posted 05-12-2005 10:47               

All of ours do, and most of them haven't had any significant increases after the 9/11 insurance jump.

Let me know, I would love to find out for you and me. Greg

My Website

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We will be at the Kona Hawaiian Village from October 15th till November 6th, Mahalo

posted 05-12-2005 11:22               

Second, ts owners have to keep up the insides of their condos. This includes cleaning every week, cable TV fees, interior painting, salaries or management fees for the ts functionality, furniture, appliances and inside repairs. The TS part is usually more costly than the condo part.

You definitely should be able to reach a board member, if not a property manager.

posted 05-12-2005 12:36               

When we bought there in 1999, they were $456, and from what I can find they are only $599 now, with much of that being the insurance increase that kicked in 2001 , what I call the 911 effect.

Those are very, very low fees for a Gold Crown rated Hawaiian resort.

Even lower than Lawai Beach, their 2 bed units run $656-702 depending upon which association.

Are yours higher than that?

Most of the rated Hawaiin 2 bedroom units run from $775 to $1200 per year .

Maybe it is just the Hawaii factor, where all fees are higher than many other properties.

fwiw, Greg

quote:

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Originally posted by faceache:
Actually, Greg. it is the Alii Kai II in Princeville. No, they do not send a financial statement, and I am beginning to get a bit suspicious. We have not received any newsletters either as to who is doing what, staff changes, enhancements., etc. When I email Grant Pacific Resorts who are, supposedly, the administators, I get no feedback. I am at the point of making a complaint to an appropriate agency in Hawaii. There are about 900 timeshare owners for this facility. I wonder if I am alone in my concerns.

Joan
PS we own other timeshares and I get annual statements and newsletters indicating where the money is spent and why.

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We will be at the Kona Hawaiian Village from October 15th till November 6th, Mahalo

posted 05-12-2005 12:54               

The interiors of the timeshares need much improvement and there are no perks like airconditioning or on-site recreational facilities except for the pool. The timeshare office is open only parttime for a couple of hours each day and not on Sunday.

I would really like some detailed numbers as to why the maintenance fees have escalated by more than 20% in the past two years. Is is really necessary or are we paying someone's high salary.

I know for the Marriott timeshares we have, there is a board of directors who we vote in plus meetings we can attend. We also get an detailed financial statement each year.

posted 05-12-2005 13:08               

The whole unit receives no cleaning, no linens,no furniture, no appliances, no supplies, no desk help, no phones, etc.

All they get is exterior maintenance.

Where a timeshare unit gets a full cleaning and a mid week cleaning each week, and the fact that wages in Hawaii are fairly high, and a simple 1 hour cleaning with supplies and fresh towels and linens cost the average resort around $100.

Then add in the replacements for dishes, soaps, appliances, bedding, in fact the entire interior of the units is the Timeshare managements job to keep up.

I will agree that someone should be furnishing you an annual report of the financial status of the association, but your fees are still very low for a Hawaiian Gold Crown 2 bedroom unit.

Greg

quote:

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Originally posted by faceache:
Lee/Greg I will admit that the Alli Kai is well-maintained and yes, there is a POA, but the timeshare owners are represented by one individual, and, when I tried to get contact numbers for Ron Wright, our representative, it was impossible to ferret out the details from anyone including the on-site staff. The full-time residents pay a maintenance fee monthly, about $600, whereas each timeshare owner pays $640 per week and for 900 timeshare weeks that is a whooping $576000. The Alii Kai has 56 units and 18 of them are timeshare. Yes, I do realize there are large overheads for the timeshares but administration costs for Grand Pacific Resorts is extremely generous.

The interiors of the timeshares need much improvement and there are no perks like airconditioning or on-site recreational facilities except for the pool. The timeshare office is open only parttime for a couple of hours each day and not on Sunday.

I would really like some detailed numbers as to why the maintenance fees have escalated by more than 20% in the past two years. Is is really necessary or are we paying someone's high salary.

I know for the Marriott timeshares we have, there is a board of directors who we vote in plus meetings we can attend. We also get an detailed financial statement each year.

