“ Alone
and our voice is small.
—
Together we will be heard.
”
Barbara Bowen, NAM
|
||||||
What great thing would you do
if you knew ahead of time that you would not
fail ?
County Treasurer Sues
Former Campground Members
and others...
The Warren County (OH) Treasurer and his attorney (Chris Watkins) filed a lawsuit against anyone who might try to assert a claim to the real estate title to the campground (Big Turtle) or any assets associated with it.
Several former members of that campground contacted NAM after receiving notice that they were being sued. “Are they going to take away my pension or my RV?”
We contacted Mr. Watkins and his client to find out what, if anything, former campground members need to worry about.
“The purpose of naming all of the individuals in the case is that they have an interest in the property by virtue of the recording of deeds in the Warren County Recorder’s office of a 1/400th interest in the property. They must be listed in a foreclosure action in order to have all interests accounted for in the property in the event of a purchase.
I am not seeking a money judgment against any individual. This action is in rem (against the property only) to collect the tax owed.
Chris Watkins”
So there!
You can come out of hiding.
You will NOT be sued for your affiliation with Big Turtle.
MORE Dues-for-Life Schemes
PTC (Presidents Travel Club/Travel America/etc...)
“So you think you cancelled your membership back in 199?. Well (they say), we want your money any way. If you don’t send it to us - we’ll do terrible things to you, your family, your dog, etc...”
Every campground member is entitled to the following rights. We believe that these rights can be enforced, in court if necessary, by any reasonably competent attorney. We are in the process of coordinating complaints against several camping clubs for violating laws and federal rules upon which these rights are based.
Are entitled to the use of campground facilities in accordance with the terms of their membership contract as long as their dues/maintenance fees are current.
Should expect the campground owner and the operator to live up to all the terms of the membership contract.
May terminate the membership agreement and dues obligation at will by notifying the owner or operator of their intentions to do so.
This assumes that you do not intend to use the campground facilities in the future.
Note: The contract may specify the method to be used to cancel the membership.
NO ONE has the right to force you to pay annual dues “for the rest of your life” for a campground membership! Such a notion is absurd!
The only reasonable penalty for non-payment of dues is denial of use of the camping facilities.
Are NOT required to sell the membership to someone else in order to escape annual dues payments.
We will be happy to provide information and work with you and your attorney if you find yourself in court defending yourself against a company that tries to abuse these rights.
Anyone who tells you that you must pay dues or maintenance fees ‘until you die’ or else sell your membership to someone who will, is in our opinion, a liar and a criminal. We think they should be put in jail. So should any employer who allows such statements to be made.
So You Want to Join a Membership Campground...
Membership Camping is an increasingly popular way to take vacations or plan for retirement. Camping “Marketeers” often claim that membership in a campground/camping club is a way to save money. Others say this is nonsense. Consider the risks and the benefits carefully before you sign a contract.
There are two basic types of membership plans. In a deeded plan, you buy an ownership interest in a piece of real estate, sometimes called an Undivided Interest (UDI). In a non-deeded plan, you buy a lease, license, or club membership that lets you use the facility for a particular number of years. With both types, the cost of your membership is related to the length of time you want to buy, the number of campgrounds you will be able to visit, or the geographic area where your campground(s) you can use are located.
The purchase will cost thousands of dollars. Before you sign any papers or pay any fees, understand what you’re buying. Consider these points when you’re making your decision.
Practical Factors.
-
One reason you might buy a membership is the convenient location of the facilities. Is it close to your location? Another is pre-retirement planning. Still another reason is the expectation that you might actually “save money” as you camp.
-
Consider whether you’ll be able to use your membership year after year.
-
Are your vacation plans sometimes subject to last-minute changes, or do they vary in length and season from year to year?
-
Are you now — and will you be in good enough physical and financial health to travel and actually use your membership?
-
If you’re evaluating a membership plan with units in several locations, ask whether the club has enough sites to satisfy demand.
-
Are the facilities located where you can use them (en route to and at your destinations)?
