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The hyperlink below is found on Forums and I think you have to be a member there in order to open it. But below the hyperlink are two postings found there. The posting title has now been changed to "Email to Arkansas Attorney General". Kendra
http://forums.atozed.com/viewtopic.php?f=1593&t=5852
New Hope for Owners - Lobby Letter to send to AR Asst. AG
by wyndhamrental on Fri Jan 16, 2009 11:42 am
Below are two threads from Wyndham Owners Give UP! but there is AN ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT letter from Ron that, with his permission, will make an excellent Lobby letter to send to the Arkansas Asst. Attorney General (whose address has been provided by Bill Spearman and is below). I've copied the two threads below and an attachment (with the address at the top). I think it best to discontinue the Wyndham Owners Give UP! thread and start a new one here.
Email to Arkansas Attorney General - 1/16/09by rjwh1wyndham on Fri Jan 16, 2009 9:51 am
I sent the following email to Arkansas AG based on Bill's contact info provided above. It may have some points you want to include in your own complaint/email...
I was referred to contact you by Bill Spearman regarding my concerns with the Wyndham VOA Trust formed in Arkansas and the Wyndham Corporation regarding business practices and conflict of Interests.
The Vacations Owner's Association (VOA) Trust provides the legal mechanism to allow owner's timeshare interest into points for trading within the Wyndham System. The Board of Director's (BOD) of the Trust have the fiduciary responsibility to operate the trust in the best interests of all the owners. Wyndham Corporation includes a Timeshare division which develops, sells, rents and manages Wyndham Timeshares and other Timeshare interests. All three VOA BOD members are corporate employees of Wyndham Corporation. In the past three or four years, the BOD has made decisions that significantly reduce individual owners value, flexibility and use of their timeshare interest at the same time benefitting the Wyndham Corporation. To me this is a clear violation of fiduciary responsibility by the board. Below are just a few examples of benefit reductions that have affected thousands of owners and increased the income of the corporation.
1. Platinum Owners (>1,000,000 points - Retail Cost > $100,000) used to have the benefit of Unlimited Guest Transfers. This allowed those owners to offer accommodations for guest from their ownership interest without paying guest fees to the Plan Manager (Wyndham). Wyndham removed the 'unlimited' guest transfers and made it 'one free" guest transfer for every 100,000 points. When this limitation was implemented, guest registration fees were about $50. This past Fall the rates went up to $129.
2. VIP Owners (> 300,000 points - Retail Cost > $30,000), because of their larger investment in timeshare points, receives discounts and benefits on services provided by Wyndham. Until about 3 years ago, the VIP benefits transferred with ownership. If you had to sell your timeshare, this increased the sales value due to the additional benefits. The decision to eliminate transfer of VIP benefits directly affected the resale value of ownership interests.
3. Extra Holidays (p/o Wyndham Corporation) changes to the VOA trust and plan administration provided access to many more units for Wyndham Corporation to rent directly and over the web. This gave Wyndham preferential treatment and lower administrative costs for access to units than other owners using late reservation discounts, etc. Wyndham has not provided an accounting to VOA members on how many units were rented by Wyndham at what income and how much was received by the trust in exchange for the rented units.
4. The VOA BOD apparently does not maintain public records on board minutes or board votes regarding Trust policies and procedures.
5. Several owners have requested the board implement a trust policy for expanding the board to 7 members (3 appointed by Wyndham, 4 voted on my owners). The board has denied the request several times. Owners have no recourse unless they put up a legal challenge against the board.
6. The most recent announcement in Dec 2008, eliminates the ability for owners to transfer their points to other owners. With the advent of the Web and Ebay, this allowed owners to receive a portion of their maintenance fees for transferring their points. This transfer of points also was in direct competition with Wyndham who charged between $5 and $10 per thousand points when needed to complete a reservation. The open market price was between $3.50 and $6 depending on advance time frame of points. At the same time they removed the ability for owners to transfer points, Wyndham increased their charges to between $8 and $13 per thousand points. This decision by the BOD directly reduces owner's flexibility and increases profitability to the Wyndham Corporation.
Under your authority for oversight of corporations and trusts in Arkansas. Please investigate these decisions and others made in direct conflict with the interests of owners to the benefit of Wyndham Corporation.
Ron
Re: Wyndham Owners Give Up!
by wyndhamrental on Fri Jan 16, 2009 11:11 am
BOY - AM I IMPRESSED WITH RON'S (rjwh1wyndham) LETTER!!!!!! We have our MASTER for our 'lobbying' use now!
I think the timing is EXCELLENT! It has taken a month to get the membership motivated, energenized, and Productive. A lot of great postings have been done in the last few days but THIS IS THE BEST!!! to be used in contacting the Attorney General offices in AK and FL - now that Bill Spearman has provided us with the Correct email address.
