Manhattan Club Lawsuit

your #3 comment is right on target......"a lawyer better than theirs." we lost a lawsuit within the last 2 years.....dismissed. i suspect our attorneys at the time might not have given our case the full attention it deserved. ISN'T THERE AN ATTORNEY-SHAREONER AMONG US WHO CAN LEND HIS/HER EXPERTISE IN OUR BEHALF?

robertm1536 wrote:

1. Reading a previous comment, someone said there are 15,000 owners at the MHC. If the average maintenance fee is say, $2,500 per annum, then it apparently costs $3,750,000.00 a year to maintain the place? Does that make sense? 2. On another issue...did all of you get a glossy and apparently very costly Owners Referral Program brochure? This is clear evidence that they are still selling shares. I thought they were, or were about to be sold out several years ago. Where are these new shares coming from? We all know they have "first right of refusal". Why? My hunch is that from day one, they realized that since they totally control the maintenance fees, they could over time run up the cost to the owners (as they have) to a point were the owners will literally give back their share. You may also recall that there are very large closing fees collected by MHC when you sell. Furthermore, when they resell these shares, are they offering low maintenance fees to the new owners as incentive? If so, then we are subsidizing the sell, since our maintenance costs are disproportional. It also makes is almost impossible for us to sell privately, since anyone who buys our share would presumably pay the higher maintenance fees which have been assessed to our share. I think if we have a leg to stand on, we will need to prove this was their intent all along. I think that will be very difficult to do, but certainly not impossible. 3. The trick is to get a lawyer who is better than theirs.

I just successfully sold my timeshare back to the Manhattan Club with the use of a very effective attorney. The process only took two months. When you have a good real estate attorney working with them, the cooperate. If anyone would like the name of the attorney I used, please e-mail me at jockwood@hotmail.com

chrisv126 wrote:

your #3 comment is right on target......"a lawyer better than theirs." we lost a lawsuit within the last 2 years.....dismissed. i suspect our attorneys at the time might not have given our case the full attention it deserved. ISN'T THERE AN ATTORNEY-SHAREONER AMONG US WHO CAN LEND HIS/HER EXPERTISE IN OUR BEHALF?

robertm1536 wrote:

1. Reading a previous comment, someone said there are 15,000 owners at the MHC. If the average maintenance fee is say, $2,500 per annum, then it apparently costs $3,750,000.00 a year to maintain the place? Does that make sense? 2. On another issue...did all of you get a glossy and apparently very costly Owners Referral Program brochure? This is clear evidence that they are still selling shares. I thought they were, or were about to be sold out several years ago. Where are these new shares coming from? We all know they have "first right of refusal". Why? My hunch is that from day one, they realized that since they totally control the maintenance fees, they could over time run up the cost to the owners (as they have) to a point were the owners will literally give back their share. You may also recall that there are very large closing fees collected by MHC when you sell. Furthermore, when they resell these shares, are they offering low maintenance fees to the new owners as incentive? If so, then we are subsidizing the sell, since our maintenance costs are disproportional. It also makes is almost impossible for us to sell privately, since anyone who buys our share would presumably pay the higher maintenance fees which have been assessed to our share. I think if we have a leg to stand on, we will need to prove this was their intent all along. I think that will be very difficult to do, but certainly not impossible. 3. The trick is to get a lawyer who is better than theirs.

I just successfully sold my timeshare back to The Manhattan Club with the use of a very effective attorney. The process only took two months. If anyone would like the name of this attorney, please contact me at the following e-mail address: jockwood@hotmail.com

Plese send me information about the attorney. Thank you.

Please e-mail me at the e-mail address I used: jockwood@hotmail.com I'll be happy to give you the attorney's contact information.

The attorney does not want her name posted in public.

