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The amount of the special assessments are actually not outlandish when you consider that most contractors will charge $10-15K for a bathroom renovation and $15-25K for a kitchen renovation. Add in carpets, furniture, and beds and I'm not surprised at all at the $70K total. I've heard the renovations in the Fountains section (where I own) are quite nice, although I won't see in person until next year when I plan to stay there for the first time (I bought my 2 br unit sight unseen on eBay for $650). Maybe the resort will get its Gold Crown rating back when all the sections are renovated. We can only hope. What is very wrong is that they levy big special assessments to cover this sort of predictable periodic renovation. The maintenance fees should be increased to the point where special assessments are not necessary. Don't hold your breath for this to happen, however. I hear that some resorts deliberately charge less in maintenance fees than necessary to cover refurbishments so that they can keep the maintenance fees artificially low. This helps their sales forces sell more units. They can say to their potential victim: "See how low our maintenance fees are for this fabulous place?" No doubt they don't tell their victims that they'll be hammered with a big levy every few years to make up for the fact that the maintenance fees are too low to cover periodic refurbishments. Maintenance fees really should be AT LEAST $100 per year higher than they are now so that these "special" assessments are no longer necessary.