's acquisition of Embarc, a similar vacation club).
What guardrails are there in WM bylaws/governance docs that Wyndham hasn't changed (or some things it has)?
(Esp asking longtime owners of WM who have seen it pre-Wyndham & now, with Wyndham))
TY!

Maybe a link to the "thread" for context? Not sure what you mean by "guardrails"?

There are 3 main governing documents for WorldMark. These are designed to make WorldMark the Club the developer's (whoever that might be) sandbox, just like Club Wyndham.

The WM Declaration takes 50% of the total voting power to amend. It will never happen.

The WM Bylaws takes 25% of the total voting power (roughly speaking) to amend. The bylaws were last amended in 2016 by more than 25% of the total members' voting power (85%-ish of the members voting in the election) plus the additional developer's voting power (30%-ish of the total voting power available -- not many timeshares could achieve such a thing).

The Club Guidelines may be amend by a majority vote of the elected Board of Directors. Some examples: Minimum one-night reservations changed to minimum 2 nights during Covid, then changed back to one night a few years later. Noon checkout changed to 10 a.m. during Covid, then to 11 a.m. within the last year.

 

[geist1223]

Are Developer Owned Credits allowed to Vote for changes to the Declaration and or Bylaws?

 

[mountainboy]

Maybe a link to the "thread" for context? Not sure what you mean by "guardrails"?

Here is the thread where @cd5 who is a very kind, fellow Tugger & serves on the board of Embarc & is a wonderful resource for Embarc shared how Embarc has a lot of wonderful owner friendly policies in their Governance docs & guardrails in place so the mgmt Co (currently HGVC) cannot make negative changes.
Have heard a lot of folks express concerns (here at TUG & at FB WM groups) about a lot of changes to WM under Wyndham (very aggressive sales, significant increases in HK & Bonus Time rates, fairly slow transfers for many of us, on purchase of resale (unlike what it used to be a few yrs ago) & many other changes. Many like @daviator & @VacationForever (& many others) have given away their WM memberships for free with many of these changes. Hence curious of what are good rules in WM governance docs to prevent the Mgmt Co (Wyndham) from making more negative changes to WM owners, esp for many of us newbies who don't have institutional memories or knowledge of these rules & ways Co's may make negative changes &/or rights of owners to avoid such things from occurring.
TY!

How to book this?

It is interesting to see the differences in the different versions of DEX. What a mess to manage, especially, when you then toss in the different ownerships to manage and then the different programs to manage (max, legacy elite). HGV has a mess to deal with...

tugbbs.com

 

[mountainboy]

Are Developer Owned Credits allowed to Vote for changes to the Declaration and or Bylaws?

Presume yes but defer to Gurus, as I am a newbie & curious to learn all these 'rules' (& Games Mgmt Co's Play).
TY!

 

[CO skier]

Are Developer Owned Credits allowed to Vote for changes to the Declaration and or Bylaws?

Yes to both, but the Declarant/Developer votes are considered only after certain minimum thresholds of total owners' voting power other than Declarant are met -- 25% for bylaws and 50% for the Declaration.

It does not matter too much as the Developer voting power is only in the low single digits.

 

[CO skier]

curious of what are good rules in WM governance docs to prevent the Mgmt Co (Wyndham) from making more negative changes to WM owners,

The governing documents are on the WorldMark website for members to read and decide:

Log in
Select "My Club"
Click "Get meeting information >"
Click the "Club Documents +" dropdown menu
Click "governing documents"

very aggressive sales,

This has been a perennial complaint for the 17 years I have owned. It is the Developer's sandbox; the Board of Directors, elected by members, has no control over this.

significant increases in HK & Bonus Time rates,

The maintenance fees and Bonus Time increases are capped at 5% annually or the y-o-y percentage increase of CPI. The only thing that has saved WorldMark members from frequent special assessments to meet the budget is the low yearly inflation of the past 20 years. Take a look at the TUG Timeshare Comparison Chart to see the comparison of WorldMark maintenance fees to other timeshares and how wrong the Negative Neds and Nellies are:

Comparison Chart of current major point system Timeshare developers

Oct 2024 Update! Please help us update the points/fees entries for this to bring it up to date! check out the chart below and post your maint fee or point value updates so we can get it included! We have compiled a chart that provides a great high level overview comparison of the major...

tugbbs.com

fairly slow transfers for many of us, on purchase of resale

There is nothing in the governing documents that addresses this.

