seeking advice on purchase at Club Le Pension

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

There are currently 2 auctions running on ebay now for weeks at Club Le Pension. If they are correct in their description, I want one of them, but I suspect the seller is mistaken about the 52 week float he is advertising.
I have looked all over the web ;on this forum and other places, including the Blue Green site , the resort managers blog and the resort website. I have also called the resort, and Blue Green central without success .
I own a week at Wyndhams Avenue Plaza and it floats across all weeks except Mardi Gras, Jazz fest and the Sugar Bowl. I suspect something like that at Club Le Pension, but cant be sure and I want to be sure before I bid. By the way the seller suggested I do my own research, he is standing behind his ad.
Several questions that I havent been able to get answers to:
1) the ads say these weeks float all 52 weeks. Does anyone know whether that’s true?, or is it more likely (as I suspect) that there are black out weeks at Mardi Gras and the Jazz fest
2) At what point can a weeks owner make a reservation, (15 months out, 12 months?) And who gets Mardi Gras (assuming Im right about black out weeks) Did they sell some special weeks for these dates like at Avenue Plaza
3) I assume a blue green points owner can make a reservation here. Do weeks owners have priority? or is there enough points inventory so that would it make more sense to just buy the points (assuming there will be availability
I understand the resort is closing after Mardi Gras 2011 and may be closed until after Mardi Gras 2012, but Mardi Gras 2013 in a renovated Club Le Pension is what Im looking for

Thanks for your help

Ron Parise

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Big special assessment coming this year on Club La Pension. And, resort will be closed for a year. I would think twice before purchasing it.

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

BocaBumm99

I know about the assessment and closing for major repairs. Thats what attracted me to this property. (Im betting that there wont be another big assessment for years) That and the fact that its on the edge of the French Quarter and on several Mardi Gras parade routes. The buildings are old, have character and not the cookie cutter condos I see in so many resorts

What I need to know before I go ahead with the purchase is how weeks reservations work at this resort. Im told that this contract is a floating week and it floats over all 52 weeks. but Im concerned that there may be some rule or exception for Mardi Gras. And its Mardi Gras that Im after.

I had hoped someone here was a weeks owner and knew how the reservations worked at Le Pension

Ron Parise

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

BocaBumm99

I know about the assessment and closing for major repairs. Thats what attracted me to this property. (Im betting that there wont be another big assessment for years) That and the fact that its on the edge of the French Quarter and on several Mardi Gras parade routes. The buildings are old, have character and not the cookie cutter condos I see in so many resorts

What I need to know before I go ahead with the purchase is how weeks reservations work at this resort. Im told that this contract is a floating week and it floats over all 52 weeks. but Im concerned that there may be some rule or exception for Mardi Gras. And its Mardi Gras that Im after.

I had hoped someone here was a weeks owner and knew how the reservations worked at Le Pension

Ron Parise

I like the units are fixed weeks. I do not believe they float.

Also, if you are going to purchase, do it after the special assessment.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

I like the units are fixed weeks. I do not believe they float.

Also, if you are going to purchase, do it after the special assessment.

I know/suspect that Boca is giving you the corect advice - but why not just call the resort and ask if they are a fixed week/fixed unit resort or a floating week resort?

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

Its not that I dont appreciate the advice: I do , Its just that I didnt ask for it.

I said clearly in my post that I know that there has been a special assessment and I know that the resort will be closed for a year

I believe, rightly or wrongly that once the work is done that this will be, at least from a physical plant standpoint, a better resort. At least I am willing to take that risk.

I have checked with the resort and am following the managers blog, where she is planning to detail their progress as the project moves forward. I also checked with the resort regarding my question regarding fixed or floating weeks and the possibility of black out weeks. The resort referred me to Blue Green, and Blue Green wouldnt talk to me because I wasnt a member. Perhaps I gave up to soon. Frustrated; I came to these boards hoping to find a friendly person with some experience at this resort...no such luck. Instead I got the advice to stay away from this resort, or at least dont buy until the special assessment is done...by the way it is done, the bills are out and in the case of the membership I want to buy; its paid.

the bigger question in my mind now is; do I want to buy into a timeshare company where the advice of current owners is "dont buy".

I have researched these boards and found that someone else here asked the very same question I did. He didnt get an answer either

Heres that post>>>>>

anyone know the reservation rules for fixed/flex weeks at Club La Pension? It's a relatively new resort and I haven't had to deal with it yet. The Bluegreen reservation line has a special call prompt just for reservations at this resort which means the reservation rules are too complex for the normal reservation line.>>>>

bocabumm, you might recognize that question, it was yours. . And I didnt see any answer to it. If you still dont know the answer, thats fine, but I would have expected you to say as much, instead of side-stepping the question with some unsolicited advice

So heres what Im going to do...Im going to make an offer on the week I see for sale and expect that the seller is an honorable fellow, that will return my money and take the week back if it turns out the week isnt as described.

