Manhattan Club Lawsuit

Please reread my post on page 319 by Becky F.

THE MANHATTAN CLUB HAS US WAITING TO BE HANGED IN TIMES SQUARE.

I''M NOT READY FOR THAT; ARE YOU?

STOP PAYING TMC EVER.................

melodyp46 wrote:

Chris, I agree with you 100%, but I wont pay another 1000.00 to retain Zimmerman on a class action lawsuit. I can't give anymore money and I'm done with the service fees. I won't pay them next April.

chrisv126 wrote:

does any owner know what is happening here; e.g., who owns TMC; are TMC maintenance fees charges legitimate, per contract:, is the contract still in effect or breached by TMC (per the former new york state attorney general, schneiderman lawsuit?)

these questions need definitive answering before we make further moves regarding these matters.

we are now being hounded with phone calls and emails regarding maintenance fees, deeding back to TMC. TMC is in a major financial bind, and they are pressuring owners to pay back maintenance. they will fail miserably if we don't. BUT THEY DON'T GIVE THE VALUE OF WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR. they are now in the position of bargaining with us regarding the price (for current nyc city real estate value) for our initial purchase price, plus current market value of our purchase price, much more than we were bilked out purchasing at the time. keep in mind the current outlandishly exorbitant maintenance fees: remember when we were told by the sales dept that purchase of TMC was an investment that would increase in a short time and would be available for sales very soon from the time of purchase by TMC? additionally, as lied by the sales dept, our maintenance fees would, in fact, increase "slightly from year to year". currently, it's up over 500% since the time of purchase. that doesn't measure up to "SLIGHTLY....."

it's unnecessary to go beyond these frauds. let's stop this stuff in its tracks now. BECOME PROACTIVE.

so many of us owners can't now financially manage these frauds and lies. we need to act now to prevent these issues from becoming worse, and losing more of our financial equity.

Hello, I am a 20 year owner with several contracts. My Penthouse fees are above $500 per night.

Resale: No one wants to buy our contracts. They have zero resale value.

The Manhattan Club was buying back units and Blue Green Timeshare was buying them from The Manhattan Club. However, this relationship has ended. Now (July 1,2020) there is no returning your unit .

Your choices: A) pay your fees B) don’t pay your fees C) join the lawsuit ($1500)

There is no solution on the horizon. There is no action by the NY Attorney General. As more owners default on their Fees,, the increasing higher Fees will escalate with more defaults from the remaining pool of paying Owners.

The Manhattan Club may file for bankruptcy. The NYC tourist forecast post-virus is bleak. The Club cannot rent rooms now. Our business investment is basic junk.

Many Owners love NYC and do not wish to throw in the towel and lose their investment. I believe this will change as the price-per-night for mis-town Manhattan hotel rooms provide better and cheaper value.

Owners are reluctant to walk away. Timeshare Freedom company wants $5,000 to get your name off the contract. Their process timeline is one year. I am skeptical this will happen as no one wants them, and the Owners do not wish to absorb the loss of fees.

The Virus + the future of NYC + higher fees = bleak and unknown future.

melodyp46 wrote:

I saw TMCNY rooms on Groupon for 163.00 yesterday, 6/30/2020! This is robbery for us owners. If I dividend service fees by 7 I'm paying 571.00 per night. Thats just tbeservice fee!!!

traceyk97 wrote:

Chris, I agree with you. We need to come together as a group. I have continued to pay my maintenance fees. I do now pay them on the last possible day. I do use my time but I am within driving distance of TMC. Initially it was very difficult to get a booking. It does completely aggravate me when I see non owners can get a room for $150-$250 when I’ve already paid for the “ownership” of time and the $300+ per night as the maintenance fee. I am willing to be part of this lawsuit. I am not willing to take $100 for my investment.

The maint fees are absurd. It’s a real shame they have done this to 18000 plus owners. The location is great and we really do love the building and it’s staff. It’s why we all did this timeshare in the first place This is what GREED does. Yes we essentially pay triple what a non owner would and we cannot let this continue. Band together - EVERYONE please stop paying your maintenance and do not take this 100.00 offer. Join the lawsuit and let’s drive them to either change their ways or make a better offer to those of us that want out - and perhaps drive them to charge reasonable fees to keep those that want to stay ! Nothing will change unless thousands of us force a change.