 

[mountainboy]

*These are publicly available docs; unclear if any changes in the ones available after sign-in

https://worldmark.wyndhamdestinations.com/content/dam/wyndham/wyndham-vacation-clubs/worldmark/owner-guide/understanding-your-club/governing-documents/documents/wmtc-bylaws.pdf

This is the board member handbook

https://worldmark.wyndhamdestinations.com/content/dam/wyndham/wyndham-vacation-clubs/worldmark/owner-guide/documents/board-handbook.pdf

These are the usual club rules

https://worldmark.wyndhamdestinations.com/content/dam/wyndham/wyndham-vacation-clubs/worldmark/owner-guide/documents/wm-club-guidelines.pdf

The maintenance fees and Bonus Time increases are capped at 5% annually or the y-o-y percentage increase of CPI.

Familiar with that.

Significant increase in HK fees & internet access fees last year at WM.

This is the HK fee increase: significantly higher than 2024:

BT minimum was $80, which as raised to $100, which is a significant increase, far greater than 5%.

This is the internet access fee, charged by 3rd party vendor, ResortNet (realize it is a 3rd party, but they could have used their clout to negotiate a smaller increase in the fee rather than 49 to 129. Many WM locations are remote, near NPs with very poor internet & some of us worker bees, need internet access to be able to pay our bills, while enjoying precious time with our loved ones..

2025 Internet fees

I'm seeing these rates on WM. Are they accurate for those of us with no status? Non-VIP by WorldMark Wi-Fi Payment Plans 1 day 10 days 1 year 3 devices $9.95 $49.95 $129.95 6 devices $14.95 $69.95 $179.95 10 devices $19.95 $89.95 $219.95 I have three 7 day stays booked between...

tugbbs.com

ake a look at the TUG Timeshare Comparison Chart to see the comparison of WorldMark maintenance fees to other timeshares and how wrong the Negative Neds and Nellies are:

I am an owner at HGVC (with an ownership at least 3 times larger than my WM ownership); both systems have their significant strengths & weaknesses & I realize the MFs at WM are much more affordable than HGVC (& certainly than MVC) but HGVC & MVC are usually a class above WM (with cust svc, number of staff, amenities, quality of bedding/upholstery/furnishings/maintenance, etc). Hope WM resorts remain excellent & affordable and MF (& other cost) increases remain modest & WM remains affordable!

Respect your knowledge about WM & would love to hear other things in the WM governance docs/rules etc, which save WM owners from such ancillary fee creep (or decrease in perceived level of service/experience for amt of fee paid)!
TY!

 

[cd5]

Presume yes but defer to Gurus, as I am a newbie & curious to learn all these 'rules' (& Games Mgmt Co's Play).
TY!

In Embarc's case, no. The declarant (developer) has control of the board however, due to 15x voting power for their points. There is only 1 person on the board (in Embarc's case, me) that is voted in 100% by members only. The other 4 are voted in by the declarant because 1) 15x voting power 2) only about 20% of members bother to vote. It would take 50 to 60% of the vote to get another member on the board rather than Hilton VPs.
That said, the declarant is unable to change anything of substance unless at least 51% of members EXCLUDING the declarant are in agreement.
It's unfortunate that many timeshare owners/members have never read their governance documents to know what is in them and to understand how their timeshare functions and what are their rights VS the developer's. It's also unfortunate that they don't take the time to vote, especially as it is very easy to do so online, for most timeshares. Our Embarc Facebook group has 7,500 members and we keep them updated about board meetings, elections etc. as well as guidelines and tips to make best use of their points. Embarc has only ~23,000 members. Because of our FB group (since 2016), we now meet quorum each election (15% of members) which was not the case before, and about 20 to 22% of members voted in 2025.
Brand name timeshares divide to conquer and generally keep members/owners uninformed in order to keep control of the day to day running of the timeshare (budgets etc).

 

[mountainboy]

In Embarc's case, no

That said, the declarant is unable to change anything of substance unless at least 51% of members EXCLUDING the declarant are in agreement.

It's unfortunate that many timeshare owners/members have never read their governance documents to know what is in them and to understand how their timeshare functions and what are their rights VS the developer's.

Very Nice for Embarc!
Unfortunately these governance docs are long dry legalese which most of us don't understand & hence really nice to hear from folks who are more aware, to know the rights of TS owners, the power available to them (vs being seemingly eroded by Mgmt Co), what are things they CAN/SHOULD push back on (? unreasonable ancillary fee increases, aggressive sales tactics, bordering on harassment), or making unreasonable changes to the TS system, to detriment of average owners. Hope we have other kind folks on WM forum who can chime in & educate us more (as many of us are newbies or just unaware) & would love to learn more!
Thank You!