Ron Parise

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

delete

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

BocaBumm99 didnt say that the weeks were fixed weeks, he said:

"I like the units are fixed weeks. I do not believe they float"

Quite frankly I dont care whether he likes fixed weeks or float weeks, and he seemed unsure whether the weeks at La Pension are fixed or floating

But just when I was giving up on finding any answers here, I got a personal email from an owner at la Pension He answered my question in just a few lines.

"If you want weeks for Mardi Gra, they will be hard to get as they are sold at a premium. The float weeks you have been asking about will not work for Mardi Gra. I have a float week and have switched it out in as little as 60 days but not for a Mardi Gra week. It is a good resort,..."

As I said I was going to go ahead and make my purchase trusting that the seller would honor his money back guarantee, if things turned out to be something other than what was described in the ad

Thanks to all that responded to my question, and Im sorry that I seem to have offended some of you by asking a question you didnt know the answer to.

And a sincere thanks to John who was able to answer me

I wont be back here again

Ron Parise

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Your welcome Ron.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

BocaBumm99 didnt say that the weeks were fixed weeks, he said:

"I like the units are fixed weeks. I do not believe they float"

Quite frankly I dont care whether he likes fixed weeks or float weeks, and he seemed unsure whether the weeks at La Pension are fixed or floating

But just when I was giving up on finding any answers here, I got a personal email from an owner at la Pension He answered my question in just a few lines.

"If you want weeks for Mardi Gra, they will be hard to get as they are sold at a premium. The float weeks you have been asking about will not work for Mardi Gra. I have a float week and have switched it out in as little as 60 days but not for a Mardi Gra week. It is a good resort,..."

As I said I was going to go ahead and make my purchase trusting that the seller would honor his money back guarantee, if things turned out to be something other than what was described in the ad

Thanks to all that responded to my question, and Im sorry that I seem to have offended some of you by asking a question you didnt know the answer to.

And a sincere thanks to John who was able to answer me

I wont be back here again

Ron Parise

I typed in the wrong word. My apologies. It was a typo. The word "like" should have been the word "think".

"I THINK the units are fixed weeks. I do not believe they float"

I think Club La Pension is a great resort. I am very pleased to have it in the Bluegreen Vacation Club. As long as you know that there is a special assessment coming and have worked out who will pay for it and you have verified whether or not your 52 week float assumption is correct, you should go for it.

Just beware, that I once encountered an owner with 5 of these weeks. I contacted Bluegreen thinking that I could help them get Mardi Gras week. I couldn't. I didn't pursue it any further, but in that one instance, the weeks were fixed. I don't know the reservation rules for Club La Pension.

Lastly, the closing costs and transfer fees for New Orleans are very high. I think the are from $700-1000 unless you use some type of quit claim loophole. Be careful, you may end up owning this for life.

Whatever you decide to do, have fun.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Okay, I sent an email to someone who is familiar with Club La Pension and here is what she told me. I don't fully understand the details, but here is the info I got.

All weeks do indeed float. However, there is a special deed type called "event week." Event weeks include Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. I am not sure if it does indeed include week 52, but it makes sense that it should. This needs further verification.

Evidently, there is some mechanism whereby event week owners get a first crack at those weeks, then everyone else goes. I am not sure how that priority is set. My example didn't work because the owner I was working with did not own event weeks.

If you want, I'll contact Bluegreen to get the details. If you are gone, I'll do it when the next person asks if an owner there doesn't post the answer first.

[nussie12 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close nussie12]

same question

I am considering purchasing a floating week here. i own two fixed timeshare weeks in Vermont. I am just wondering how the floating method works. we usually trade our vermont weeks, but are buying the NOLA week as we love to travel to new orleans. We feek it would be wonderful to have a time share in the quarter.

Does anyone know when you would make contact for the floating system and how the process works with the resort?

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

I am considering purchasing a floating week here. i own two fixed timeshare weeks in Vermont. I am just wondering how the floating method works. we usually trade our vermont weeks, but are buying the NOLA week as we love to travel to new orleans. We feek it would be wonderful to have a time share in the quarter.

Does anyone know when you would make contact for the floating system and how the process works with the resort?

Generally when you pay your maintenance fees for the new year you can reserve a week for the new year that falls within your float limits. There are variations of floating weeks - some float all 52 weeks, some are limited to certain times of the year, some have multiple week ranges that you can select from during the year. In any case, there must be a unit available to make a reservation so you would want to make a reservation as early as possible.

I'm not sure how it's handled if, say, your fees are due Jan 1 and you want to go in Jan. Most likely there won't be any units available on such short notice, depending on popularity of the resort at that time of year.