We are pleased to announce that History has made in the Caribbean, not on one count, but on two.
For the very first time the parliament based in Philipsburge have approved extensive protection for timeshare consumers and in doing so, have offered safety and indeed relief to what is claimed to be one of the largest money-generating divisions of the country, the Timeshare industry.
With the passing of this new law, the Caribbean Parliament tabled to a Member of Parliament the new law which has now been passed.
The new law was approved and supported by Mrs. Sarah Wescot-Williams a Member of Parliament for the Democratic Party (DP) and upon its reading, it was unanimously accepted by the entire Parliament. The tabling of the law was in part the ingenuity of Leroy de Weever another DP member.
This law is exclusive as it is the first law to have an English version, believing that many English people will flock in and to buy the offering of the timeshare industry in the Caribbean. All this aside, the law is not yet in effect, as it requires authorisation by the Council of Ministers. That again being so, the Regulator will have up to six weeks to study the new law and to safeguard that it does not conflict with the Constitution.
The approved law encompasses bankruptcy protection to owners of all kinds of timeshare products, together with lease-hold. Wescot-Williams said the law brings “real checks and balances” for everything from regulations of timeshare maintenance fees to reservation levels and the timeshare developers are obliged by this law to fully unveil all developments to buyers and to continue to do so, as developments expand and sales are made.
Misleading marketing tactic is also forbidden by the law and its perpetrators will incur fines by authorities if found to be guilty. A code of conduct has been constructed, based on the law and will be applied for timeshare salespersons. The 1st and 2nd initiative law establishes a timeshare authority. This authority will offer “a practical arrangement for resolution” of timeshare conflicts, among other things.
Wescot-Williams will appear before fellow MPs in the near future and to deliver answers to their numerous queries on the draft law and before it is put to a vote. Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on Integrity met previously to discuss the establishing of a code of conduct for Members of Parliament and the recommendations for Parliament is outlined in the integrity reports carried out in 2014 and 2015.
The committee, chaired by Wescot-Williams, spoke about the way forward on the recommendations and deferred the code of conduct review to a later session to give the current members of the committee time to review the draft document. The committee has several new members since they last time it met in late 2016, due to elections.
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