 

[dioxide45]

In Embarc's case, no. The declarant (developer) has control of the board however, due to 15x voting power for their points. There is only 1 person on the board (in Embarc's case, me) that is voted in 100% by members only. The other 4 are voted in by the declarant because 1) 15x voting power 2) only about 20% of members bother to vote. It would take 50 to 60% of the vote to get another member on the board rather than Hilton VPs.
That said, the declarant is unable to change anything of substance unless at least 51% of members EXCLUDING the declarant are in agreement.
It's unfortunate that many timeshare owners/members have never read their governance documents to know what is in them and to understand how their timeshare functions and what are their rights VS the developer's. It's also unfortunate that they don't take the time to vote, especially as it is very easy to do so online, for most timeshares. Our Embarc Facebook group has 7,500 members and we keep them updated about board meetings, elections etc. as well as guidelines and tips to make best use of their points. Embarc has only ~23,000 members. Because of our FB group (since 2016), we now meet quorum each election (15% of members) which was not the case before, and about 20 to 22% of members voted in 2025.
Brand name timeshares divide to conquer and generally keep members/owners uninformed in order to keep control of the day to day running of the timeshare (budgets etc).

What percentage of the points does the developer retain ownership of in order for their 15x voting power to be enough to control the board?

 

[cd5]

What percentage of the points does the developer retain ownership of in order for their 15x voting power to be enough to control the board?

4% and they're always very careful not to oversell from their bucket of points. When sales start to outpace defaults, they turn on the ROFR again to ensure they don't go below the critical number.

 

[dioxide45]

4% and they're always very careful not to oversell from their bucket of points. When sales start to outpace defaults, they turn on the ROFR again to ensure they don't go below the critical number.

Thanks. It is amazing that such a tiny percentage of ownership could give them that much control. That does seem like a flaw in how the system was initially setup. At least from an owner perspective. The developer would certainly see it as a benefit.

If they go below the 4%, so they lose that control forever? Or would they get it back by going over 4% again?

 

[magmue]

Hope we have other kind folks on WM forum who can chime in & educate us more (as many of us are newbies or just unaware) & would love to learn more

Have you signed up for the wmowners forum? Lots of good information there, and chunk of history. Like about the class action lawsuit by Worldmark owners against Wyndham that was settled in 2010.

 

[CO skier]

This is the HK fee increase: significantly higher than 2024:

It is important to place this in perspective.

Every owner receives 1 complimentary housekeeping annually per 10,000 credits owned. I am certain the majority (and maybe a super majority of owners) are like me and never pay for housekeeping.

The “cost per turn” (housekeeping) for the Club was $141 at the end of 2024. It looks to me that owners Club-wide are subsidizing owners who stay in units larger than 1 bedroom and pay for housekeeping. The Board of Directors has a responsibility to all Club members. The WorldMark BOD chose a sliding scale for “extra” housekeeping. Club Wyndham has a prix fixe price of $185 per additional housekeeping. If you were a Board Director, how would you answer these questions to reach a decision? Should the price of “extra” housekeeping be increased to keep pace with increasing costs? Should it be charged on a sliding scale per unit size or one fixed price? It would be no surprise if the “cost per turn” is $180 by the end of 2025. What is the best/(fairest) decision for all owners? The revenue from HK charges accrues to the Club to benefit all owners; it does not line Wyndham’s pockets as the hair on fire social media mob seems to think.

No owner is forced to pay additional for housekeeping. Owners are in charge and may choose to use all their annual credits with the housekeeping included, or take shorter/extra vacations and pay for the extra housekeeping.

A benefit that WorldMark owners enjoy versus Club Wyndham owners is that housekeeping is included at no extra charge for Bonus Time and other cash reservations.

BT minimum was $80, which as raised to $100, which is a significant increase, far greater than 5%.

The 2025 Bonus Time rate increased from $0.085/credit to $0.089/credit – a 4.5 4.7% increase. So, did Bonus Time increase 4.7% or 25% ($80/night minimum to $100)? For nightly rates at and above 1,125 credits, the minimum cost increase had no effect ($100/$0.089/credit = 1,123 credits). The median Red Season cost is 2,200 credits/night weekends and 1,100/night credits Mon.-Fri. WorldMark allows minimum 1 night stays. Comparing that $100 minimum for a single night to the $141 cost per turn, and it looks like the super-majority of owners who do not use Bonus Time at all are subsidizing those 1 night stays. Board members must look at the Big Picture. BT revenue accrues to the Club to benefit all owners. The increases in Bonus Time reflect increases due to inflation. The complainers on social media “remember when I bought during TrendWest and Bonus Time was $40/night and $100/night minimum is just a Wyndham ripoff.”

