SPM leaving A Place at the Beach III Atlantic Beach NC !!!

[allsmiles277]

I agree there are some good SPM employees at APATB III Atlantic Beach NC but I disagree about SPM. I think SPM and The Board made the decision to do the upgrades to the units way too late and made timeshare owners not trust them because of the 3 year assessment. I will never trust SPM as a management company anywhere.

 

[pedro47]

SPM, also manage Royal Dunes on Port Royal Plantation and is doing an excellent job. Why, would a management company leaves a resort at the end of December, Were they fired for causes, what is the true reason why they are leaving ? Are there any articles in the local newspaper about this situation ?
.

 

[Egret1986]

SPM, also manage Royal Dunes on Port Royal Plantation and is doing an excellent job. Why, would a management company leaves a resort at the end of December, Were they fired for causes, what is the true reason why they are leaving ? Are there any articles in the local newspaper about this situation ?
.

I own at a few resorts that are managed by SPM Resorts, and the resorts have improved under their management. I have no complaints about SPM Resorts. Would we even know if anything was amiss at the resort if SPM had not notified owners that something was going on? I believe they are trying to be more transparent than the Board.

I can think of a couple of other timeshare management companies where there is definitely a lack of trust....think Festiva at Peppertree Atlantic Beach, and DRI.

"I will never trust SPM as a management company anywhere." AllSmiles

AllSmiles, what exactly did SPM do that has earned your "never trust.....anywhere"? I've gotten two mailed letters and a couple of emails from SPM. The Board sent emails (with no information), only in response to SPM's emails. I've paid SA's at both SPM-managed and non-SPM managed resorts over the last couple of years. I'm confused how that instills distrust with regards to the 3-year SA. I was impressed with what was done at the resort when I visited in August and thought the SAs were put to good use. When you consider the reasonable maintenance fees, to me this resort is greatly improved under SPM's management.

I am saddened that SPM will not be managing this resort, and that the Board is being left to their own devices and lack of transparency on the unknown issue. What the heck is the issue??????

 

[Drinkingbeer]

SPM doesn't have any say so in SA that is a board decision. The board probably spread it out over three years so it wouldn't hurt as bad. Any policy that is in place is a board decision not an SPM one. SPM sole job is just to manage the property and to ensure policies are enforced to the letter. So what makes you not trust them? To get back on track here. The board is not being transparent about any of this. It's their job to inform us. Or be voted off

 

[RLS50]

I researched APATBIII before we purchased there. What I was told by multiple current and former owners is that previous to SPM the Board pretty much allowed the property to fall into rough shape, especially the unit interiors, maintenance, and cleanliness which were widely criticized on numerous social media travel review sites.

From my understanding, SPM refused to come in and manage a dump (similar to the way Marriott requires frequent upgrades to properties they manage), so they agreed to take over managing the resort if the Board agreed to fund a much needed major renovation. So when SPM came in things got cleaned up...both literally and process wise. Thanks to SPM and the current staff there I think this place might be the best managed resort on the NC coast right now, or close to it.

I hope I'm wrong but if SPM leaves I am not super confident the Board will be able to keep things up to the standard SPM has set currently. We'll see.

 

[theo]

I know absolutely nothing about this resort or about SPM, but just a very few years ago we experienced a directly comparable situation of sudden and unexplained "divorce" between management company and HOA / BoD at a resort where we owned and enjoyed an interval.

In that instance, it clearly was not about money. The management company that "hit the bricks" was VRI, an entity I respect and which had been doing a very good job there (IMO) for many prior years. The "official" (but lame and unconvincing) explanation from the BoD regarding the "divorce" was that "VRI was not helping the Board enough to plan for the future" (...whatever that means). No further (or credible) explanation was ever provided at any time thereafter.
I had frankly already had more than enough of that particular BoD anyhow, so we simply sold off our interval there and never looked back --- but I have always wondered just what the real truth was behind that sudden and seemingly unproductive and unwarranted "divorce" from a very capable management company.

I hope you folks have better success in unraveling the mystery behind your resort's divorce between HOA and a reportedly capable management company.
I wish you luck; I know from experience that it's uncomfortable to be an owner "kept in the dark", being told either nothing at all or BS instead of the truth.

 

[Fayeoctober]

SPM is the company that manages our independent resort as well. Our HOA is not involved in directly handling money. No one on the HOA touches money. Assuming the Place at the Beach Homeowners Assoc. works the same way, I am not sure what they could have done to upset SPM, so I am wondering if SPM has more involvement with this than they say. Of course, I don't know. What I do know is that my Husband who is on our HOA has asked for some mainly financial type information, and SPM has been slower to respond than usual. That is probably bothering me more than Him, but one of the requests involves an question I raised at the Owners Meeting more than a month ago. It seems that even with the recent holiday, they should have been able to respond by now.