We "gave" back our TS a couple of years ago by paiding the next years maintence fee, We did not have an attorney. We got a $100 back for some part of the process...don't remember what that was for. So glad to be out of that bottomless pit. We can stay at a b & b for much less than the years maintenance fee. It was a stress we didn't need. good luck to you all.

johna916 wrote:

I just successfully sold my timeshare back to the Manhattan Club with the use of a very effective attorney. The process only took two months. When you have a good real estate attorney working with them, the cooperate. If anyone would like the name of the attorney I used, please e-mail me at jockwood@hotmail.com

chrisv126 wrote:

your #3 comment is right on target......"a lawyer better than theirs." we lost a lawsuit within the last 2 years.....dismissed. i suspect our attorneys at the time might not have given our case the full attention it deserved. ISN'T THERE AN ATTORNEY-SHAREONER AMONG US WHO CAN LEND HIS/HER EXPERTISE IN OUR BEHALF?

robertm1536 wrote:

1. Reading a previous comment, someone said there are 15,000 owners at the MHC. If the average maintenance fee is say, $2,500 per annum, then it apparently costs $3,750,000.00 a year to maintain the place? Does that make sense? 2. On another issue...did all of you get a glossy and apparently very costly Owners Referral Program brochure? This is clear evidence that they are still selling shares. I thought they were, or were about to be sold out several years ago. Where are these new shares coming from? We all know they have "first right of refusal". Why? My hunch is that from day one, they realized that since they totally control the maintenance fees, they could over time run up the cost to the owners (as they have) to a point were the owners will literally give back their share. You may also recall that there are very large closing fees collected by MHC when you sell. Furthermore, when they resell these shares, are they offering low maintenance fees to the new owners as incentive? If so, then we are subsidizing the sell, since our maintenance costs are disproportional. It also makes is almost impossible for us to sell privately, since anyone who buys our share would presumably pay the higher maintenance fees which have been assessed to our share. I think if we have a leg to stand on, we will need to prove this was their intent all along. I think that will be very difficult to do, but certainly not impossible. 3. The trick is to get a lawyer who is better than theirs.

I received a letter from the New York State Attorney General's office in response to a list of complaints I sent them about The Manhattan Club. I was very disappointed in the response, as I provided them with a detailed complaint.

Their letter states, in summary:

1. The attorney general's office will take no legal action against The Manhattan Club.

2. Representatives of the attorney general's office met with Manhattan Club representatives. The Manhattan Club representatives agreed to be "more transparent" in making representations to prospective buyers.

Basically, the attorney general's office was useless in this matter.

I am so glad I found an attorney who was able to seel back my timeshare quickly. The Manahattan Club is an untrustworthy outfit.

Please send me papers for Lawsuit.I will be interested in joining. prozac499@aol.com Home Simone Marino 31 Rose La Mount Sinai N.Y. 11766 631 331 6788

I don't think the law suit is going anywhere. And I was disappointed by the letter I received from the NYS Attorney General's office. I listed in detail my complains about the Manhattan Club -- especially the inability to use my timeshare without making a reservation 6 months to a year in advance. The attorney general's letter essentially said they would not take legal action against The Manhattan Club but would meet with them and assure they are "more transparent" with the owners -- whatever that means. So, the only thing to do is get out of the place. It's a fraudulent operation. When I refer to an attorney, I am not referring to the law suit. I got my own attorney and sold my unit back, within a month. If anyone wants my attorney's name, I would be happy to share it. Just shoot me a quick e-mail at jockwood@hotmai.com

Sorry-- cut off part of my e-mail when typing: jockwood@hotmail.com

They are in covering for Eisner. He has an in somewhere with A.G. office. He was a prosecutor back in his early days, before he became a millionaire with taking other people's money. Why would he get away with this otherwise. Like Gov. Cuomo said "there is corruption in the City." Yes, I believe there is. What s he going to do about it. He was ther AG and this was going on while he was in the position of power over people being scamming and being scammed. What has happened here is a disgrace to NYC!!!

