$5,893.32 special assessment for Diamond's Point at Poipu

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

They didn't keep it under wraps. The situation has been discussed regularly in the owners newsletter for the last year or so, including the decisions about dropping litigation. People who profess that this came out of the blue are really betraying that they have not been in touch with owner communications.

That being said, they certainly gave no hint as to the size of the assessments. That was totally sprung at the last minute. And I'm sure that was done in part, if not primarily, to limit the ability of owners to bail.

You're right. I did research the owners minutes; very sparse and in executive sessions. Not very clear for us people not having the time to spend following these things. Have to work to pay those exhorbinant annual fee increases. Its episodes such as this that have created the distrust across the nation, in corporate america.

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

May I safely assume that you realize that adding a provision such as this would cause the contractors to increase their bids to accommodate the increased risk thay are being asked to assume? Can you tell us how much you expect that contractors would add to their bids and how much that would add to the aasessments?

With the way these people are operating (owner unfriendly), I'd much rather see the additional fee upfront for a cap on the project, knowing full well, it couldn't be reassessed down the road. Don't trust them.

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

Visited Kaanapoli Beach Club

We went last week to Kaanapali and were lured into an owners meeting with the person we had bought a second amount of points from two years ago.We thought we would go just to see what she had to say. We went into the meeting telling her our feelings on the "special assessment" and even after we shared our feelings she still tried to sell us more points - at double what we paid last time plus they wanted our other time share for trade in. I couldn't believe it. They are selling 4500 points now for $22k. All I could do was laugh when she sat down and tried to convince me we needed more points. She also never answered straight forward if we could get charged again next year if they need more money since maybe some folks will just walk away. It was a frustrating meeting and like I say, I walked away shaking my head that they could expect us to invest more money into an organization that treated it's owners like we have been treated this year.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

The industry has always had that thin veneer of everything is alright and everything we say is true.

The general public knows it is not, but for whatever reason the industry has been able to dodge the scrutiny of the powers-that-be, except for the truly outrageous, obvious, slam-dunk-conviction ripoffs.

The industry itself will likely do itself in.

At the point in time when enough owners ban together (whether that is done perfectly or not) and simply say, "We aren't doing this," things may change. How much would it cost for DRI to litigate against 5000, say, different people scattered around the world? So what if they get a judgement and put a lien on something those owners don't care to relinguish?

If they actually want to own a timeshare, they can pick one up for a dollar.

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

... She also never answered straight forward if we could get charged again next year if they need more money since maybe some folks will just walk away. It was a frustrating meeting and like I say, I walked away shaking my head that they could expect us to invest more money into an organization that treated it's owners like we have been treated this year.

It is absolutely amazing to me how a company (DRI) can employ employees who is so blinded by the mighty dollar ("just make the sale!!!") that they fail (or straightout REFUSE) to answer a returning customer's question in an open and honest manner. This sort of childish, disrespectful behavior not only results in a lost sale, but more importantly the Company has lost an ambassador in that returning customer.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

DRI are not the only ones playing dirty about disclosure. Do you see any owners trying to unload mentioning the SA?

hawaii real estate - by owner classifieds "point at poipu" - craigslist

An eBay ad mentions that the seller (charity) is paying the 2012 portion of the SA, but then does not disclose that the buyer has an obligation to pay the balance. It says Special Assessments: 0. It does not list it in the buyer's obligations.

hawaii real estate - by owner classifieds "point at poipu" - craigslist

[Brogers92026 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Brogers92026]

First, I'm not directly involved, but am watching from the sidelines.

But, I had a thought and partial solution to the potential situation where many owners default on their timeshare. My understanding is that if an owner defaults, DRI gets the timeshare back but the current owners will be responsible for the shortfall for the repair program.

What would be fairer and what might be more acceptable to owners left holding the bag - - is to give the owners who face yet additional charges, an increase in the number of points that they own. A person having to cough up money to cover people abandoning their timeshare should get some fractional ownership of that timeshare. DRI shouldn't be getting 100% ownership of the defaulted timeshare while the owners paying the additional fees are getting nothing. If DRI is reading these posts, they should consider that option.

But this is just my idea....watching from the sidelines....

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

There's a great adage that really demonstrates the self-serving interest by some of the people that post regularly on this forum;

"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem"

It puzzles me why someone that spends so much time expressing their knowledge about the situation and are more than willing to give their opinions on solutions, but when it comes down to really assisting, they choose to use the back door.

The people that are getting blindsided (YES, I said blindsided) are looking for information that will help them, and I would think that you would find a way to direct them to other owners that are uniting together like the large group at

deleted link

YES, blindsided....just like the 82 year old couple that purchased 4 weeks of vacation time over 10 years ago and relied on the Board of Directors to do their job and make decisions as a representative of the owners. And now you want them to navigate through DRI's website periodically to get updates because they don't bother to send us updates.
Instead they get hit with the news that they will need to pay for an assessment on top of their annual fees that have doubled to a total of $14,500 est. for each of the next 3 years. These people did not sign up for that.