 

[Tia]

Must be pretty bad for this to be going on. Your board owes you answers, but good luck getting them as they fired SPM the whistle blower seems like

They owe us all answers and they are not giving them. Sounds like a cover-up and if this turns out to be a money thing I'm going to be very upset. And the way this is dragging out its confirming what I suspect

 

[allsmiles277]

I own at a few resorts that are managed by SPM Resorts, and the resorts have improved under their management. I have no complaints about SPM Resorts. Would we even know if anything was amiss at the resort if SPM had not notified owners that something was going on? I believe they are trying to be more transparent than the Board.

I can think of a couple of other timeshare management companies where there is definitely a lack of trust....think Festiva at Peppertree Atlantic Beach, and DRI.

"I will never trust SPM as a management company anywhere." AllSmiles

AllSmiles, what exactly did SPM do that has earned your "never trust.....anywhere"? I've gotten two mailed letters and a couple of emails from SPM. The Board sent emails (with no information), only in response to SPM's emails. I've paid SA's at both SPM-managed and non-SPM managed resorts over the last couple of years. I'm confused how that instills distrust with regards to the 3-year SA. I was impressed with what was done at the resort when I visited in August and thought the SAs were put to good use. When you consider the reasonable maintenance fees, to me this resort is greatly improved under SPM's management.

I am saddened that SPM will not be managing this resort, and that the Board is being left to their own devices and lack of transparency on the unknown issue. What the heck is the issue??????

I am not at liberty to say at this time.

 

[allsmiles277]

SPM doesn't have any say so in SA that is a board decision. The board probably spread it out over three years so it wouldn't hurt as bad. Any policy that is in place is a board decision not an SPM one. SPM sole job is just to manage the property and to ensure policies are enforced to the letter. So what makes you not trust them? To get back on track here. The board is not being transparent about any of this. It's their job to inform us. Or be voted off

SPM workers at the resort were pushing the 3 year refurbishment hook line and sinker.......no say so but loads of pressure !!!! The refurbishement should have been done way before this ever came up. Many people have been negliglent and the former Board members destroyed many records according to what I have heard from owners in past years. I have no idea if it is actually true.

 

[pedro47]

If SPM was pushing for a 3 years refurbishment plan, what was wrong with that? I thought this is why they hired SPM resorts to keep the resort in top tip condition. My major question is where is the money going?

 

[Maple_Leaf]

If SPM was pushing for a 3 years refurbishment plan, what was wrong with that? I thought this is why they hired SPM resorts to keep the resort in top tip condition. My major question is where is the money going?

There's a lot of magical thinking going on with timeshare owners. Many think they can get a champagne resort on a beer budget and get all bent out of shape when reality sets in. Some just want a beer budget resort and don't get what all the fuss is about and sure don't want to spend the money for champagne.

 

[Tia]

If SPM was pushing for a 3 years refurbishment plan, what was wrong with that? I thought this is why they hired SPM resorts to keep the resort in top tip condition. My major question is where is the money going?

SPM should have on it's site in the owners area for your resort the financials including annual audits. Might help show where the $ is going. Of course if it's not posted an owner may have to push for it to be posted, been there done that.

 

[Drinkingbeer]

The new letter came out said there was a use of timeshare weeks but other explanation otherwise. So who knows

 

[allsmiles277]

I agree. Things have improved greatly at the resort with SPM.



HOA-controlled resort? It's supposed to be the ideal situation rather than developer controlled. However, this Board must have forgotten what the "O" stands for in HOA. I can't even guess what this is about, but they owe the owners a response now and not later. The longer this goes on, and the secrecy they've chosen in determining that SPM will no longer be the management company, makes things appear very sinister on the part of the Board.

Yes, posting on TUG will have no effect. Just like the debacle that the owners went through, and will continue to go through, at Peppertree; it looks like we're up for the same from the APAB III Board.

HOA-controlled means nothing unless the Board is actually serving the best interests of the owners. Without information being supplied to the owners by the Board, it appears their handling of whatever is going on is indeed self-serving.

At least SPM let the owners know that something was going on at the resort with their first email. The only reason that there was follow-up by the Board is because SPM let the "cat out of the bag" that something serious is going on here. Obviously, their hands are tied in putting everything out on the table.

I just got rid of my Peppertree ownership because of the way the Board failed to communicate with the Owners there. It looks like it's going to be the same with APAB III. I was so thrilled in August when I was at the resort. The thrill has been replaced with extreme apprehension. This is due to the unknown and the dark that the Board wishes to keep us in.

AllSmiles, you stated on TUG that you were able to pick up some extra weeks at Peppertree due to owners selling off at that resort. Looks like a new opportunity might be coming up at APAB.