Everything comes around in its proper time - and the time is now. I'm also going to create a new thread for this important information. Kendra
To be sent to: Arkansas Assistant AG (should be our primary point of contact) - bradford.phelps@arkansasag.gov
but carbon copy AG Dustin McDaniel also - oag@arkansasag.gov
and fill out the online complaint form if you have a chance - http://www.arkansasag.gov/complaints_co ... nline.html
PS - Today I filed my list of people to Depose for my lawsuit against Wyndham and at the top of the list are - drum roll please - our three VOA BOD Brian Keller (President), Gary Byrd (Vice President) and Peter Hernandez (Treasurer). Please provide me (wyndhamrental@yahoo.com) with a list a questions that you would like me to ask them that must be answered under oath in a court of law. Thanks
http://forums.atozed.com/viewtopic.php?f=1593&t=5852
New Hope for Owners - Lobby Letter to send to AR Asst. AG
by wyndhamrental on Fri Jan 16, 2009 11:42 am
Below are two threads from Wyndham Owners Give UP! but there is AN ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT letter from Ron that, with his permission, will make an excellent Lobby letter to send to the Arkansas Asst. Attorney General (whose address has been provided by Bill Spearman and is below). I've copied the two threads below and an attachment (with the address at the top). I think it best to discontinue the Wyndham Owners Give UP! thread and start a new one here.
Email to Arkansas Attorney General - 1/16/09by rjwh1wyndham on Fri Jan 16, 2009 9:51 am
I sent the following email to Arkansas AG based on Bill's contact info provided above. It may have some points you want to include in your own complaint/email...
I was referred to contact you by Bill Spearman regarding my concerns with the Wyndham VOA Trust formed in Arkansas and the Wyndham Corporation regarding business practices and conflict of Interests.
The Vacations Owner's Association (VOA) Trust provides the legal mechanism to allow owner's timeshare interest into points for trading within the Wyndham System. The Board of Director's (BOD) of the Trust have the fiduciary responsibility to operate the trust in the best interests of all the owners. Wyndham Corporation includes a Timeshare division which develops, sells, rents and manages Wyndham Timeshares and other Timeshare interests. All three VOA BOD members are corporate employees of Wyndham Corporation. In the past three or four years, the BOD has made decisions that significantly reduce individual owners value, flexibility and use of their timeshare interest at the same time benefitting the Wyndham Corporation. To me this is a clear violation of fiduciary responsibility by the board. Below are just a few examples of benefit reductions that have affected thousands of owners and increased the income of the corporation.
1. Platinum Owners (>1,000,000 points - Retail Cost > $100,000) used to have the benefit of Unlimited Guest Transfers. This allowed those owners to offer accommodations for guest from their ownership interest without paying guest fees to the Plan Manager (Wyndham). Wyndham removed the 'unlimited' guest transfers and made it 'one free" guest transfer for every 100,000 points. When this limitation was implemented, guest registration fees were about $50. This past Fall the rates went up to $129.
2. VIP Owners (> 300,000 points - Retail Cost > $30,000), because of their larger investment in timeshare points, receives discounts and benefits on services provided by Wyndham. Until about 3 years ago, the VIP benefits transferred with ownership. If you had to sell your timeshare, this increased the sales value due to the additional benefits. The decision to eliminate transfer of VIP benefits directly affected the resale value of ownership interests.
3. Extra Holidays (p/o Wyndham Corporation) changes to the VOA trust and plan administration provided access to many more units for Wyndham Corporation to rent directly and over the web. This gave Wyndham preferential treatment and lower administrative costs for access to units than other owners using late reservation discounts, etc. Wyndham has not provided an accounting to VOA members on how many units were rented by Wyndham at what income and how much was received by the trust in exchange for the rented units.
4. The VOA BOD apparently does not maintain public records on board minutes or board votes regarding Trust policies and procedures.
5. Several owners have requested the board implement a trust policy for expanding the board to 7 members (3 appointed by Wyndham, 4 voted on my owners). The board has denied the request several times. Owners have no recourse unless they put up a legal challenge against the board.
6. The most recent announcement in Dec 2008, eliminates the ability for owners to transfer their points to other owners. With the advent of the Web and Ebay, this allowed owners to receive a portion of their maintenance fees for transferring their points. This transfer of points also was in direct competition with Wyndham who charged between $5 and $10 per thousand points when needed to complete a reservation. The open market price was between $3.50 and $6 depending on advance time frame of points. At the same time they removed the ability for owners to transfer points, Wyndham increased their charges to between $8 and $13 per thousand points. This decision by the BOD directly reduces owner's flexibility and increases profitability to the Wyndham Corporation.
Under your authority for oversight of corporations and trusts in Arkansas. Please investigate these decisions and others made in direct conflict with the interests of owners to the benefit of Wyndham Corporation.
Ron
Re: Wyndham Owners Give Up!
by wyndhamrental on Fri Jan 16, 2009 11:11 am
BOY - AM I IMPRESSED WITH RON'S (rjwh1wyndham) LETTER!!!!!! We have our MASTER for our 'lobbying' use now!
I think the timing is EXCELLENT! It has taken a month to get the membership motivated, energenized, and Productive. A lot of great postings have been done in the last few days but THIS IS THE BEST!!! to be used in contacting the Attorney General offices in AK and FL - now that Bill Spearman has provided us with the Correct email address.
Everything comes around in its proper time - and the time is now. I'm also going to create a new thread for this important information. Kendra
To be sent to: Arkansas Assistant AG (should be our primary point of contact) - bradford.phelps@arkansasag.gov
but carbon copy AG Dustin McDaniel also - oag@arkansasag.gov
and fill out the online complaint form if you have a chance - http://www.arkansasag.gov/complaints_co ... nline.html
PS - Today I filed my list of people to Depose for my lawsuit against Wyndham and at the top of the list are - drum roll please - our three VOA BOD Brian Keller (President), Gary Byrd (Vice President) and Peter Hernandez (Treasurer). Please provide me (wyndhamrental@yahoo.com) with a list a questions that you would like me to ask them that must be answered under oath in a court of law. Thanks
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