Raintree Vacation Club [RVC] review: special assessment fee 14

I received the "Special Assessment Fee" notice in today's mail. At first I thought they were double-billing me, as I paid my maintenance fee ($957) just a few weeks ago, and this was for the same amount. I called the number on the bill, and the woman was quite upset by all the complaint calls she has been receiving. She recommended I email the specialassessment@raintree address given on the statement, which I did.

Personally, I stayed at the Club Regina at Los Cabos last year. I found the units to be in disrepair, and complained to management there a couple times. I mentioned the state of our accomodations to the sales personnel - while attending the "sales pitch" we all get whenever we vacation - they told me that the problem was that Raintree was breaking off with the Westin over maintenance and upkeep disputes, and that that was why all the construction was taking place at our site. Apparently the Westin will no longer be providing services to Club Regina guests so Club Regina was, at that time, building a spa facility.

In my email to Mr Bech I commented that I believed these added costs were being levied on owners to cover the costs of the break with The Westin. I recommended that the Raintree top executives take a big cut in pay for the next year to pay for these supposed upgrades, as this was clearly a management blunder and users should not be held responsible!

lalizzie

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reply from RVC

It has come to our attention that your organization has failed to act in conformity with Federal and California laws governing, inter alia, contractual agreements, fraudulent business activities, unfair competition and good faith and fair dealing.
This office understands our clients have received demands from your company for payment of a “Special Assessment Fee.” We also understand that no such Fee was ever contemplated in the contract executed between your organization and our clients. Further, no other understanding was established with regard to such a fee on an oral basis.
In addition to liability for breach of contract, statutory liability for unfair business practices and unfair competition, it is our position that your company may also be liable
for such tortfeasances as fraud, fraud in the inducement, interference with a business contract, interference with prospective economic advantage, and defamation on the basis of information that has been received by this office from our clients and other Purchasers engaged in business with your organization.
You are hereby notified that our clients have not authorized Raintree’s “Special Authorization Fee.” You are also hereby notified that you are to immediately cease and desist all attempts to collect such a fee. To cease and desist you must stop all attempts at collecting such a fee and maintain our clients’ good standing because aside from this disagreement, our clients enjoy their relationship with your organization and they look forward to fulfilling all their legal obligations owed under the controlling contracts.
We demand that your organization cease all current and future behavior giving rise to civil liability, i.e., demanding that our clients pay this fictional “Special Assessment Fee.” You are hereby notified that unless your cooperation is obtained, and all future interactions with our clients are conducted utilizing the utmost professional, non-fraudulent decorum, this office shall begin formal proceedings against your organization by filing complaints for economic damages in both Federal and State courts.
Very truly yours,
LAW OFFICES OF RUSSELL GOODROW
By: ____________________
Russell L. Goodrow
cc:

FOR THE CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT AGAINST RVC PLEASE CONTACT THE LAWYER

Law Offices of Russell Goodrow
Law Chambers Building
345 Franklin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Tel [protected]
Fax [protected]
russellgoodrow@goodrowlaw.com
www.goodrowlaw.com

We are trying to decide whether to pay this special assessment. Has anyone been able to get anywhere with this. Can they require you to pay this?

We have compiled a list in excess of 100 members that are communicating and strategizing with a goal of contacting the attorney general in multiple states, especially Texas and AG Andrew Cuomo in New York. If you want to be a part of the combined effort, please send your email address to Ogden1995@aol.com.

The longest and most thorough thread of complaints and comments is at Raintree — Trying to charge a &Special Assessment&. The title of this complaint is “Trying to charge a ‘Special Assessment.’"

For the convenience of the authorities who might want to read members postings and for future reference, it seems it would be best to accumulate all comments under the above thread. There are already 13 pages on the thread.

Thank you.

