Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Sunchaser, Northwynd, Fairmont, etc.-A Bad Timeshare Situation in Canada

I recently became aware of a situation in Canada affecting thousands of timeshare owners.

Long story short---developer went bankrupt, new owners came in, found the place in horrible shape and is now offering two options:

$4,000 in assessments per interval to fix it
or
$3,000 to get out

On top of it, they gave owners almost no time to make the decision.

As I said, this is the very short version of a very long story.

I contacted some of the people on their Facebook page that they set up and told them that I would make this forum available to them in the sincere hopes that the more coverage this received, the better chances the owners would have for a fair and equitable solution.

Today, I heard from an owner that RCI will honor a membership (complete with all benefits such as Getaways, etc.) even if the member chooses to walk away from their timeshare.

This is troubling on an entirely different level.

Thoughts?  Rebuttals?  Setting the record straight?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

What current Northwynd management is trying to do is nothing short of illegal. In the coming week legal and corporate information and thousands of documents about Northwynd, past and current management is about to hit the web.
Shocking, it will change the game for all the timeshare owners. New information that Northwynd/Sunchaser timeshare owners, their lawyers,
the press and all levels of government can use to fight current
management and trustees will be made public and distributed to all
owners and investors via the internet.

Lisa Ann Schreier, The Timeshare Crusader said...

Here's the story that recently aired on Canadian television. It seems to be getting a good deal of press.

Anonymous said...

I am an owner at Fairmont Riverside which is now owned by Northwynd and from the info I have received am very confused as to what my legal obligations to Northwynd are regarding giving up my timeshare. Is there any site where I can learn more

Lisa Ann Schreier, The Timeshare Crusader said...

It is a very confusing situation. I know that there is a Facebook group dedicated to this issue. It seems as if many owners have contacted a law firm.

Although I am not an attorney and therefore can not render any legal advice, I would first contact your personal attorney to see if they have any experience in timeshare. MANY do not.

I would also check with CRDA The Canadian Resort and Development Association. At this point, they no doubt are well aware of the situation. I think it would be interesting to hear what their response is to your direct inquiry.

It seems as if the individual timeshare owner has almost no voice in these matters, which is sad. That these issues have to be brought to a legal situation underscores the unfairness of the entire timeshare community.

Please let us all know what CRDA's response is to you. Additionally, please stay tuned...there will be an important announcement within the next 10-15 days that will go a long way to "leveling the playing field."

Lisa Ann Schreier, The Timeshare Crusader said...

So very sorry...I just noticed that I neglected to post the link to the television segment that aired on CBC. Here it is:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/story/2013/06/11/sk-timeshare-court-13-06-11.html

Lisa Ann Schreier, The Timeshare Crusader said...

Just saw this today on the dedicated FB page that has been set up regarding this situation:

Just received a call back from the RCMP section that was involved in the review of the Northwynd - Sunchaser Villas timeshare. They have decided there is not a sufficient basis for them to pursue an investigation.

I am very upset at the absolute lack of support from the different regulatory agencies that are supposedly there for consumer protection. Every agency I have talked to have taken the position that it is somebody else's problem or should be left to the lawyers. I've even talked to the MP for the area and zero by way of response.

So what are we getting for all the taxes we are paying. A group of 14,500 timeshare owners can be taken for almost 1/4 billion dollars and every bureaucrat can sit back, take his pay, and say 'Not my Problem'

I think it is time to let the media know that any timeshare owner in Canada can be a victim of these unscrupulous companies and no bureaucrat or politician appears to give a da!!

If this is true (and it looks as if it is), this is indeed a sad day for timeshare owners everywhere.