Diamond Resorts raises maintenance fees again!

just an observation on how DRI "improves" their new investments: I was passing through Sedona the other day and stopped at Los Abrigados to take a leak. The bathroom in the lobby was about on par with what you would expect in a truck stop. Dimly lit. Rolls of paper towels lying on the wash basin. An open receptacle full of used paper towels.

We own deeded weeks at a Diamond resort, and have never converted to points. Of course they want us to pay lots more $$ to convert to points, but why? There's nothing they're offering that's worth the cost, and we like owning an actual deeded week.

We can't belong to the Diamond club, but that's really a blessing, since we don't need to pay their $299 club fee. Instead, we can exchange our weeks via either RCI or Interval, and that's working quite nicely.

This is more than distressing to hear the property degradation since I plan to visit Los Abrigados 1st time since my forced conversion to DR. First, my fees more than doubled for my ILX Sedona Vac Week - only good at LA or traded in RCO. My current fee for 1 BR is $880 and was less than $440. RCI rents this as extra week for $450/wk all year long and tons there. I also own an ILX Premier Vacation Club Platinum which is now also more than doubled at over $2000 managed by DR and was forced on points (NEVER SIGNED ANYTHING) and we do not have access to all DR properties and no other DR perks. I'd planned to keep the PVC but I can't afford both. There are tons on Ebay for $1 sale and there are about $1500 in closing costs I would pay. Donations for a Cause organization will not tough any of these properties. I talked to DR to give back but they said no program to take these back and if I default on my fees my credit is affected. The PVC fee started at about $600 when I bought the property for $30,000. I'm going to retire and must cut my living costs so I probably have to take the credit score hit. I have always had stellar credit scores.

How can we get a real class action suit on this because the former ILX owners...at more than 100% increase since take over...is unfair and I was forced on points for one property. I don't care if the take it back but they won't..they want me to pay up far beyond what is reasonable.

what do you mean "join another company"?.. I got dumped in DRI when they bought ILX and my fees for my 2 units are $3K! One is a week floating and the other is points forced into. I will gladly give one back but they won't take, Such a shame. The San Carlos Beach Club was so beautiful under ILX, I bought one of the 1st units in the new building ILX built and being a former home owner in San Carlos, MX but moved cross country I loved going there and still want to but the cost for my 1 BR Los Abrigados-only property will probably force me to eventually renig on both.

There is something wrong with these posts that people say they were forced to go into the points system. If you own s deeded week, you cannot be forced into going into DRI's points system. Have you signed paperwork to that effect? You would have had to, and only if you wanted to.

Now DRI will want you to convert to their points system, but you will not have to do so no matter what any salesperson says. If you want more flexibility then join, if you are happy with your ownership as is then don't.

DRI is not a perfect system, but it's not bad either. The maintenance fees do keep growing and that disturbs me. However, I have watched DRI fix up property after property. I forsee that happening with the ILX properties. They need work.

We were not asked. We were "notified" the ILX PVC Platinum week would now be points. We were not asked join a club. We were told we could have use of 10 ILX + approx. 26 other properties & I was just sent a list of the DRI properties or trade through I.I. only and we had to pay I.I. annual club fee. The Sedona Vac Club week stayed weeks only good at Los Abrigados or tradeable through an exchange company of our choice that we joined. My guess is the conversion aggreement was in the fine print of legal correspondance we received (no response = concurrence with the change) or not sent at all asking if we want to convert to points. I only hope they fix the properties enough so they will be marketable again so I can sell the Sedona at least. Not even charitable orgs are accepting these as Gifts - there is too much liability associated and no value now.

charless345 wrote:

There is something wrong with these posts that people say they were forced to go into the points system. If you own s deeded week, you cannot be forced into going into DRI's points system. Have you signed paperwork to that effect? You would have had to, and only if you wanted to.

Now DRI will want you to convert to their points system, but you will not have to do so no matter what any salesperson says. If you want more flexibility then join, if you are happy with your ownership as is then don't.

DRI is not a perfect system, but it's not bad either. The maintenance fees do keep growing and that disturbs me. However, I have watched DRI fix up property after property. I forsee that happening with the ILX properties. They need work.

.

Very well stated deannak47, I couldn't agree more.

They get very upset when we won't convert to points but why would we pay more money to give up our deed and to still only have the equivalent of 1 week usage time unless we waited until 60 days (or something like that) out to use discounted points. It's a complete rip off. I would never recommend anyone to give up their deed.

maryannh62 wrote:

We were not asked. We were "notified" the ILX PVC Platinum week would now be points. We were not asked join a club. We were told we could have use of 10 ILX + approx. 26 other properties & I was just sent a list of the DRI properties or trade through I.I. only and we had to pay I.I. annual club fee. The Sedona Vac Club week stayed weeks only good at Los Abrigados or tradeable through an exchange company of our choice that we joined. My guess is the conversion aggreement was in the fine print of legal correspondance we received (no response = concurrence with the change) or not sent at all asking if we want to convert to points. I only hope they fix the properties enough so they will be marketable again so I can sell the Sedona at least. Not even charitable orgs are accepting these as Gifts - there is too much liability associated and no value now.

charless345 wrote:

There is something wrong with these posts that people say they were forced to go into the points system. If you own s deeded week, you cannot be forced into going into DRI's points system. Have you signed paperwork to that effect? You would have had to, and only if you wanted to.