If you keep paying this incredulous maintenance fee - I don’t know how you can justify this ?

melodyp46 wrote:

I saw TMCNY rooms on Groupon for 163.00 yesterday, 6/30/2020! This is robbery for us owners. If I dividend service fees by 7 I'm paying 571.00 per night. Thats just tbeservice fee!!!

traceyk97 wrote:

Chris, I agree with you. We need to come together as a group. I have continued to pay my maintenance fees. I do now pay them on the last possible day. I do use my time but I am within driving distance of TMC. Initially it was very difficult to get a booking. It does completely aggravate me when I see non owners can get a room for $150-$250 when I’ve already paid for the “ownership” of time and the $300+ per night as the maintenance fee. I am willing to be part of this lawsuit. I am not willing to take $100 for my investment.

Of Course!

janeh314 wrote:

Does Manhattan Club try to come after you if you don't pay the yearly due? Will they make you pay the unpaid fee from previous year if you want to book the room ? Any one has any experience, please share. Thank you.

It sure is annoying to see TMC is advertising units for about $160 per night, especially in light of all they have squeezed out of us in the past, and continue to squeeze out of us. However, consider the following. There are lots of empty units because of so many owners not paying their maintenance fees. TMC is trying to put folks in the units. They are only advertising the low rates for a short term rental. You can't book at those rates a month out. I don't blame them for trying to recoup a few dollars rather than see the room sit vacant. Get used to it. The more folks that don't pay their maintenance, the more units will sit empty. $160 is better than nothing.

melodyp46 wrote:

I saw TMCNY rooms on Groupon for 163.00 yesterday, 6/30/2020! This is robbery for us owners. If I dividend service fees by 7 I'm paying 571.00 per night. Thats just tbeservice fee!!!

traceyk97 wrote:

Chris, I agree with you. We need to come together as a group. I have continued to pay my maintenance fees. I do now pay them on the last possible day. I do use my time but I am within driving distance of TMC. Initially it was very difficult to get a booking. It does completely aggravate me when I see non owners can get a room for $150-$250 when I’ve already paid for the “ownership” of time and the $300+ per night as the maintenance fee. I am willing to be part of this lawsuit. I am not willing to take $100 for my investment.

I agree it should be owners first, but if a room is going to be empty and they rent it, that's less maintenance fees we all have to pay.

williamm465 wrote:

It sure is annoying to see TMC is advertising units for about $160 per night, especially in light of all they have squeezed out of us in the past, and continue to squeeze out of us. However, consider the following. There are lots of empty units because of so many owners not paying their maintenance fees. TMC is trying to put folks in the units. They are only advertising the low rates for a short term rental. You can't book at those rates a month out. I don't blame them for trying to recoup a few dollars rather than see the room sit vacant. Get used to it. The more folks that don't pay their maintenance, the more units will sit empty. $160 is better than nothing.

melodyp46 wrote:

I saw TMCNY rooms on Groupon for 163.00 yesterday, 6/30/2020! This is robbery for us owners. If I dividend service fees by 7 I'm paying 571.00 per night. Thats just tbeservice fee!!!

traceyk97 wrote:

Chris, I agree with you. We need to come together as a group. I have continued to pay my maintenance fees. I do now pay them on the last possible day. I do use my time but I am within driving distance of TMC. Initially it was very difficult to get a booking. It does completely aggravate me when I see non owners can get a room for $150-$250 when I’ve already paid for the “ownership” of time and the $300+ per night as the maintenance fee. I am willing to be part of this lawsuit. I am not willing to take $100 for my investment.

Alex C. Why does your email come back undeliverable ?

TMC has been doing this for years now. It's not recent. It's not because of the pandemic. Why should I pay over 500.00 a night when I can go there for 160.00?

williamm465 wrote:

It sure is annoying to see TMC is advertising units for about $160 per night, especially in light of all they have squeezed out of us in the past, and continue to squeeze out of us. However, consider the following. There are lots of empty units because of so many owners not paying their maintenance fees. TMC is trying to put folks in the units. They are only advertising the low rates for a short term rental. You can't book at those rates a month out. I don't blame them for trying to recoup a few dollars rather than see the room sit vacant. Get used to it. The more folks that don't pay their maintenance, the more units will sit empty. $160 is better than nothing.

melodyp46 wrote:

I saw TMCNY rooms on Groupon for 163.00 yesterday, 6/30/2020! This is robbery for us owners. If I dividend service fees by 7 I'm paying 571.00 per night. Thats just tbeservice fee!!!

traceyk97 wrote:

Chris, I agree with you. We need to come together as a group. I have continued to pay my maintenance fees. I do now pay them on the last possible day. I do use my time but I am within driving distance of TMC. Initially it was very difficult to get a booking. It does completely aggravate me when I see non owners can get a room for $150-$250 when I’ve already paid for the “ownership” of time and the $300+ per night as the maintenance fee. I am willing to be part of this lawsuit. I am not willing to take $100 for my investment.

