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I saw this article this morning https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/81913-timeshare-properties-update-government-on-rebuilding
.....also on facebook for "Towers at Mullet bay friends" https://www.facebook.com/groups/414223898687996/.
Something's just don't sound right...But very glad they stepped in....Hopefully some positive results...

I find the article interesting down to who the interim director of the tourist bureau is and admitting that time share owners are important. The latter based on their treatment of them in the old Simpson Bay Resorts and other issues. That said, I believe strongly that it is important that the get businesses up and running on the Maho and Cupecoy corridor.

Businesses in Cupecoy are up and running and quite busy. Government doesn't have anything to do with it.

I have to say that anyone who buys timeshare right now is really taking a chance. The Towers was always one of the places where it seemed like the timeshare owners were treated well and they seem to be totally ignored in this situation and no one knows what's going on. Same with Royal Islander, no one really knows what's going on. Some places like LaVista swung right into action and started rebuilding and repairing right away. But if I'm someone who owns at Royal Palm or Flamingo, I wouldn't be happy to not have any use of my unit until 2020... And then you have the poor souls who owned at Ocean Club and the Summit, and Caravanseri, although that's a different subject..

I love the photograph that goes with the story in the paper - sometimes a picture is worth a lot of words.

That article and the FB posting by minister Johnson is a load of B.S.!!!!

" St. Maarten Tourist Bureau Interim Director May-Ling Chun visited Flamingo Beach Resort and Royal Palm." ....OF COURSE she didn't visit The Towers....SHE IS LIVING THERE!!! With her fiance Mr. Clarence Derby. I am so tired of this $%&!! Yes, I am a very angry original owner of a PH and 3 weeks at Towers. Why is May-Ling (and family) living there? If she had visited the Towers it would have REALLY exemplified "conflict of interest".

Mr. Clarence Derby home was totally damaged and is currently being rebuilt; hence that's why they are staying at the Towers.

I'm curious as to why anyone should be staying at a timeshare property when the timeshare owners can't stay there??

Does anyone know what has happened to the whole owners at Royal Palm??

We like to exchange into the Royal Palm, as we have on a couple of visits. Also once, we just rented 2 units thru Jennifer's vacation villas. While this time looking for a place to stay, and it was obvious that exchanges were almost impossible, I once again contacted Jennifer's vacation villas. I asked about the Royal Palm and she had said that even though there were a lot of units that were not damaged at all...the owners still had to take all their furniture out. No word on when it would be re-opened or why when there was minimal damage compared to other places, it is taking so long. I sure hope they can get fixed up and open soon. Love the location and the resort. So, this year opting for something totally different by renting a villa right on kim sha beach. Fingers crossed that all will be good. Cannot wait to get back and support the island. REally missed going this past January.

The Towers lost all their customer data files? No backup?

Royal Palm 2020 , sucks.

You're right, Royal Palm is a conundrum, what's going on there. I have my theories about it, NONE of which are complementary to Diamond Resorts.

irish--same deal with Club O for months and months, said they had no backup of info. No idea why any business in SXM wouldn't have some kind of off island storage of critical data.

sounds fishy, right???? But they were able to send out bills for weeks we cannot use. I understand that the 2018 February weeks we lost were due to hurricane damage (an act of God) so we paid our 2018 maintenance fee -but our 2019 weeks that we probably will also not be able to use- were due to an Act of Greed- not an act of God (bank liens) so I for one have no qualms about NOT paying 2019 maintenance!!
NO ONE from the Towers has ever called me but my phone bill (they no longer have a toll free numer) will show that I've called them many times to get updates- only to be told, "there's no news" or "no one is working here at this time". I've pleaded with them to have Clarence give the owners an update but he's only managed to give 2 and these were on the Towers facebook page- no communication via mail, phone or email.
Since Clarence's fiance is Asst. minister of tourism, he knew exactly what lies to tell this committee.
.

Visited Towers today.

Toured property and several floors. Had a long visit and frank discourse with Clarence, who gave us the tour and update personally. More on the story and pictures to come.

Friends who are long time timeshare owners there were recently on the island and went to Royal Palm. People they talked to there indicated it may be as late as 2nd quarter 2020 before they are ready. Really a bad deal.

Wow, ridiculous..

Cant wait to see and hear...hope its good news!

Hi Beachkitten,

I am so very interested to hear more about your conversation with Clarence!

We've been owners at The Towers since way back in 1990 when we were two very young honeymooners with a credit card - perfect timeshare prey
All kidding aside, we've been going back to SXM for that long, though not always to the Towers (usu. Anse Marcel), and it's been a great part of our lives. However, now I am considering forfeiting my own PH unit back to them, and am interested in any news or input you may have. I saw a photo of the roof ripped off our unit (top middle facing the pool).

Our maintenance fees, supposedly contractually limited to annual increases tied to the local inflation index, have skyrocketed far beyond that permitted by the contract. I've periodically argued with their accounting department about the flaw in their calculation formula that violates the contract terms and allows the rate increases to erroneously compound excessively - all on deaf ears. Now, I can stay at a hotel or a villa of my choice for the same price as my timeshare carrying costs. What's the point?

But now my even bigger fear is a "special assessment", which I have no idea whether or not they can legally do, but fear they'd do anyway if they felt the need, regardless of legalities, since we've apparently got little ability to challenge - as evidenced by the maintenance fee issue, and weak govt protections. (to their credit, they didn't do this after hurricane Luis). There's no transparency regarding the finances.

Any Towers news/input you have would be hugely appreciated. (And fyi, we'll be back on island in mid-Nov ourselves, but Orient side - can't wait!)

Thanks!

The Towers
No, there really is no work being done due to the Central Bank’s lien on the property.
Took a tour of the property with Mr. Derby. At first, I walked over this tape which was attempting to prevent people from walking around the building and to the pool.


We went into the lobby, spoke with the friendly employees we know. Walked around the whole outside. This is the lobby ceiling.


I will let you assess for yourself how the outside looks. Missing doors, windows, and the roof is not complete.






These two containers are full of new doors and windows


New accounting building is finished


Penthouse #806. Still wide open. No doors.


8th floor hall


A unit on the 4th floor, and the model for how the destroyed 7th and 8th floors will be repaired.


Stainless appliances and a new countertop


The maintenance building and parking lot


All light poles are down, so two temporary lights have been brought in to run at night in the lot


Roof debris, and pool is still empty


The lower floors that were not destroyed, this is how the furniture is being stores. All placed into center of room and covered


Take from these pictures what you will. I toured the property last week, and Pat toured this week. We both had the same conversation with Mr. Derby. IMO 2019 is not looking good. Yet, we are still expected to pay our MF’s. They are adhering to our contracts and making the units whole again (7th and 8th floors), and repairing the remaining. We are expected to adhere to the contracts as well.
While I do understand the “act of God” clause, I do NOT agree with having to pay or continue waiting for something the property Owner did that got him in trouble with the Central Bank.

We both agree with you entirely! Like I said in another post- It's an act of greed, not an act of God.
I've wanted to stay positive but sadly, it's not working. They have a long way to go to get this place ready.

Just as an update, we went the other day and they had the crane in place and the roof repair work IS underway again. For how long? I don’t know but hopefully, this is the first step and a sign of progress to come. According to Mr. Darby, the containers with the sliders and windows are on site and hopefully, will be installed as soon as the roof work is done. They went ahead and completely gutted the two floors in question and rerocked and painted the walls, but with no windows or sliders in place. That’s using their construction know-how. Much of it now has to be redone. I hope to be back there soon to vacation but I wouldn’t make book on it.