It is a disgrace. That is why I hired a lawyer and got out. It is very hard to go up against a developer who is politically wired in. That is why the case was dismissed. The only out is on an individual basis, for owners to each depart however they best can. Over time, the bad reputation of the place will collapse its value. So why stay in as an owner?

johna916, my reluctant agreement with you: YOU'RE TOTALLY RIGHT! owners, through 2 forums (this one and the group from yahoo) have been trying to get equity from the MC for over 3 years...NADA, NOTHING...while owners sit and pay for often useless time not even spent there. you were quite smart to get out with the assistance of your personal attorney. i was able to get out with an interesting trade with another owner (details not disclosed at this time.) your comment about eichner, the developer, being "politically wired in" seems on target. how the hell else can he do what he does to owners and still remain at the helm of this venture with legal intervention: smacks of outright fraud (which eichner has been accused of in the past.) anyway, this response to your comments is partly a catharsis and partly a "licking of wounds" with someone else in the identical position at MC. and this issue is truly a shame: other than the over-the-barrel position eichner has us in, the MC is a fantastic place: well kept, great personnel, incredible location...all things most people would be drawn to when considering a purchase, but as the phrase goes...CAVEAT EMPTOR..."LET THE BUYER BEWARE."

johna916 wrote:

It is a disgrace. That is why I hired a lawyer and got out. It is very hard to go up against a developer who is politically wired in. That is why the case was dismissed. The only out is on an individual basis, for owners to each depart however they best can. Over time, the bad reputation of the place will collapse its value. So why stay in as an owner?

contact the finance department. ask to be put on their 'buy back' list. be current on your fees. call every few of weeks to 'check in' and always be nice and courteous. if you have a full one bedroom (2 baths) you have a much better chance of them taking it. Good luck

chrisv126 wrote:

consider urslf an "mc prisoner." few, if any, buy backs......so keep paying exorbitant maint fees or ACT NOW: contact the nys attny gen's office with full explanations of all mc complaints; contact ny media......newspapers, radio commentary, tv, bbb. u should also include info on the "ease" of getting your "nyc home away from home" reservations. if this makes any sense, the mc is fantastic, but it also sucks..........management-wise!

leec136 wrote:

Please give me some information on reverse buy back. I just bought the timeshare in Aug 2012. I have problem with it already and wanting to get out soon. Any tips would be appreciated.

if you e-mail me at jockwood@hotmail.com, I can give you contact information on the lawyer who did a fast buy-back for me. It only took 4 weeks. I prefer not to use my real name here.

sarah206 wrote:

contact the finance department. ask to be put on their 'buy back' list. be current on your fees. call every few of weeks to 'check in' and always be nice and courteous. if you have a full one bedroom (2 baths) you have a much better chance of them taking it. Good luck

chrisv126 wrote:

consider urslf an "mc prisoner." few, if any, buy backs......so keep paying exorbitant maint fees or ACT NOW: contact the nys attny gen's office with full explanations of all mc complaints; contact ny media......newspapers, radio commentary, tv, bbb. u should also include info on the "ease" of getting your "nyc home away from home" reservations. if this makes any sense, the mc is fantastic, but it also sucks..........management-wise!

leec136 wrote:

Please give me some information on reverse buy back. I just bought the timeshare in Aug 2012. I have problem with it already and wanting to get out soon. Any tips would be appreciated.

any way u look at it, you come out a financial loser, and MC the big (and most likely fraudulent) winner: you lose you initial purchase price, deed, usage...MC gets its property back, and the charge u 4 the so-called "privilege." and, your transaction with the alleged MC frauds also cost u your attorney's fees, unless the attorney is a blood relative. WELCOME TO OUR LEGAL SYSTEM WHERE POSSIBLE FRAUD IS APPARENTLY NOT FULLY INVESTIGATED.

I agree! But staying as an owner would just keep draining me, with maintenance fees that will only rise each year. It's about cutting loses.

I did the reverse buy-back using an attorney. Don't try doing it yourself. I did. They just told me they would put me on a waiting list. My attorney got it done in a month.

yes, but you lost what you paid for the share (s) plus the attorney's fees. and, you don't have use of the MC any more which happens to be a fantastic place with management the sucks!

johna916 wrote:

I did the reverse buy-back using an attorney. Don't try doing it yourself. I did. They just told me they would put me on a waiting list. My attorney got it done in a month.

.....management THAT sucks..............