I must admit I was more than a bit horrified when I finally registered online at Raintree (to check to see if that "special assessment" was really from Raintree, and not some kind of elaborate scam) and discovered that first of all, that assessment is really from Raintree, but also that my Gold membership only gives me 45, 000 points per year but my Gold resort(s) all cost 50, 000 points per year. This is totally bizarre. We purchased 50 years' worth of one-bedroom ("Club Suite") annual vacations in 1999, and have been using and/or exchanging (and sometimes accelerating) every year since then and we've been pleased with the resorts for the most part, but I am beginning to wonder what is going on nowadays.

I've tried to make reservations twice this year, once with 2 months in advance and once with 5 months in advance, both of them were denied.

Decided to not pay for maintance until I would be able to obtain a reservation when I needed it, ended up getting charged a late fee.

To make things even worse, I've received a special additional 1350 USD for a special unjustified amount of money. Talked about with them and could't get anywhere with them, for sure I won't be paying any additional amounts.

Would suggets to sue them, to get my full membership cost reinbursed, they can't simply be changing annual fees and charging additional amounts radomly.

I've stayed in Los Cabos, 3 years ago, was in total disarray, old furniture, It looked like furniture was not mantained/replaced in years.

Stayed in Cancun in 2007, water was not heated on the Club side, ended up going to the Westin side.

Don't know if it has happened to you, ever since we purchased in, the type of rooms and the season we had, is been changing to less, depending of what system they start using, from different room types to differebt precious stones levels to now points with no regard for prior benefit level being equal

Victor Zertuche
victorzertuche@hotmail.com

If you need a large group voice box...join us by sending your email addresses to

Rshuerta@aol.com
or
violang@comcast.net

Our group of RainTree Vacation members with complaints is growing in size !

I am very close to purchasing a timeshare at Club Regina in Cabo through Redweek. I just found this blog info - is Raintree really as bad as the blogging indicates? Are they in financial trouble? Are there any happy owners?

Thanks,
Frank

I received the same thing in the mail and got the same exact fee as my maintenance fee also and one month to pay. I don't believe the members ever voting on such improvements and they can not possibly be the same amount as the maintenance fee. I feel we should all form a class action suit against Raintree. Also with the state of our economy I personally can not even afford such a fee and could not come at the worst timing. If there is already a suit forming, please let me know.

Thank you,

Terry Snyder
terryplynn@yahoo.com

Hi there,

Several of us are attempting to collect a list of names of those interested in joining forces, outside of blogging, in addressing this special assessment. If you are interested please email me your name, address and phone number. We are working on a formal letter that would include our contact list of members who oppose the SA.

Please pass this on to any other Raintree members, we are going to need significant numbers to make a difference.

Thanks!

Chris Ogden
ogden1995@aol.com
phone: 520.572.2581

I have spoken to an attorney based in Ft. Worth, Texas and he is in the process of reviewing our RVC/Club Regina contract as well as the RVC Special Assessment letter. He is also reviewing this thread on the Complaints Board.

In the meantime, he recommends members file complaints. There is power in numbers and if the FTC or Attorney General’s offices receive enough complaints, they will most likely take action. As for complaining with the BBB, they really have no authority, but at least it will show up on their website that a number of complaints have been filed.

I urge everyone to file multiple complaints with the following agencies:

Federal Trade Commission
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

Texas Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
PO Box 12548
Austin, TX [protected]
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/complain.shtml

California Attorney General*
Attorney General’s Office California Department of Justice
Attn: Comlaints Unit
P.O. Box 944255 Sacramento, CA [protected]
http://ag.ca.gov/consumers/general.php

Online complaint form
http://ag.ca.gov/contact/complaint_form.php?cmplt=CL

*This option is good if you have signed the Club Regina Cimarron “Statement of the terms and conditions for the verification of the sale/purchase of a membershipfrom Raintree North America Resorts, Inc.” Agreement

Better Business Bureau
https://odr.bbb.org/odrweb/public/cibrbusiness.aspx?e=3155944&id=46a6a9cd-5402-454e-9476-e4df22e6f371&site=113

Company Information
Raintree Vacation Club aka Raintree Resorts International
10000 Memorial, Suite 480
Houston, TX 77024