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 5th edition of ARDA and ARDA-ROC’s digital publication – Government Affairs Insider.
Advantage Vacation applauds the passage of Florida’s Timeshare Resale Accountability Act (TRAA) and looks forward to the passage of other consumer protection legislation for all 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), passed its final hurdle with a unanimous vote on the Senate floor and will now go to the Governor’s desk for his signature and implementation. This legislation—sponsored by Representative Eisnaugle and Senator Gardiner, and supported by Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi—promotes a safer, healthier, and consumer-friendly resale market. The ARDA and ARDA-ROC Government Affairs team assisted the Florida Attorney General’s Office on the development of this consumer protection bill and lobbied on behalf of CS/CS/CS HB 1001 throughout all legislative hearings.
Arizona:
HB 2195 unanimously passed the Senate Commerce and Energy Committee on March 7. The Senate Rules Committee determined on March 12 that HB 2195 is PFC (proper for consideration) and can go to the full Senate for a vote. It is expected to move promptly to a vote within the next two weeks. Also, ARDA representatives met with the Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne’s Legislative Director Art Harding to discuss the issues surrounding timeshare resale and transfer companies, in case ARDA-Arizona decides to push for legislation on the subject matter in 2013.
Nevada:
The Nevada Real Estate Division has hired a new projects registration reviewer, Jean McFeaters, who started on February 6. Ms. McFeaters is responsible for reviewing subdivision and timeshare filings and can be reached at [email protected].
Utah:
HB 191, which includes language beneficial to the timeshare industry, timeshare owners, and associations, has been approved by both the Utah Senate and House of Representatives and been sent to the Governor for approval. HB 191 revises and updates the Utah Timeshare and Camp Resort Act and addresses a number of issues of interest to both ARDA and ARDA-ROC—including protections for personal information of owners and updates to general timeshare definitions contained in the Act.
Colorado:
HB 1116, resale and transfer company legislation sought by ARDA and ARDA-ROC, passed the Colorado House of Representatives on March 12. HB 1116 would establish standards for all resale services and prohibit advance fees for resale transfer services. The bill has now been placed on the floor calendar and is expected to be considered by the full House next week.
California:
AB 2290, legislation to revise current statutes to better protect owner information, was introduced by Assemblyman Hill on February 24. It has not yet been assigned to its Assembly committees but once it does, its passage will be supported by ARDA and ARDA-ROC.
Virginia:
On March 9th, Virginia’s 2012 General Assembly went into recess. With only a few days left in the session, Senate substitutes HB 233 and HB 234 unanimously passed the Senate and House of Delegates. The Governor must sign or veto the bills by April 8, 2012 or the bills will become law without his signature. HB 233 contains consumer-friendly timeshare resale provisions. HB 234 contains provisions that would make it easier for an HOA to advertise the availability of timeshare interests at foreclosure sale.
Missouri:
HB 1818, intended to address recurring property tax issues (particularly in Taney County), has been formally introduced in the Missouri legislature. The bill clarifies that timeshare properties are to be considered “residential” for purposes of property tax classification and limits an assessor’s discretion in determining rental use. We expect the bill will be heard in committee in the next few weeks and will provide additional updates as information becomes available.
Hawaii:
After passing out of the Senate last week, SB 2632 passed out of its first committee stop in the House of Representatives on March 12. The bill was introduced into the Hawaii legislature by Senator Baker and is supported by ARDA-Hawaii and ARDA-ROC. The bill expedites the process of moving all timeshare interests into public records by automatically deregistering those that currently reside in Land Court. SB 2632 will now move to its second committee for consideration.
SB 2284 in its original form, made changes to the way condominium owners access association-related information. However, in its one and only stop in the Senate, Senator Baker removed the language of the bill in its entirety, and replaced it with language to provide timeshare owners with the ability to obtain a copy of the owner list as maintained by the plan manager. The amendment also provides that the owner list may be purchased for a maximum $200 fee, along with a signed affidavit, stating that the purchaser will not misuse owner lists for marketing purposes. The bill was heard in the House Tourism Committee on March 12, with the committee electing to defer decision making on the bill until a later date. ARDA-ROC opposes this bill for numerous reasons, including the fact that the current timeshare regulations already provide that associations implement a mechanism for owners to communicate with their fellow owners for purposes of elections or other legitimate association business. In addition, ARDA-ROC believes this new requirement would intrude upon the privacy rights of the tens of thousands of owners who purchased timeshare in Hawaii under the expectation that their personal information would not be disclosed in this manner. ARDA-ROC will be monitoring the legislation as it moves through the legislative process and plans on taking steps to ensure it will not negatively affect timeshare owners in Hawaii.
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.
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We hope you will follow us and our blog, Timeshare Blogging by Advantage Vacation and 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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