Organize group protest/damages for not getting golf course completed in timely manor

We just returned from MC day before yesterday. They are just completing the final few villas in phase one and our pushing phase 2. Current price for the month of December is $326K in either phase one or two. One little problem though...they will not do an equity exchange for less than $25K per week or $100K for a month which means that you will pay $100K PLUS your equity. Thats no deal in fact it is robbery. I tried to meet with Eric White the head honcho in the sales department after backing my salesperson into a corner he couldn't lie himself out of. Mr. White is like smoke he just disappears when you try to find him. The current half truth is the golf course will be finished next year. This was in Dec 2008 the projected date from the Jack Nicklaus website is late summer 2010. "Next year" is actually nearly two years away. Coppel owns 20% of the project Nicklaus and Ritz Carlton own the rest. Want to take a guess at who will control the progress? They are putting in a new road that will come in from the Lighthouse hill area that will service Ritz Carlton and Pueblo Bonito. The public road that will service the access is not paved at this time. Senor Coppel, Senor Bulnes of Solamar/Playa Grande and Ritz Carlton were to partner on building the new road. Bulnes pulled out and tried to sell his interest to the Corona Beer family which fell through. So no new paved public road. Where does that leave the golf course when the access road is not being built. Times are slow because of the economy. When we arrived there were only 32 villas of the 70 occupied. We found out that Middle management staff at Pueblo Bonito were made to take a 20% pay cut or lose their jobs. Outside of that the stay was fantastic. If you want to use your unit and not worry about playing golf the service and site are great. As an appreciating asset don't believe what your salesperson told you. THEY may be raising the price but you won't sell it for that and you certainly will not rent it.

I agree whole heartedly that as owners collectively we should be able to make a difference. I was thinking does it boil down to our management company? From what I've been reading online it seems like having a qualified management company is essential to the long term value of our investments. A good management company will look out for the owners interests.

Online I found the following items to consider when evaluating a new or existing managment company. (http://www.triwest-timeshare.com/tips/tip15.ftl) Bascially ....

1. Where is their main office? 2. How long have they been in the timeshare business? 3. How many resorts do they manage? 4. Do they have a bonus time program? 5. Do they have an internal exchange program? 6. Are their resorts RCI, II or both? 7. What is the quality of their other resorts? 8. What is ave maintenance fee of their other resorts? 9. Will they assist you or your agent in showing, renting and selling your timeshare?

As owners we don't know anything about our management company. Are we kept in the dark on purpose. Our properties are wonderful and luxurious and the views are spectacular but what we need is help from someone, maybe an attorney/owner/group knowledgeable in timeshare/fractional ownership to help us get our voices heard. Then we should be able to take our investments to the next level. It would be nice if we had the same managment company as the Four Seasons Residences they seem to be doing an awesome job.

I am also disappoined that the club house and tennis courts that were supposed to be built at the base of Monte Cristo villas has shown no progress since 2008 when we purchased. We just spent Christmas at the villa and nothing had been accomplished over the year prior. The tennis courts have been dropped off the plans although when I told them that I wouldn't be interested in purchasing more time if the tennis courts weren't to be built, they seemed to indicate that it would be completed. The us economic downturn is wreaking havoc on the local economy but even though this press is negative, I think that some action might be taken if they (management) believed that controversy over unfulfilled promises was to potentially jeopardize upcoming sales for MCII or the Ritz Carlton.

Does anyone know the status of the golf course?

I was last at MC in Sept 2009. Actually, walked around the lighthouse mountain. PB has done nothing except place a few meaningless marking stakes and took some pictures back in April 2009 to make it appear that something is being done.

Heard through the grapevine that Coppel doesn't even have the financing to begin construction. A further fly in the ointment is that he doesn't even own all the land. Look over at Lighthouse Mountain and you'll see two houses. The two owners own about 20 acres around those houses. I went over and talked to the owner of the lower house and he told me negotiations with Coppel about buying his property have ceased. His opinion is that Coppel doesn't have the money nor even close to it to proceed. Can't picture this project being built without buying those two parcels of property as they are a blight on project. Way downscale houses surrounded by a golf course and lavish villas, ain't going to work.

We were told the golf course will be finished by Spring 2014. Does anyone have any information if the Golf course will actually be build?