Joan

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posted 05-12-2005 13:09               

You may feel the rates are low and they may be, but one wants value for money and not just "let's see what the traffic will bear".

We have just returned after staying there for three weeks. I really love the place but now feel a bit uncomfortable.

posted 05-12-2005 13:21               

Frustration is about all you will accomplish I fear.

My advice to would be that if you feel a bit uncomfortable
that you consider selling and moving on, life is too short to be consumed by things that make you unhappy.

jmho, Greg

quote:

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Originally posted by faceache:
Greg

You may feel the rates are low and they may be, but one wants value for money and not just "let's see what the traffic will bear".

We have just returned after staying there for three weeks. I really love the place but now feel a bit uncomfortable.

Joan

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posted 05-12-2005 15:18               

You are probably right. I will only get frustrated. But you know, I think it only right to at least take the time and effort to question. We are not just timeshare owners but owners of that facility even if it is 1/52.

Cheers

posted 05-12-2005 16:25               

quote:

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Originally posted by faceache:
The full-time residents pay a maintenance fee monthly, about $600

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Wow that seems high- unless it includes properrty taxes & insurance. Does it?

posted 05-13-2005 05:43            

State of Hawaii Regulated Industries
Department of Commerce and consumer affairs
828 Fort Street Suite 600A
PO Box 2399
Honolulu, HI 96804
phone 808-587-3222

posted 05-14-2005 01:09               

DonM, it does seem a bit high, and I don't know what it includes. This information was only mentioned sitting at the pool with a full-time resident. No one was anxious to give any information even though we are owners at that facility. Any information has to come through our timeshare representative who does not give out any contact numbers.

posted 05-14-2005 08:29            

All our Hawaii ts mfs do include taxes and insurance. We've yet to be hit with supplemental fees. I believe Hawaii requires sufficiant funds to be collected to cover ALL recurring maintenance. It's the Inikis that cost more.

And, all our timeshares, even the ones in Australia, send us financial information on the operating costs of the resort, broken down by unit costs, also.

posted 05-14-2005 10:06               

Greg has given some good background information. I will merely add that there are many timeshare resorts that are firmly controlled by the owners, with active and capable Boards of Directors that hire and oversee a managment company. Some of those directors are even TUGgers.

The overall situation is that the cost of operating a timeshare resort on the US mainland typically runs about $500 per week - sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less. It is influenced by local market conditions, how many amenities the resort has, etc. A big factor is how much money the Board puts into capital reserve accounts to fund replacements.

Hawai`i is significantly more expensive than the mainland. Almost everything costs more in Hawai`i, from labor to supplies to electricity. Kaua`i is also a bit more expensive than O`ahu, because most items delivered to Kaua`i go to O`ahu first, then are reloaded to go to Kaua`i.

Bottom line is that your annual fees at Ali`i Kai are among the most reasonable in Hawai`i and on Kaua`i. In fact, the fees are so low that if I were an owner, I would want to satisfy myself that the capital reserve accounts are being adequately funded. If the reserve accounts are not adequately funded, owners will get hit with a large special assessment when something needs to be replaced, but there isn't money available to do it.

My post is not intended in anyway to discourage you or dissuade you from trying to get the financial information you are looking. It's good that you're paying attention to these matters. I just want to put some perspective on the situation for you.

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Steve Nelson

posted 05-14-2005 11:27               

I agree with other responses that the fees seem reasonable. We are paying over $800 at Makai Club Cottages. Increases in the range of 6-10% per year are fairly common and necessary to keep up with rising costs of everything from energy to insurance to wages. I'm one of those TUGgers who serves on a Board of Directors and struggles to keep the maintenance fees reasonable while maintaining a quality resort and vacation experience for our other owners.

posted 05-15-2005 12:12            

Also I thought the dollar was falling in comparison to the euro--that should make it even cheaper for the UK owners.

On our last trip to Kauai a couple from Belgium had literally been around the world in a single trip. They said Kauai was tops of all the places they had been. Can you imagine? Around the world and they weren't even 30 yet.

Also spoke with a man from Great Britan who thought gasoline prices were reasonable at $2.099/gallon. He said at home they were on the order of $8/gallon mostly taxes.