I agree completely Melody. We have been taken advantage of for many years and regardless of any present or future crisis it will continue. The Manhattan Club has proven over and over that they will not do what is in the best interest of their owners. I will never “get used to it”. Maybe so many owners are not paying their maintenance fees because they are no longer interested in being taken advantage of with costs that are completely out of control.

TMC has been doing this for years now. It's not recent. It's not because of the pandemic. Why should I pay over 500.00 a night when I can go there for 160.00?

My husband and I just checked in for three nights. We are penthouse owners and have been owners for 20 years.

It appears the hotel is almost empty right now. They took our temperature when we checked in and all employees are wearing masks. The 26 floor lounge is closed, and so is the gym. No one is permitted to sit in the lobby. The rooms look mostly the same, the remote controls are covered in plastic.

It is very interesting being in Manhattan right now. There are some restaurants open and many people are walking around. Virtually everyone is wearing masks.

In all likelihood, this is the last time I will be paying my maintenance fees. I cannot imagine paying what I am paying now to come to a hotel that has virtually no amenities.

I have had many good years at the Manhattan Club, and we never traded to go anywhere else. Our children begged us to keep it because they enjoyed it so much.

When the time is right, I will share my experiences in how we were conned into buying this investment, the lies we were told, the difficulties and getting reservations for so many years, the rip off maintenance fees.

I may consider joining the class action suit at some point, but not until I see that the lawsuit is moving forward. I am not willing to throw good money after bad right now.

Everyone has to make the decision for themselves. As for me, I don’t see any reason to just hand over the deed right now. There is always a possibility I will be offered a buyout. I am hoping my deed still has value in the future, even if I am in arrears on the maintenance fees.

Because you may want to book months ahead of time.

Thank you Jacqueline for the update. I was curious as to the present conditions at The Manhattan Club.

Interesting observations

I have been very curious about TMC and how it is operating under the pandemic. I have been an owner (1 BR) since 2005. We used to use the club often as we live 1 hour north of it. We always parked there when in NYC and used the 26th floor as our “base” even if not staying overnight. Our fees are up-to-date now.... not sure if we will continue to pay. The last few times I wanted to stay over, I could not get a reservation so booked one through Hotels.com for $199.00 or $250. A night!!! I did call TMC and point this out and didn’t get a real response. When I was there both times... I was told by the employees that they were not full! We paid $25k for this place and were truly scammed. I concur with the owners that don’t want to “throw good money after bad” to join a lawsuit that is going to get me what??? My 25K back? I doubt it. We are considering walking away and chalking it up to a lesson learned.

Join the Zimmerman lawsuit. I did. This is the type of example he is using to bring to court. 18000 of us has all had the same experiences I am positive. It’s called fraud. Please don’t let them get away with it. Think about how much more you have paid over the years for a room versus the normal hotels.com person Up to you but I think it’s worth fighting for justice

Jacqueline H

Thank you so much for your concise information on your recent stay at MC. It is apparent that things are bad there. It is horrible that the MC has never updated us as to what is happening there and the steps that have been taken to adhere to NYC regs and CDC guidelines. What are the safety measures for the elevators? I don’t see how we can go there at this time.

Hello everyone, we are owners and stopped paying our fees in December 2019. We live in Canada, can we be partner this lawsuit and if so how should I proceed? Thank you. Gerry

i can tell you that they have been selling rooms for cheap even before the pandemic. Several years ago we were on the phone with them and being told no rooms were available during christmas/new years eve week. My sister was on another line simultaneously, making a reservation off a travel site for rooms at $149 a night for that same week. They have been treating us like necessary evil for years, instead of treating us like owners.

CURRENT STAY

We are here for 3 nights. Checking out on Wednesday.

It seems there are very few guests in the hotel with us. We have been alone in the elevator every single time. There is hand sanitizer provided everywhere.

The rate of infection in Manhattan is very low, and almost everyone on the street near the hotel is wearing a mask. I feel safe from that standpoint.

Other things: Towels are noticeably worn. No turndown service. Only decaf coffee provided in the room. The hallways on the 26th floor smell mildewed.

The lobby and housekeeping staff is courteous but morale seems low. But that is the mood in Manhattan in general.