Somehow got elected to our Resort's board

[djyamyam Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close djyamyam]

We had our resort's annual meeting today. Actually, the original meeting had to be cancelled because not enough proxies got sent in in order to have quorum. I think there were actually only 10 live people at the meeting. (and I wasn't one of them because it's in another city).

So I emailed the treasurer and VP and made some suggestions on how to get more participation and etc. I also said I wanted to get involved. So they had a board meeting this evening and I asked if I could be conferenced called in. They said yes. I was also asked if I wanted to be on the board. The current board members are all part the management company. Their preference was to have members on the board. It seemed the mgmt folks were board members because no one wanted the "job". This past year was the first year where the developer was no longer involved. However the managent company is actively selling RCI Points and trying to solicit members to convert their weeks.

So any suggestions on what I should do as a new board member?

[timeos2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timeos2]

Great! Now get busy

Thats great. You need to get up to speed on exactly what is going on there. Ask to see the past meeting minutes they are a goldmine of information few owners ever see. Be sure to attend every meeting you can. Be involved and treat it like a job - you're helping to watch over the resort and the owners funds!

Get to know the other Board members and what they see as the direction for the resort. Find out if there is a lomg term plan in place and especially what the finances look like. Any carry over debt from year to year or signs of cash shortages at year end are big warning flags. Find out what the reserves look like and what they can pay for going forward.

You have a great opportunity to impact the resort and work for all owners as well as yourself to make it better. Enjoy and put in the effort - it pays off.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Have the resort offer point conversions for whatever RCI charges + a handling fee to cover resort staff time to process. Then let owners know the deal is available if anyone wants it.

If they have questions about Points, let RCI answer the questions since Points is RCI's program.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Congratulations! What resort is it? A conversion fee to RCI points of $199 only plus fees to cover the expense would make your resort very popular.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

If the management company is selling RCI Points, you have to ask two questions - 1) who is getting the profit, them or the HOA?, and 2) are they doing the usual shake down (RCI is getting rid of Weeks, you had better swtich now, while you can, etc.) to stampede conversions (which is downright fraudulent and should be stopped if it is happening)?

My first obective in your situation would be to work to get an all member-controlled board. Management company personel on an HOA board is a conflict of interest I would avoid like the plague.

I would broaden exchange options by dual affiliating with II, if you are not now dual affiliated. I would also educate members about their abilty to use the independent exchange companies. At least two of them will pay the postage for a resort newsletter if you include one of their brochures (DAE and Platinum will both do that). That also saves the HOA money since it pays the postage on two issues of the newsletter. Another entity which will do this BTW is timeshare magazine Timesharing Today. That makes free postage for three issues of the newsletter.

[Ryne08 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ryne08]

Thats great. You need to get up to speed on exactly what is going on there. Ask to see the past meeting minutes they are a goldmine of information few owners ever see. Be sure to attend every meeting you can. Be involved and treat it like a job - you're helping to watch over the resort and the owners funds!

Get to know the other Board members and what they see as the direction for the resort. Find out if there is a lomg term plan in place and especially what the finances look like. Any carry over debt from year to year or signs of cash shortages at year end are big warning flags. Find out what the reserves look like and what they can pay for going forward.

You have a great opportunity to impact the resort and work for all owners as well as yourself to make it better. Enjoy and put in the effort - it pays off.

Now that you are a board member. Please follow the above advice/suggestions and represent the owners of the resort.

Good Luck !

[djyamyam Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close djyamyam]

Thats great. You need to get up to speed on exactly what is going on there. Ask to see the past meeting minutes they are a goldmine of information few owners ever see. Be sure to attend every meeting you can. Be involved and treat it like a job - you're helping to watch over the resort and the owners funds!

Get to know the other Board members and what they see as the direction for the resort. Find out if there is a lomg term plan in place and especially what the finances look like. Any carry over debt from year to year or signs of cash shortages at year end are big warning flags. Find out what the reserves look like and what they can pay for going forward.

Our resort website has both the minutes from the general meeting as well as the financials online back to 2002. I know I should take a closer look at the reserves but I really didn't enjoy accounting at university.