Will sites be available at the agreed price when you get there? (Peak Season?) The number and convenience of sites are often exaggerated by the marketeers. -
BE REALISTIC as you estimate the actual number of days that you will use your camping membership in the first 3 years. Estimates beyond that time should not be relied upon because your health and financial situation could change dramatically by that time.
Investment Potential.
Never consider the purchase of a campground membership as an investment. Resale of this kind of membership is usually difficult. You will face competition from the original seller and from other members who simply want to exit the camping system. Camping journals, newspapers, and the internet contain many offers to sell campground memberships at a fraction of the original cost.
Total Costs.
The total cost of your camping membership includes payments on the membership contract and finance charges, other expenses, such as travel costs, annual maintenance fees, nightly or seasonal camping fees, utilities, and other miscellaneous charges. Some campgrounds have started charging for things like A/C usage, TV hookup, sewer hookup, etc. that were once thought of as “expected and included” services. Annual maintenance fees can range upwards from $300. Since these fees can rise at rates that exceed inflation, it’s important to ask if there’s a fee cap for your plan. Keep in mind that many of these fees must be paid whether or not you use the membership. To help evaluate the purchase, compare your total costs with costs for similar accommodations and amenities for the same time and in a nearby location.
Is the membership you are being offered an “Entry level” membership? Will you be required to pay additional money for full use or full access to the campground/camping club facilities?
Document Review. Don’t act on impulse or under pressure. Take the documents home to review. Ask a professional or someone familiar with campground memberships to review the paperwork before you buy. If the seller won’t let you take the documents, this isn’t the deal for you. A good offer today usually will be a good offer tomorrow. Legitimate businesses don’t expect you to make snap decisions. Find out if the contract provides a “cooling-off” period during which you can cancel and get a refund. If not, ask to include this clause.
Oral Promises. Make certain all promises made by the salesperson are written into the contract. Honest salesmen will not hesitate to put any promise made at the time of sale – in writing. You are being asked to sign a contract to pay a significant amount of money. When a salesman says: “What’s the matter? Don’t you TRUST me?” The answer is NO! Insist that all promises be in writing – and in the contract. It has nothing to do with trust.
Reputation Research. Your resort will be a good place to vacation only if it is run properly. Research the track record of the seller, developer, and management company before you buy. Ask for a copy of the current maintenance budget. Learn what will be done to manage and repair the property, replace furnishings as needed, and provide promised services. Will these arrangements be adequate? Visit the facilities and talk to current owners about their experiences. Local Better Business Bureaus and Consumer Protection Offices also are good sources of information.
Unfinished Facilities. Purchasing a membership in an undeveloped property is extremely risky, but if you decide to buy anyway, get a written commitment from the seller on when the facilities will be finished.
Default Protection. A common life span of a membership camping system is 3-5 years. What will happen to your membership rights in the unhappy event that the one you are looking at files bankruptcy or is sold to another owner?
Learn your rights. if the developer or management company has financial problems or defaults. Check to see if your contract includes two clauses concerning “non-disturbance” and “non-performance.” A non-disturbance provision should ensure that you will continue to have use of your membership or site in the event of default and subsequent third party claims against the developer or management firm. A non-performance protection clause should allow you to keep your membership/ownership rights, even if a third party is required to buy out your contract. Contact an attorney who can provide you with more information about these provisions.
Exit Rights. What happens if or when you decide that you no longer wish to be a member? Usually you cannot simply decide to stop paying dues or contract payments. Be sure you clearly understand the procedure for canceling your membership and any obligation to continue payments. Some sellers conceal the fact that they expect you to pay every year “Until you die”!
In Summary:
-
Be realistic when you estimate the number of days per year you will use your membership. Most of us would like to camp more than we actually do.
-
Don’t be mislead by the sales hype of marketeers. There are valid reasons to join a campground/camping club, but for most people – it is not a way to save money.
-
Get all promises in writing.