As a matter of fact I did pick up one only a few weeks ago and the price was right and one of my favorite units at this complex !!!!

 

[allsmiles277]

Got the most recent letter from the Board and they are still in the interview process with several management companies. Most humans do think Boards are hiding something when they will not give straight answers to questions. I understand legal issues can get in the way of this process. It just would be nice to get an answer from SPM or The Board about the issues SPM did not feel comfortable with about the handling of timeshares. I think many of the Board members are honorable people so I will take their word for everything being okay.

 

[pedro47]

I think I know who is going in to mgt this resort. Owners will be paying must higher M/F.

 

[RLS50]

I think I know who is going in to mgt this resort. Owners will be paying must higher M/F.

Can you just tell us in the form of an educated guess or Jeopardy question format?

Or should I just wait for Russia to tell me thru Wiki leaks?

 

[pedro47]

I think the new mgt co always have some weeks at this resort and have the buying power to take over.

 

[RLS50]

I think the new mgt co always have some weeks at this resort and have the buying power to take over.

Can you share who that is?

 

[Drinkingbeer]

Got the most recent letter from the Board and they are still in the interview process with several management companies. Most humans do think Boards are hiding something when they will not give straight answers to questions. I understand legal issues can get in the way of this process. It just would be nice to get an answer from SPM or The Board about the issues SPM did not feel comfortable with about the handling of timeshares. I think many of the Board members are honorable people so I will take their word for everything being okay.

This is the type of thinking I don't understand. For SPM to walk away and basically give this big of a resort over to someone else and not balk about it speaks volumes to me. This resort has done nothing but just get better every year. And for them to have all this time vested into it to just walk away screams something bad was going on. While you are right it will all work out in the end but it's going to get uglier before it gets better. I understand some people there were a little ill about all the special assessments but if those were not done the resort wouldn't be what it is today without them. Refurbs don't come free. New roofs are not free and neither are elevators. If nothing was done that place wouldn't have paying owners and possibly bankrupt the HOA in the process. what I don't understand is why the board had to get a legal opinion. I'm sure SPM had one, which is probably why they exited stage left on this place. Then how much has it also costs the owners with all their letters that's been going out? That stuff ain't free

 

[Drinkingbeer]

This came from a whole owner, as you can see there is a lot going on around here so who really knows but one things for sure something smells

This is actually a response to the 'Open Letter From The Board'. I used this email to respond so I would have everyone's email. I also wanted to get this done before the Holidays.


I think if you are a member of the board, you should step down. I pass the open letter in the hallway everyday and it serves as a constant reminder of how the board has forgotten that one of, if not their primary duty is to represent the owners and keep the owners best interests first and foremost.


The reason for rumor and innuendo lies with the board members. The board hired a lawyer, not the owners. One can hope that those who did the hiring will step up and be the ones who also pay for this lawyer. I am told by board members that this lawyer has recommended that the board members do not discuss any issues with owners. That leads me to believe this lawyer represents the board and not the owners so it should follow the board and not the owners pay any and all fees that have or may occur.


To any board members who feel they have not committed any legal or ethical violations during the course of their term(s) on the board, I would submit that your silence is reason enough to step down.


Is there a board member who can show me where board members have the authority to add perqs to their position without the consent of the owners? Is the board allowed to rewrite rules on the fly after they are caught with their hand in the cookie jar?


The board has created an us versus them mentality for reasons that serve purposes known only to them, and their lawyer. The board writes how they understand and appreciate the need to communicate with owners, then go silent behind their lawyer. They write of an appreciation for the owners desire for transparency and then retreat to a closed door meeting to chose a more board compliant management company.


In closing, I don't trust any of you board members.


Merry Christmas to all, and to all oversight

 

[Kozman]

I think I know who is going in to mgt this resort. Owners will be paying must higher M/F.

Hmmm? MUCH higher maintenance fees? My guess Diamond or Festiva.

 

[Egret1986]

VRI (Vacation Resorts International) is in as the new management company at A Place at the Beach. A Board meeting was held on December 3 on into December 4. Four management companies were candidates and were interviewed. The email did not say who the other three candidates were which were interviewed. A spreadsheet was prepared. The board considered location, systems, pricing, benefits to owners, etc. It was agreed unanimously to accept VRI as the new management company.

Yay! No DRI or Festiva!

 

[Drinkingbeer]

Only reason the board got rid of SPM was to probably get rid of the people who knows exactly what was going on. What a joke VRI is not going to save us any money it's a huge company which is owned by ILG and while all these nice options for owners may look good I'm willing to bet this new company ain't going to put up with too much BS I have heard our board can be very difficult to deal with.