association boards

Any tuggers have any luck getting on the association board for your unit? How did you do it? I found it hard enough to get an application, was never contacted, and did not get on the ballot.

Also - do any Starwood boards have annual meetings available by conference call or web meeting?

I do not believe there has ever been a non-Starwood chosen to serve on any of the boards.

tomandrobin, ... "I do not believe there has ever been a non-Starwood chosen to serve on any of the boards."

Today I voted for a woman from Nebraska who is CFO of her private, non-Starwood company for this year's open position on the Harborside Phase I and Master Association boards.

Last year, I played in the SVOpen at Kierland. My wife and I were teamed with the president of the WKV association and his wife. He's living in Denver and retired from being a top supervisor in the IRS (Collection Division!) and never worked for Starwood.

At the cocktail party after the tournament he introduced me to two other WKV board members - neither of whom worked for Starwood. They were retired executives.

I'm sure there are Starwood employees on SVN association boards. But to imply or state that all SVN board members are Starwood employees is denigrating to those that are not. ... eom

I stand corrected....Thanks Jarta.

The few civilians who are members of Starwood BOD's seem to be high level professional people. Starwood paper screens the candidates and selects who they allow to run. We had a Tugger apply for WKORV a few years ago, but I don't think he even got a response.

All the BOD's are required by law to hold an annual meeting, but my experience has been that they pretty much just go through the motions, to satisfy the requirements of the law.

So the larger question is whether the various Starwood owners association boards are representing the owners in a satisfactory manner...

As a Vistana Lakes phase owner I am very happy with the recent renovations, but I have not owned long enough to gauge the overall performance of the board.

whwaldo, ... "So the larger question is whether the various Starwood owners association boards are representing the owners in a satisfactory manner... "

Yes, that question has been asked and been the subject of much debate.

Almost nobody complains about the condition the resorts are in. There are many complaints about the general escalation of MF and the special assessments that have been imposed for renovations at a few resorts. There has also been speculation that Starwood makes too much money off the resorts it manages.

Starwood timeshare resorts (at least until the economy tanked) were very popular and had a high occupancy rate. So, wear and tear would be expected to occur at a faster rate than at resorts where occupancy was lower. In a way, success engenders greater wear and tear.

Welcome to the fractious Starwood family! lol! ... eom

No one complains about the condition of the units? really? I must be reading the wrong board...

It isn't the issue of whether or not - all or some - of the HOA boards members are SVO (or former) employees or not - what is the real issue is that there is almost ZERO representation of Owners on the board because SVO controls communications between Owners (which is nil) that allows cross-talk among Owners OR anyway true democratic maner for an Owner to have a real chance to get onto the HOA - and that alone makes them SVO lackys whether or not they are SVO employees.

DavidnRobin, ... As I said, his question has been the subject of much debate.

BTW, loved your pictures and narrative in the "Here - 5 mins late [Westin St. John]" TUG thread. Said you had a fantastic time in St. John. Guess you liked that resort. ... eom

Glad you enjoyed it - some people would not take the bee-hive incident with such stride - but we look at it that at least we got to meet Mr Smalls (STJ's bee wrangler) - truly a delight and a taste of the real STJ.

We always love our vacations and the select SVO resorts we own - and tell anyone who will listen (w/ the resale cavaet). We are about to spend our 1st 2 weeks at WPORV followed by 2 weeks at WKORV - can't wait...

This isn't really a debate - it is a fact that HOA boards members and the rest of the Owners are isolated from real communication(s) - and that only benefits SVO and the HOA by not allowing transparency via open communication.

An example of the impact of the closed-communication loop (created by SVO) is that it is next to impossible for a qualified and responsible 'normal' Owner with best-intentions to gain membership on a SVO HOA board - and thus preventing transparency.

Just because they are out there playing golf once per year with other Owners does not rectify this situation.

I know for the short time I owned at PGA I was contacted by the SVO board liaison person to sit on the board there. I likely would have been screened out at the paper screening level but I guess they thought I was worth a look as a 3* elite multi property owner.

I used that EOY purchase (done at SVR) to retro 3 units (back when they did this) and then upgraded it to elsewhere.

I stayed once at PGA and did not like the place. It was too small and out of the way. There was a lack of any development.

Just my 2 bits.

DeniseM said:

The few civilians who are members of Starwood BOD's seem to be high level professional people. Starwood paper screens the candidates and selects who they allow to run. We had a Tugger apply for WKORV a few years ago, but I don't think he even got a response.

All the BOD's are required by law to hold an annual meeting, but my experience has been that they pretty much just go through the motions, to satisfy the requirements of the law.

Click to expand...

Denise, I ask this question of you as a TUG Moderator. Assuming I am on the ballot for a property, can I directly ask for votes from my fellow Tuggers here?

Kildahl said:

Denise, I ask this question of you as a TUG Moderator. Assuming I am on the ballot for a property, can I directly ask for votes from my fellow Tuggers here?

Click to expand...

Absolutely - other Tuggers have done it for other TS systems. You can even put a link in your signature line with info. about yourself as a candidate.

The difficult part is getting on the ballot!

Let us know what your plans are and how it goes!

DeniseM said:

Absolutely - other Tuggers have done it for other TS systems. You can even put a link in your signature line with info. about yourself as a candidate.

The difficult part is getting on the ballot!

Let us know what your plans are and how it goes!

Click to expand...

Thanks, Denise. When the time comes, I will put it on the Hilton Board.
I have been on the ballot the past 2 years for the Valdoro Board and if there is an opening this year, I plan to run again.

Vistana Lakes Board election

I have had continued frustration in dealing with Starwood regarding the board of
my association (Vistana Lakes), and after speaking with their counsel it seems like there is practically no chance for an outsider to get on the Board - bylaws + FL laws make it easy for the Board to keep themselves in office.

My frustration rose when I saw the 2012 maintenance fees.

Anyway, there is an election coming up as part of the annual meeting in December, and proxy postcards have been mailed out. There is a new system in place where proxy votes - and write-in candidates for the Board - can be cast on line.

I am considering running as a write-in candidate. Please contact me offline, and I can provide a bio and other information. Thanks.