MRL timeshare owners have come and gone over the years, yet the historic retention of MRL consumers have been better that most. This retention is mainly due (we are informed) as a result of a promise.
“When you become an owner of timeshare, you have legal right in deed and title to occupy your holiday apartment or lodge in the week or weeks of your choice forever.”
This promise can be relied upon as an honourable representation.
This year MRL suggest to the committee members of the clubs (who sole purpose is to protect and maintain the owner’s property) they had a problem and could MRL suggest proposals which could end the so called perpetuity clauses (causing the problem)(MRL are not members of the RDO therefore do not have to comply with their terms). The TCA have never seen any other avenues of enquiry which those committees explored. In any event is perpetuity the problem or is it that the resale market is frozen or indeed who is freezing that market.
When MRL had chewed the fat of the problem, they formulated a proposal and put that proposal to the committee for consideration. That proposal was far reaching which entirely altered the existing constitution and indeed went against the promises in the charter.
Those committees then met and considered the proposal and chose to put the proposal to the members of the club.
To date we have no conformation whether or not any of those clubs (on behalf of its members) actually took independent legal advice on these dramatic changes. That said they commence an action to call an EGM to discuss the MRL proposal.
The committee then elected that the proposer MRL would handle the administration of the vote entirely, from collating the names and address of the timeshare owners to issuing the voting slips to counting the vote and acting as the returning officers in the vote. All vote were passed and Owners alleged the vote was unfair
Before the meeting MRL chose to carry out a promotion of the constitutional changes and accepted TATOC offer to attend the meeting. TATOC say the proposal is ground breaking and said MRL should be commended.
TATOC stands for The Association of Timeshare Owners Committees. Therefore it’s the committee they ought to be helping with a momentous decision not MRL. That said when those committees met at the EGM’s. I do not have any information that TATOC attended to assist those committees which the TCA find bizarre.
This all said, the proposer of the amendments administrated the vote, counted the vote and confirmed that the vote passed the alleged required criteria.
The problem appears to be is who will benefit most from the MRL proposal. Consumers alleged the entire benefit of the proposal is MRL, which again does not sit well with the consumers the TCA has petitioned. To re-cap MRL propose to take the deeded property off consumers and keep that property and I doing so, the objecting consumers have no rights of stopping the taking of property and the MRL consumers pay 4 times maintenance fees for having those assets removed. MRL proposed this and the committees passed this motion regardless of the backdrop promise “you have legal right in deed and title to occupy”.
What is also strange is the committees who represent the members believe they have the right to meddle in a sales contract between MRL and the timeshare consumers and have a legal right to take the assets off a member and give it to another member for a fee in excess of £2,000.00.
That all said, they have done it, the contract has been breached and it is alleged that MRL have been unjustly enriched. No doubt the lawyers will have a field day and again no doubt a deal of compensation will be agreed in secret so that the entire truth is benched.
My discord is that elderly and frail consumers are being upset unjustly, they are spending what might be the remaining years of their lives with worry they did not invite, they did not want and they did not court.
Where has morality gone? Where is the care in the community? What is the family of man becoming.
What MRL are doing might be lawful or un-lawful (That test is yet to come). They might have every legal right to undertake this event, yet time and time again consumers are reporting to me MRL will not give full and frank information, will not engage to dissipate the worry and have not created a department to assist and dispel the fears lots of elderly people have. One has to ask why?
It’s a damn shame!
We learned that the CAB doesn’t investigate the consumer complaints if those consumers are complaining about an industry. In truth they merely refer to a government department, ignoring the very people who believe in them.
The CAB regardless of what they spin award a emblazoned badge of honour to whom they recommend (in the eyes of the consumers) and the consumer believe in that recommendation, yet in truth and from their own words they saywe signpost to most industry bodies. TATOC and RDO and why do they do this? Again the CAB says it is to advise users of the correct bodies to contact for further help.
Again it’s a damn shame!
MRL consumer are not alone, other resorts are doing the same like silverpoint and again the result is the same, the consumers lose their assets.
Because CAB have taken this position, other who have a need for advice like Age Concern, County Councillors, MP’s Police all take the recommendations of CAB and in turn all trust the advice CAB gives which is entirely based on a government department.
Do we as consumers not have any friend? Will consumers assist the elderly and complain? Will the fit, well, affluent and wise seek to change for the benefit of others?
Today I took a call from a granddaughter who explained her 93 year old grandfather had 7 weeks MRL timeshare. She further explained her granddad has less than £2,000 in the bank and was worrying himself stupid about being sued by MRL who persist in phoning him. Is that a legacy we, you and the CAB are proud of or will we act?
Is this the benefit we have all gained from the advancements (we as a society) have achieved. If we permit it, we could be next; the road to quite enjoyment will become history. If you bought your house off a builder and he returned in the future and made the same proposal as MRL has in the timeshare industry would you leave you home? Would you see the elderly having their homes, holidays and assets taken off them and being charged for it
Some bought into a deeded property and have enjoyed and wish to continue to enjoy what they bought, what they worked for and what they own, yet the ground breaking reality is that it is being done without bothering our duty of care to morality. Have we really sunk as a society to the depths!
If you wish to take action and stop this event please Email legal@timeshareconsumerassociation.org.uk and register for group action.
The lead action group is now 36% full
For more information regarding this article or assistance in any other timeshare related issues please contact the TCA on 01908 881058 or email: info@TimeshareConsumerAssociation.org.uk