Will Colony Plaza finally come tumbling down!

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

Timeshare Owner Of Condemned Hotel Wants Answers - News Story - WFTV Orlando

This building has been empty and fenced off for years- and the lady lived in the area and wasn't aware the property had been condemned. I feel bad for her situation, but this story is just ridiculous to me..

I can't wait for a local ambulance chaser to jump on the bandwagon and take up her case.. Insist on a payoff before the demolition can occur or something....

Perhaps the reporter should invite her back there for a last week of vacation before it comes tumbling down! She'd have the run of the entire place.... They could run a daily series for the week based on her adventures!

I love the last line..... "Ocoee's City Manager insists they're not anticipating any legal action, because condo and timeshare owners will still own the air space for their units, after the building comes down on Saturday."

Not sure how she'll get to her 7th floor villa- but looks like he believes that she will still own it! Wonder if the county will still try to charge her for property taxes...

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

So...what did the other timeshare owners say? Did they get some sort of settlement?

She only bought this in 1998--was it a thriving timeshare then?

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

It was a joint venture- hotel with a few hundred timeshare owners. The hotel business declared bankruptcy- leaving the timeshare owners in the lurch...

There was a major fire back in 2001 I believe, and the fire and flood damage caused by the sprinkler system was extensive. Refurbishment was started, but then there was a lawsuit between the developer and the insurance company over the insurance payout that delayed things. Meanwhile, the hotel declared bankruptcy and dissolved. At that point, the building was basically abandoned. Then, thieves and vagrants kept breaking in. Ripped out the copper for scrap- broke most of the windows- etc.. Destroyed everything that the fire and water had not finished... I think there were even a few more fires over the years as homeless people moved in and started camping out inside the structure.

The local government has been in the process of foreclosing and condemning the building since about 2005.. Many of the timeshare owners were from Puerto Rico and Venezuela (that's where most of the marketing was done) so that complicated things even more...

It's a really sad story- but that building needs to be torn down...

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

Thanks for the back story. I feel sorry for the owners...I guess most of them are just giving up, if they even know about the knockdown.

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

Video of the implosion...

http://www.cfnews13.com/MediaPlayer2...el%20Implosion

Looks like it's finally gone!

I did contact the owner of Timeshares Only about the lady in the report, and he agreed to give her a free timeshare ownership. Hopefully, the end result of this will be good for both her and the local community.

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

Where was this timeshare?

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

http://www.cfnews13.com/MediaPlayer2...el%20Implosion

Looks like it's finally gone!

I did contact the owner of Timeshares Only about the lady in the report, and he agreed to give her a free timeshare ownership. Hopefully, the end result of this will be good for both her and the local community.

Oh, that was smart of you! And nice, too!