How should the WorldMark BOD answer the question, "Why should the ownership at large subsidize their Bonus Time stays?"

 

[dioxide45]

The revenue from HK charges accrues to the Club to benefit all owners; it does not line Wyndham’s pockets as the hair on fire social media mob seems to think.

Oh no! The social media mob? They sound scary. How do we avoid them?

 

[cd5]

Thanks. It is amazing that such a tiny percentage of ownership could give them that much control. That does seem like a flaw in how the system was initially setup. At least from an owner perspective. The developer would certainly see it as a benefit.

If they go below the 4%, so they lose that control forever? Or would they get it back by going over 4% again?

Forever

 

[cd5]

Thanks. It is amazing that such a tiny percentage of ownership could give them that much control. That does seem like a flaw in how the system was initially setup. At least from an owner perspective. The developer would certainly see it as a benefit.

If they go below the 4%, so they lose that control forever? Or would they get it back by going over 4% again?

They have the 15X voting power because they own the underlying property, not the members - that's why we're called "members", not owners. They did this to be able to sell the maximum number of points without compromising their control of the properties. We have a right to use, the properties are in a trust and should the timeshare be dissolved, the members are not entitled to the real estate. What points (trust) timeshare members have is essentially the same for all systems however the developers do NOT tell the truth.
The CRA took Intrawest to court about 12 years or so ago with a final decision in 2017, because they were not charging "owners" (as Intrawest then called us) GST and it was proven that we have no "agency" nor do we own property and so should have been paying the government the goods & services tax with our fees. Points timeshares are essentially expensive golf/country club memberships with very restrictive contracts however many points "owners" don't realize this...Embarc only achieved clarity due to this court case.
This is explained in this press release on our old member website (not affiliated to the developers) and kept open strictly to allow access to legacy info.

BERLINTOTO | Situs Toto Resmi & Bandar Toto Togel Online Terpercaya

BERLINTOTO adalah situs toto resmi & bandar toto togel online terpercaya yang menyediakan pasaran togel 4D lengkap, sistem keamanan mutakhir, serta jaminan pembayaran kemenangan secara penuh tanpa potongan.

www.citheownersgroup.org

 

[CO skier]

Like about the class action lawsuit by Worldmark owners against Wyndham that was settled in 2010.

The only winner in that lawsuit (as with most class action lawsuits) was the law firm that received a multi-million dollar payday.

WorldMark the Club members were the clear loser. The settlement forced the extraction of 400 units from WorldMark that members wish they could book directly now (like before 2010) instead of having to use more credits and pay an exchange fee to book the units through Club Pass.

 

[geist1223]

In most Class Actions the Members of the Class Suffer (the Wyndham Law Suit) or get pennies. The Law Firm gets millions.

 

[mountainboy]

Have you signed up for the wmowners forum? Lots of good information there, and chunk of history. Like about the class action lawsuit by Worldmark owners against Wyndham that was settled in 2010.

I usually access TUG from my work computer, which somehow blocks WMOwners (WMO) & hence have not used WMO (although I signed up for it last year, same time, when I signed up for TUG & started my TS journey)... As a worker bee, I am on my work laptop all the time & don't want another device for just one website (WMO) :-(
TY!

 

[Huskerpaul]

I usually access TUG from my work computer, which somehow blocks WMOwners (WMO) & hence have not used WMO (although I signed up for it last year, same time, when I signed up for TUG & started my TS journey)... As a worker bee, I am on my work laptop all the time & don't want another device for just one website (WMO) :-(
TY!

wmowners.com does not allow VPN access, so that could be the problem. Why not use your phone's web browser?

 

[mountainboy]

wmowners.com does not allow VPN access,

100%!
Glad TUG does not do that (or I would not have been able to use TUG either)...

Why not use your phone's web browser?

Nicer/easier to see on the nice big screen external monitor connected to work laptop vs a tiny screen, esp as my eyes are getting older..
+ I love my 'Home/tribe/Fam' at HGVC TUG & look at other things here, as needed...
+ love the WM FB groups! Lots of excellent, kind, helping folks there also, who have been very helpful in my WM learning...