Now DRI will want you to convert to their points system, but you will not have to do so no matter what any salesperson says. If you want more flexibility then join, if you are happy with your ownership as is then don't.

DRI is not a perfect system, but it's not bad either. The maintenance fees do keep growing and that disturbs me. However, I have watched DRI fix up property after property. I forsee that happening with the ILX properties. They need work.

I don't believe you had a deeded week if they made you go to points. If you feel you did have a deeded week, I would find the original paperwork that you signed when you bought your timeshare and read it over to make sure your not being taken advantage of. As I am reading from others, in your group of ILX deeded owners, DRI salesmen are applying pressure for you to convert to points, but they cannot force you. If you are already in some sort of points or club type system, then they may have had to covnert your system to theirs.

All I know is I am a ILX Premier Vacation Club (PVC) Platinum member. Week was floating. I'll have to dig out paperwork. We were NEVER contacted by a LIVE person from DRI. Only received letters.

Anyone else from ILX PVC can comment?

charless345 wrote:

maryannh62 wrote:

We were not asked. We were "notified" the ILX PVC Platinum week would now be points. We were not asked join a club. We were told we could have use of 10 ILX + approx. 26 other properties & I was just sent a list of the DRI properties or trade through I.I. only and we had to pay I.I. annual club fee. The Sedona Vac Club week stayed weeks only good at Los Abrigados or tradeable through an exchange company of our choice that we joined. My guess is the conversion aggreement was in the fine print of legal correspondance we received (no response = concurrence with the change) or not sent at all asking if we want to convert to points. I only hope they fix the properties enough so they will be marketable again so I can sell the Sedona at least. Not even charitable orgs are accepting these as Gifts - there is too much liability associated and no value now.

charless345 wrote:

There is something wrong with these posts that people say they were forced to go into the points system. If you own s deeded week, you cannot be forced into going into DRI's points system. Have you signed paperwork to that effect? You would have had to, and only if you wanted to.

Now DRI will want you to convert to their points system, but you will not have to do so no matter what any salesperson says. If you want more flexibility then join, if you are happy with your ownership as is then don't.

DRI is not a perfect system, but it's not bad either. The maintenance fees do keep growing and that disturbs me. However, I have watched DRI fix up property after property. I forsee that happening with the ILX properties. They need work.

I don't believe you had a deeded week if they made you go to points. If you feel you did have a deeded week, I would find the original paperwork that you signed when you bought your timeshare and read it over to make sure your not being taken advantage of. As I am reading from others, in your group of ILX deeded owners, DRI salesmen are applying pressure for you to convert to deeded weeks but they cannot force you. If you are already in some sort of points or club type system, then they may have had to covnert your system to theirs.

Maryann:

Premier Vacation Club, as I remember it was one of those bogus "upgrades" that ILX tried to push on all Sedona Vacation Club owners. If I understood that offer correctly, you surrendered your deed in exchange for membership in PVC, which was supposed to offer some benefits above what SVC (deeded owners) were entitled to.

If you think you have a deed you can check this out on the Coconino County Assesor's website. If you have a one week annual Jerome unit it should show you as the owner of 1/8000th (or something like that) of the property at [whatever the address is] on Portal Lane in Sedona.

maryannh62 wrote:

All I know is I am a ILX Premier Vacation Club (PVC) Platinum member. Week was floating. I'll have to dig out paperwork. We were NEVER contacted by a LIVE person from DRI. Only received letters.

Anyone else from ILX PVC can comment?

charless345 wrote:

maryannh62 wrote:

We were not asked. We were "notified" the ILX PVC Platinum week would now be points. We were not asked join a club. We were told we could have use of 10 ILX + approx. 26 other properties & I was just sent a list of the DRI properties or trade through I.I. only and we had to pay I.I. annual club fee. The Sedona Vac Club week stayed weeks only good at Los Abrigados or tradeable through an exchange company of our choice that we joined. My guess is the conversion aggreement was in the fine print of legal correspondance we received (no response = concurrence with the change) or not sent at all asking if we want to convert to points. I only hope they fix the properties enough so they will be marketable again so I can sell the Sedona at least. Not even charitable orgs are accepting these as Gifts - there is too much liability associated and no value now.

charless345 wrote:

There is something wrong with these posts that people say they were forced to go into the points system. If you own s deeded week, you cannot be forced into going into DRI's points system. Have you signed paperwork to that effect? You would have had to, and only if you wanted to.