Understand every aspect of the contract before you sign it even if it means
taking the contract home to study it or to get help understanding it. Any
legitimate company would encourage you to do this. If they try to discourage
you – a red flag should go up immediately.
Know how to terminate the contract if the campground/camping club doesn’t
live up to their part of the contract (bankruptcy or any other reason) or
if, for any reason, you simply decide that you no longer wish to be a member.
Camping is an enjoyable recreation and a rewarding lifestyle.
Don’t let the
“Marketeers” ruin it for you.
Dan Hopper
National Association for Members (NAM)
Our Hero
Edith DeShazo
Edith, a long time friend of NAM, says she likes the short stories we sometimes use as fillers in our newsletter so she sent us some new ones from her collection. We offer them here. We think they are pretty good...
Insurance Problem
Fire swept the campground and burned up the Jonses’ RV. Mrs. Jones called their insurance company and told them to send a check for $85,000, the amount of insurance on the RV.
“We don’t give you the money,” a company official explained.
“We replace the
RV and everything in it.”
“In that case,” replied the wife, “cancel the policy I have on my husband.”
Ah! Yes! Love is blind — Marriage is the eye opener
Crime Spree !
The RV park managers sons, ages 8 and 10, were always playing pranks and getting into mischief. When things went wrong in the campground, in town, at school, at fairs, and at church, they were inevitably behind it. Their parents were beside themselves with anxiety. What if their children should “step over the line”’ and get in trouble with the Law?
They decided to send the boys to talk with the pastor of their church, a Bible thumping, God fearing, pulpit pounding Rock of Ethics and Values.
The 8 year old had the first appointment, walking the four blocks from home to the church. When he sat in the chair across from the pastor’s desk, the pastor regarded him with a deep scowl, and after a minute said, “Young man, where is God?”
The boy remained silent in his chair. The pastor raised his voice a bit. “Young man, where is God?”
Still the boy remained quiet, but his eyes widened, and he swallowed nervously.
The pastor leaned over his desk and yelled, “Young man, I asked you a question! Now where is God?”
In terror, the boy leaped from his chair, ran home, vaulted up the stairs to his bedroom, and hid in his closet.
The 10 year old, hearing the noise, ran into his younger brother’s bedroom and found ‘him shivering in the closet. “What happened?” he said, starting to get scared himself.
“Oh we’re in deep trouble,” said the 8 year old.
“God’s missing, and everyone thinks we did it.”
Aren’t Older Women Great!
After being married for 44 years, I took a careful look at my wife one evening and said: “Honey, 44 years ago we had a cheap apartment, a cheap car, slept on a sofa bed and watched a 10-inch black and white TV - but I got to sleep every night with a hot 25-year-old gal.
Now I have a $85,000 RV, a $45,000 car, a nice big bed and a plasma screen TV, but I’m sleeping with a 69-year-old woman. It seems to me that you’re not holding up your side of things.”
My wife is a very reasonable woman. She said:”go out and get a hot 25-year-old gal, and I’ll make sure that you can once again be living in a cheap apartment, driving a cheap car, sleeping on a sofa bed and watching a 10-inch black and white TV.”
Aren’t older women great!
They really know how to solve your mid-life crisis...
What MEN Want!
One day, a man came back to the RV and was greeted by his wife dressed in a very Sexy nightie.
‘Tie me up,’ she purred, ‘and you can do anything you want.’
So he tied her up and went golfing.
I'm So Smart It Hurts...
We all get heavier as we get older because there’s a lot more information in our heads!
So I’m not fat.
I’m just really intelligent and my head couldn’t hold any kmore so it started filling up the rest of me.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
Preaching to the Choir
We’ve published our newsletters for more than 14 years now. We’ve told you how to escape bad campground schemes and who your allies are.
You now know what to do and how to help others avoid these problems.
That is our mission and it needs to be yours too.
Our efforts are made possible by your encouragement and your support (both spiritual and financial).
What do YOU think we should be doing now?
Please send us a letter or an email.
Let us know how you think we are doing
and how to do it better.