Report Abuse
[Q=denisew297] I wanted to let everyone know about my experience with my 76 year old mother last evening. She is a deeded owner in The Villas at Pollo Tower. She bought the time share in 2001 for $25K and pays $1,300 a year in maintenance. She was told by Diamond Resorts this was a owner complaint session, and they knew things had gone wrong and wanted to fix it. She has never been able to use the time share ($39K latter), even though she was told she could "float" her week when she bough it. She asked me to come along to listen. By the time I left I was dumbfounded, enraged, and ready to call the state's attorney, BBB, and the local news. This is what happened: We explained she had never been able to use it. The Salesman seemed shocked. He said he would "check into it" while we ate. After dinner, he came back with an upset face (my mother told him he didn't look happy). He said "it's the worse scenario" and proceeded to explain how the "developer" had put the deeded shares in a trust, how a new law required that people who don't pay thier timeshare fees get 150% penalty on the balance charged every year, and did the math showing in 6 years she could owe $100,000+ (She has been paying her maintenance fees). He then explained when she died, the deeded timeshare would attach to her estate and would FORCE IT INTO PROBATE along with her personal residence! He told her since she hadn't showed up to a dinner in June Diamond had pulled their offer off the table to help her get out of this dilemma and anything he did that night would be at the grace of the company deciding whether to help her. He had her write a statement saying she was sick in June and didn't know she would be offered a way out so she hadn't purposefully declined any offer in June. He asked about Trust, and Irrevocabble Trust... He said there might be a way to isolate her personal house so this wouldn't happen. But his solution was to convert the deeded timeshare into.... You got it.... the points system. At this point I started asking questions. Was he an attorney? (He was offering legal advice). What would happen if she just sold her personal house to her children . . . that is the only assett in her estate other than the timeshare. He actually told me SHE COULDNT SELL HER HOUSE WHILE SHE STILL HAD THE TIMESHARE>>>> IT WOULD ATTACH ITSELF. I corrected him and let him know he obviously did not know the Oklahoma laws. He then wanted to help her fix it, if he could talk the company into it, of course. The first proposal was $10,000 down that day, and $500 for 10 years, then $8k down at $400, ect, ect. It got down to, "hey, I'm going to pay $1300 maintenance fees a year, show me a way to do it for no additional money, and I'll look at it" He came back with $124 a month for 10 years and $3400 down that day. Oh but the maintenance fee for next year was $2,800 which she could not use her new points for. At this point (10 pm - it started a 6:30) I told her not to do anything (of course this was a one time offer to 'fix' the problem and she had to act that night) and call me when she left. She called at 11 saying they had just given her back her credit card and drivers license! THIS COMPANY IS PURE EVIL! DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THEM. IF YOU THINK YOU"VE BEEN SCAMMED, CONTACT PROFESSIONAL HELP! I am spending the day today reaching out to my contacts in the State Government, OK Securities Commission, and my Attorney friends to see what was true, how her estate may be vulnerable, and reporting this company to everyone I can. They are SHAMELESS![/Q] I believe that Diamond Resorts International is an ongoing Criminal Enterprise, of course that is only my opinion, but your case as described is an example of a crime "FRAUD", and giving false legal advise to promote that fraud. I am amazed that they are still getting away with this type of business practice or crime, however you want to refer it... Outright Consumer Fraud is how I see it..