As our ongoing commitment to keeping timeshare owners up to date on legislation and news affecting the timeshare vacation industry, following you will find a copy of the 7th edition of ARDA and ARDA-ROC’s digital publication – Government Affairs Insider.
Advantage Vacation looks forward to the passage of timeshare consumer protection legislation in all States for owners of a timeshare interest and the enactment of laws designed to deter and/or eliminate timeshare scams and fraud in the timeshare industry.
Florida
CS/CS/CS HB 1001, also known as Florida’s Timeshare Resale Accountability Act (“TRAA”), was signed by the Florida Governor and will go into effect on July 1, 2012. The Resale Act promotes better consumer protection by providing stronger rules for disclosures, requirements for written agreements between resellers and consumers, and enhanced enforcement provisions.
Arizona
HB 2195, in its final form, would permit timeshare developers to use an expedited filing process for amendments to their Arizona registrations. It was signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer on March 27, 2012. The bill will take effect in mid-July.
Utah
HB 191, which includes several changes to the Utah Timeshare and Camp Resort Act, has been signed into law and will take effect on May 8, 2012. Among the provisions of the bill are updates to definitions to better reflect the current state of the industry and timeshare products, the elimination of outdated requirements regarding advertising, and added protection for the personal information of owners. The Act was originally passed in 1987 and had not been updated in recent years.
Virginia
The Governor has recommended a technical amendment to HB 233 to be considered by the General Assembly this week. The Governor signed HB 234—it is officially listed as Chapter 406 of the Virginia Acts of Assembly and it will go into effect July 1, 2012. The reseller bill (HB 233) is not posted on the system yet. HB 233 contains consumer-friendly timeshare resale provisions and HB 234 contains provisions that make it easier for an HOA to advertise the availability of timeshare interests at foreclosure sale.
Missouri
HB 1818 passed the Missouri House Rules Committee last week and will move on for consideration by the full House of Representatives. The bill would clarify the status of timeshares for real property tax assessment and was filed because of confusion that began in 2007 regarding tax assessments in Taney County (Branson).
Hawaii
SB 2632 HD1, dealing with the process of moving all Hawaii timeshare interests into public records by automatically deregistering those that currently reside in Land Court, was amended and passed by the Hawaii House of Representatives. SB 2632 HD1 has been transmitted back to the Senate and assigned to a conference committee to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions.
On March 25, 2012, the Mayor of Maui released his initial budget for the 2013 fiscal year, which included his proposed tax rates for all property tax classifications. The Mayor has proposed a $1.15 increase to the current Maui timeshare rate of $15. This 7% increase, on top of the 8% increase last year, would mean that Maui timeshare owners would have seen a 15% increase in their property tax rate over the past two years. These increases come without any rational justification from the Maui County Council other than they want the industry to pay at least the same amount of taxes as last year. ARDA-ROC and ARDA strongly oppose any increase to property taxes in Maui and will be present to testify at the Maui County Council Budget Hearing at 9:00 am on April 20 at the county council building.
Don’t Miss the Upcoming ARDA Northeast Regional Meeting!
June 4-5, 2012
Renaissance Providence Downtown
Providence, Rhode Island
Advantage Vacation is a member of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) and offers the best buys on the timeshare re sales market today. We never charge an upfront fee for clients who want to sell a timeshare and only receive a commission, paid from escrow, when the transaction is closed.
We are leaders in the timeshare resale secondary market, have been in the timeshare industry for over 30 years and are Accredited Members of the BBB with an A+ Rating.
Advantage Vacation is using Twitter and Facebook to help educate people on the changes in the timeshare industry along with current timeshare tips, up to date timeshare news and timeshare FAQ’s.
We hope you will follow us and our blog, Timeshare Blogging by Advantage Vacation for the latest news and reviews. If our site does not answer your question or questions, please email us your question and we will answer it and add it to our library. Make your voice heard – what questions do you have?
At Advantage Vacation you can be assured you are working with professionals who believe that honesty and integrity are the most important aspects of the business they are in – timeshare re sales. Our business has been built on relationships and we pride ourselves on providing excellent service to our clients.
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