“Like a Rock”: Uniting Owners in One Strong Voice 

By Charlene Small 

Timeshare owners get it. They know that owning a timeshare means
a guaranteed once-in-a-lifetime vacation at least once a year, every year for as long as they want to take it. Owners know that the experiences and memories they gain on these vacations with their families and loved ones far outweigh any negative perceptions or influences.

Ensuring that timeshare ownership continues to be preserved, protected and enhanced is a complex task that the American Resort Development Association Resort Owners’ Coalition (ARDA-ROC) is proud to take on.

Empowered by timeshare owners, ARDA- ROC effectively influences legislation that strengthens the timeshare industry, giving owners countless memorable experiences. In order to preserve and protect vacation ownership, ARDA-ROC focuses its advocacy on four main pillars of legislation. 

Resale and transfer legislation: ARDA-ROC helps protect owners from falling victim to scams by introducing or assisting in passing pro-consumer legislation, allowing owners to safely and gracefully exit their timeshare ownership. These legislative efforts continue to protect owners by holding accountable those companies that use deceptive business practices in an attempt to defraud owners.

Timeshare owner privacy laws: ARDA-ROC ensures that the owner’s privacy is always protected by enacting responsible privacy laws that withhold personal information from being shared with third parties for commercial purposes, unwanted solicitation, or fraudulent activity.

Transient accommodations tax (TAT): ARDA-ROC strongly opposes any effort to impose an accommodation tax on the use of a timeshare unit by an owner or exchange guest. Timeshare owners already pay a number of taxes and fees related to their purchase and ownership obligations. Adding an additional tax like TAT, when owners want to extend their vacation experience beyond their home resort, would ultimately put limits on the owner’s vacation ownership.

Non-judicial foreclosure: ARDA-ROC saves HOAs time and money by supporting non-judicial foreclosure laws that enable the trustee of a timeshare to conduct a foreclosure sale outside
the court system.

Using these four main pillars, ARDA-ROC
has championed owners’ interests for
their timeshare on every regulatory and legislative level for more than 25 years!  As future generations begin to enjoy the sharing economy, timeshare ownership will continue to be a valued community that must remain preserved, protected and enhanced.