We purchased a vacation, not a damn headache!

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

First, I'm not directly involved, but am watching from the sidelines.

But, I had a thought and partial solution to the potential situation where many owners default on their timeshare. My understanding is that if an owner defaults, DRI gets the timeshare back but the current owners will be responsible for the shortfall for the repair program.

No - when an owner defaults the Homeowners Association gets the timeshare back. Now, the HOA isn't motivated to keep the timeshare - they would rather get it back into productive status. And the easiest way to make that happen is TO make the timeshare available in the sales program, which, of course, is operated by DRI.

[singlemalt_18 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close singlemalt_18]

We purchased a vacation, not a damn headache!

There is another old phrase from the Latin:

Caveat Emptor

Actually, you purchased an esoteric real estate claim. I was a deeded owner at KBC and I now am on the hook for a piece of this through the DRI trust. I don't want to repeat so please see my posts on this here:

Latest from Concerned Deeded Owners Pt at P - Timeshare Users Group Online Community Forums

I will however say this much again. The problem at Poipu is a mess.

Timeshares are a sophisticated real estate purchase made to mostly unsophisticated real estate investors. They have risks and obligations, and as such have caused a lot of ill will.

Now, disenchanted owners with years of pent-up frustrations of one kind or another, on the heels of trying to survive the financial challenges of the past three years, are being told that the Kobayashi Maru of timeshare ownership has occurred, and that the previously unthinkable mother of all assessments is now due upon receipt.

Who wouldn't be upset? But I think it is a little quixotic to be going after DRI on this. I feel badly for deeded owners and all the "unqualified" buyers who would have never been in a position to meet this type of financial obligation. The future in where all of this ends up over the next few years is anyone's guess. What this really shows is that serious reforms in timeshare arrangements and contracts are badly needed to prevent things from ever falling so far off the charts again.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I'm not involved, but am following my advice . . . don't pay.

Go out the back, Jack.
No need to be coy, Roy.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Dear Mr. (Me),

If you would like to file a complaint, you may file your complaint with the Regulated Industries Complaints office. The Director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs has delegated all complaint filing, investigation and prosecution to this agency. They can be contacted at: Regulated Industries Complaints Office, 235 S. Beretania Street, 9th Floor, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813. A complaint form can also be found on RICO's website at: Complaint, Application and Report Forms — Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs.

Please be advised that the current disclosure statement for the Diamond Resorts Hawaii Collection, TD-174, states that " the Developer has now determined that it will pay for such special assessment on behalf of all Points that are purchased after January 30, 2011." Therefore, people who are purchasing points in the time share plan now will not be responsible for paying the special assessment.

Lori Beth Van Cantfort
Time Share Program
Professional and Vocational Licensing Division
Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box 3469
Honolulu, HI 96801
Telephone: (808) 586-2709
E-mail: (deleted)
Internet: Professional and Vocational Licensing (PVL) — Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

The following may be the opening some of you have been looking fo.r

Specifically, I have mentioned to them that stuff is being offered for resale without disclosing the Special Assessment. I will be providing some of that type of information. I have not gone into your concerns about DRI and how this has been handled with the owners.

I will provide them with links to this discussion, and others elsewhere.

I concur with others here, that if you (owners) wish to file complaints, that you not do so half-cocked, as that would only dissuade officials from looking into valid complaints later.

You may contact me via PM for the email address I have deleted below.
- - - - - -
Dear Mr. (Me),

You can provide us with the information you have and we will forward it to RICO for investigation.

Lori Beth Van Cantfort
Time Share Program
Professional and Vocational Licensing Division
Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box 3469
Honolulu, HI 96801
Telephone: (808) 586-2709
E-mail: (deleted)
Internet: Professional and Vocational Licensing (PVL) — Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

If Hawaii government officials did not know about this problem, these discussions, the new owners' web-site, and resales not disclosing the special assessment, they do now.

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

May I safely assume that you realize that adding a provision such as this would cause the contractors to increase their bids to accommodate the increased risk thay are being asked to assume? Can you tell us how much you expect that contractors would add to their bids and how much that would add to the aasessments?

Late getting back to this site but would like to add a comment to Mr Oglodyte's reply. I'd much prefer the additional assessment and pay the figure up front vs being surprised after the fact, which is pretty much the way DRI is handling the situation at this time. I would think that an upfront additional assessment with a potential fine attached, would motivate people to stay on their toes and diligently try to get things done in a timely and efficient manner. Kind of like stepping up to the plate and acting responsibly. I do not trust DRI and wouldn't be surprised if another assessment were to follow.