Now DRI will want you to convert to their points system, but you will not have to do so no matter what any salesperson says. If you want more flexibility then join, if you are happy with your ownership as is then don't.

DRI is not a perfect system, but it's not bad either. The maintenance fees do keep growing and that disturbs me. However, I have watched DRI fix up property after property. I forsee that happening with the ILX properties. They need work.

I don't believe you had a deeded week if they made you go to points. If you feel you did have a deeded week, I would find the original paperwork that you signed when you bought your timeshare and read it over to make sure your not being taken advantage of. As I am reading from others, in your group of ILX deeded owners, DRI salesmen are applying pressure for you to convert to deeded weeks but they cannot force you. If you are already in some sort of points or club type system, then they may have had to covnert your system to theirs.

Davidk689,

If what you wrote is in fact true and a deed had to be given to upgrade to that PVC Platinum membership, then that is why maryann received points. She traded her deeded week for a club which is what DRI offers. She probably has all of the same benefits she had in the PVC system.

My maintenance fee went from $300 to $423 for the last 2 years. It was managed by ILX then DRI took over 2 years ago. I attended annual meeting held at Vasity of American Tucson Chapter yesterday. This is first time I attended meeting. I noticed that the maintenance fee they collected is not just used to pay for repair the building, it also used to pay for manager's pay and employee's pay. This is not right. The daily rent through the year is collected by DRI and employee's pay should have paid by the DRI. It should not pay by maintenance fee. Jin Su

jins3 wrote:

My maintenance fee went from $300 to $423 for the last 2 years. It was managed by ILX then DRI took over 2 years ago. I attended annual meeting held at Vasity of American Tucson Chapter yesterday. This is first time I attended meeting. I noticed that the maintenance fee they collected is not just used to pay for repair the building, it also used to pay for manager's pay and employee's pay. This is not right. The daily rent through the year is collected by DRI and employee's pay should have paid by the DRI. It should not pay by maintenance fee. Jin Su

So let me ask a question, who paid for the people that worked for ILX? You don't think your maintenance fees went toward those people?

I hope this doesn't represent a percentage because I hate to what my now $3000 maintenance fees between 2 properties will go to now! I've been afraid to go to the website and see until I gain composure...........

"Maintenance Fee" implies that the monies are used for the upkeep of the property. It is actually used in part for other operating expenses. This bothers me as well, whether it is DRI or some other timeshare company misleading the owners. My so-called maintenance fees have gone up 42 percent since DRI took over ILX and are twice those of my other comparable timeshare in Mexico. It is just one way for them to get more money. Is should be called an annual fee.

They are spending money on renovations at the property though.

charless345 wrote:

jins3 wrote:

My maintenance fee went from $300 to $423 for the last 2 years. It was managed by ILX then DRI took over 2 years ago. I attended annual meeting held at Vasity of American Tucson Chapter yesterday. This is first time I attended meeting. I noticed that the maintenance fee they collected is not just used to pay for repair the building, it also used to pay for manager's pay and employee's pay. This is not right. The daily rent through the year is collected by DRI and employee's pay should have paid by the DRI. It should not pay by maintenance fee. Jin Su

So let me ask a question, who paid for the people that worked for ILX? You don't think your maintenance fees went toward those people?

Also ask them what do they do with the money when they advertised and rent the resort on orbit, travelocity, hotel.com, priceline, any tour web site? I am curious to know.

Got my annual Maintenance fees and it didn't go up this year.

wow. I pay $797.00 for a 8/8 lock off. week member. Vacation Village property own by Berkeley Group.

If you're certain that maintenance fees are not allowed to include manager's pay and employee's pay you should contact the Arizona Real Estate Division and file a formal complaint. Actually, every single owner who is being raped by the excessive maintenance fees should do the same. Our fees have increased an average of 20% per year for the last 3 years. We were contacted tonight by a board member of Diamond Resorts, telling us what our fees will be for 2014. The increase is 44.5% over what we paid in 2013! This is absolutely OUTRAGEOUS!

bobc402 wrote:

If you're certain that maintenance fees are not allowed to include manager's pay and employee's pay you should contact the Arizona Real Estate Division and file a formal complaint. Actually, every single owner who is being raped by the excessive maintenance fees should do the same. Our fees have increased an average of 20% per year for the last 3 years. We were contacted tonight by a board member, Kathy Wheeler of Diamond Resorts, telling us what our fees will be for 2014. The increase is 44.5% over what we paid in 2013! This is absolutely OUTRAGEOUS!

bob, I agree with you that a 44% increase from one year to the next is ridiculous, especially if you have experienced two 20% increases prior to that. I would be looking closely at the HOA report trying to see why there is this increase and then have the HOA write you a letter answering any questions you have regarding those increases. As much of a fan than I am of DRI, I believe that that type of increase is unacceptable. Where do you own your property? Is it from a collection or is it a unit in a new acquisition that DRI bought?