There was a SA two years ago to upgrade the exterior of the buildings. However, with the skyrocketing construction costs, expenses did increase and some additional money was taken out of reserves. Those reserves will have to be replenished. There's no way around that. I will have to do some reading and then may touch base with some of you who are various HOAs and pick your brains to get options on how this can best be handled.

[djyamyam Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close djyamyam]

Have the resort offer point conversions for whatever RCI charges + a handling fee to cover resort staff time to process. Then let owners know the deal is available if anyone wants it.

They've been selling points for some time through the managment company. They charge the big amount $3000. We were fortunate as one of the units we purchased resale had been converted to points by the previous owner because I sure wouldn't pay that fee.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

They've been selling points for some time through the managment company. They charge the big amount $3000. We were fortunate as one of the units we purchased resale had been converted to points by the previous owner because I sure wouldn't pay that fee.

Your original question was: "So any suggestions on what I should do as a new board member?".

So I repeat:Have the resort offer point conversions for whatever RCI charges + a handling fee to cover resort staff time to process. Then let owners know the deal is available if anyone wants it.

find out how much RCI charges for the conversion. Then start asking who is keeping all of the conversion money, and start asking why the conversion costs are being stuck to the current owners. If the resort is going to be in bed with ripping off its owners, shouldn't the resort at least be getting a good chunk of the money back to hold down fees?

But doesn't it make more sense to simply offer low cost conversion as an in-house service. Your management company won't like it, because they won't be getting those fat fees anymore off of your fellow owners. But just because they are your management company doesn't entitle them to fleece your owners on the side.

[djyamyam Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close djyamyam]

If the management company is selling RCI Points, you have to ask two questions - 1) who is getting the profit, them or the HOA?, and 2) are they doing the usual shake down (RCI is getting rid of Weeks, you had better swtich now, while you can, etc.) to stampede conversions (which is downright fraudulent and should be stopped if it is happening)?.

I don't believe they are that bad. They do toute the flexibility benefits side of things. However, you do raise a good point about how much of the profit goes back to the resort. I do remember talking with the general manager of another resort I was previously looking to purchase that is a Points resort and they were getting roughly 4/10 of the conversion amount being charged. Something to look into.

My first obective in your situation would be to work to get an all member-controlled board. Management company personel on an HOA board is a conflict of interest I would avoid like the plague.

This might be a bit tough to do seeing as members didn't even send enough proxies in to get quorum for the annual meeting. I believe I'm the first member in a while that has shown interest (rather made enough effort) in getting involved. Heck, I wasn't actually there. They conferenced called me in after I asked to see if that was possible.

I would broaden exchange options by dual affiliating with II, if you are not now dual affiliated. I would also educate members about their abilty to use the independent exchange companies. At least two of them will pay the postage for a resort newsletter if you include one of their brochures (DAE and Platinum will both do that). That also saves the HOA money since it pays the postage on two issues of the newsletter. Another entity which will do this BTW is timeshare magazine Timesharing Today. That makes free postage for three issues of the newsletter.

Again a good consideration. I don't think we even have newsletters at our resort.

While change is good, too much too quickly is not a good thing. I will have to be careful about how I go about making suggestions. I know that Cindy has run into some road blocks at her HOA when she got elected. However, it is all in how you go about it. I've got to understand first before I seek to be understood by the others.

[shopgirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shopgirl]

Yes, it has been an uphill battle and is probably one I am going to end in one year, when my time is up. I have failed in making changes but have been asked to help with some choices for decor. This is something I look forward to, but when it is done, I also will be. Our resort is only one hour from my house, which is quite convenient. I am planning to go up there in a few weeks to talk to the owner of the management company about his goals for our resort and see if they are anywhere near mine. Then I will decide whether to sell our ski week 1. Rick has been pushing me to give up the ship for a while now. He really wants more Foxrun weeks and sees that resort as a better future for the two of us, lots more choices at our favorite places, like Hawaii and Florida.

