Disney World in Florida is our favorite vacation destination. We were fortunate enough to stay at a family members timshare once for the Sheraton Vistana Resort located less than a mile from the Park. We had a blast and decided to buy one of our own.
We located a company on ebay selling one for charity that had been donated. We did our due diligence, asked all the right questions, received pictures, email responses, etc, all confirming it was for the Orlando Resort we wanted. The auction closes and we are asked how we want the Deed recorded (wife's and my name).
A week or so later, we receive a deed, but it is for an entirely different city and county. Turns out they recorded the wrong timeshare in our name. At no time did we sign anything, this was all done on their end. I immediately contacted them and advised them of the error. They sent us a new deed, as well as some very nasty emails, to record back to them and advised that once completed, they would refund our money. Deed was signed, notarized, and returned and we received our refund.
The problem here is that they decided they would try to resell the unit, but never did.instead, the deed seemed to disappear and never got recorded, despite them acknowleging receiving it and refunding our money. Basically, they never had the deed recorded OUT of our name because then they would be responsible for the unit as opposed to waiting for a new buyer to step in and assume all liability.
We have since been receiving notices and are now in the process of being sent to collection over maintenence fees, taxes, etc that we never should have had in our name for the wrong resort.
This has been going on for over a year and the company states they aren't responsible since they gave us our money back. All of their online materials state that they are the registered owners once it is donated, but it turns out this is not true either. They sit on blank donation deeds waiting for someone to purchase so that they can fill them out and make it look as if the deal went from 1 owner to the new one.
They refuse to assist in this despite the fact they misrepresented the auction, including pictures, email responses about the exact unit location, etc which were all false.
In discussing this with Mr. Vener or his assistant Mary Ann, they say that "If it goes to collection, just explain it to them and you SHOULD be alright". The point is that collection will show up on my credit and even the timeshare management company (Vistana Owners) is telling me that it will be reported to my credit file as well snce we are the Deeded/Recorded owners.
In one of my many contacts with Mr. Vener, he even recommended I deed it back to the original donator and make him responsible. When I was able to track down the original owner, he said that he had donated it, received the Tax credit for donation, and signed everything over to Vener's company. When I asked Mr. Vener about this, he couldn't 'recall'.
I asked Mr. Vener what was to keep me from doing the same to them which was have the deed recorded in their name since no signature was obviously needed. I was told that since they 'had refunded my money that I was technically NOT the legal owner and could be guilty of fraud.' The problem is that when I speak to the Timeshare management company, they say that because Vener never rerecorded the deed that we are in fact the Deeded Registered owner.
It is shocking that this is all going on even after the comapny acknowledged the error. The refuse to make this right or assist so I am warning everybody to steer clear of them so you do not end up in a credit nightmare.
To add icing to the cake, the company is even aware of my current battle with brain cancer and refuses to help. (www.savestodysbrain.com)
Because of this, my wife and other family members have had to take the reins in addressing this since the collection letters are starting tocome in. When my wife contacted Mr. Vener, he even went so far as to tell my wife he couldn't remember our discussions but that he recalled it was because I didn't like the resort. As soon as my wife pointed out dates and times of past discussions and the fact they misrepresented the resort, he suddenly "Lawyered Up" and said he could no longer discuss this with her, despite the fact she is on file, on deed, and on paper with all parties involved.
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