I have met resistance from two board members, the only other two left. The other two resigned, both sold their weeks and fled in a cloud of dust. I think one of the remaining board members thinks I chased them out. On the contrary, one guy was trying to sell his week way before I came on the scene last year. The other guy chose different priorities for his old age, and he was pretty old, probably 80 or more. He was actually pushing for the same things I was, so I lost an ally.

We have had zero meetings this past year. The annual meeting is in three weeks. I find it bizarre. No board meetings, none discussed, nothing to vote on. The annual meeting will be conducted by the resort manager instead of the president, and new people will take the board positions officially on that date. I hope to talk to Hatrack about the situation and expect him to show up at the meeting, as well as PA, Philip.

I wonder how Philip is doing with gathering his proxies? Interesting that he has not been around here much. Any Worldmark news?

What resort djyamyam? I don't think you ever said.

[djyamyam Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close djyamyam]

What resort is it?

The resort is Whistler Vacation Club at Lake Placid Lodge

[djyamyam Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close djyamyam]

Can I run some things by some other board members?

So based on feedback, I've gone to the management company and received some further information. I don't want to broadcast all the specifics but is there someone that could be willing to serve as a sounding board for me on this information that I have received and serve as a bit of a mentor to guide me in my interations with the mgmt company and other board members?

I guess I could ask to set up an HOA forum for our resort but I don't think there are any other members here.

[1950bing Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 1950bing]

You are in a great position to do a lot for the OWNERS! Please be a sounding board for the owners. My biggest complaint with the whole timeshare mess was that owners had no input as to how much m/f were to be. How increases were figured and how much of an increase was if needed if at all. All owners should have a vote in matters such as this. Special asscessments was another big issue too. No notice, just a bill and owners had no say but had to pay.
It is a known fact that owners who do not pay their way are PAID by owners that do pay! This is so unfair. Unpaid fees should not be passed on. Hire a lawyer to go after them and make them pay keeping my fees the lowest that they can be. Fees should be what it costs a resort to maintain a standard and not a means of a profit figured in to my fee. They can make a profit by renting out rooms that are not used and other means.
All resorts should have a method for owners that want to rid themselves of their t/s. This would get rid of all the scammers that prey on owners. After all,they purchased it there, they paid many many years of fees. Why not help them out?
S0, consider the owner for what they are, people. Not just a number by which to charge a fee to.
You have a chance to turn around the sour taste that timeshares now have in the mouths of many many people. Remember, the owners are the ones that drive the world of timeshares. Be good to them, don't abuse them the way the industry has for so many years. Be bold and remember who you work for, the owners. A happy owner that is treated fairly and treated as a human being will be happy to pay a fair amount of m/f.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

I agree. Two of the resorts I have owned at on the OBX require a vote of owners to adopt the budget, which sets the m/f, or to adopt a special assessment. The board merely recommends a proposed budget after getting input from management and the treausrer.

You are in a great position to do a lot for the OWNERS! Please be a sounding board for the owners. My biggest complaint with the whole timeshare mess was that owners had no input as to how much m/f were to be. How increases were figured and how much of an increase was if needed if at all. All owners should have a vote in matters such as this. Special asscessments was another big issue too. No notice, just a bill and owners had no say but had to pay.
It is a known fact that owners who do not pay their way are PAID by owners that do pay! This is so unfair. Unpaid fees should not be passed on. Hire a lawyer to go after them and make them pay keeping my fees the lowest that they can be. Fees should be what it costs a resort to maintain a standard and not a means of a profit figured in to my fee. They can make a profit by renting out rooms that are not used and other means.
All resorts should have a method for owners that want to rid themselves of their t/s. This would get rid of all the scammers that prey on owners. After all,they purchased it there, they paid many many years of fees. Why not help them out?
S0, consider the owner for what they are, people. Not just a number by which to charge a fee to.
You have a chance to turn around the sour taste that timeshares now have in the mouths of many many people. Remember, the owners are the ones that drive the world of timeshares. Be good to them, don't abuse them the way the industry has for so many years. Be bold and remember who you work for, the owners. A happy owner that is treated fairly and treated as a human being will be happy to pay a fair amount of m/f.