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A class action lawsuit says that Wyndham aggressively markets its timeshares and unfairly profits from customers by requiring them to assign their timeshare interest to a trust, from which Wyndham benefits.
Plaintiffs Carolyn Nolen, Windy Kelley, Cara Kelley, and Paula Litton claim that they all have timeshares with Wyndham.
Allegedly, these customers, along with every timeshare purchaser, are required to assign 100 percent of their timeshare interest to Club Wyndham Plus, a program governed by the terms of the Fairshare Trust. In turn, the trust is reportedly controlled by Wyndham.
The Wyndham class action claims that Wyndham does not disclose to customers that the Fairshare Trust is the Fairshare Vacation Owners Association, a corporation controlled entirely by Wyndham. The terms allegedly indicate that the only beneficiaries of the Fairshare Trust are the individual timeshare owners and Wyndham.
Because the trustee is reportedly controlled by Wyndham, and Wyndham profits from the trust, the trustee — Fairshare Vacation Owners Association — profits from the trust, in violation of Arkansas law.
According to the customers’ timeshare trust class action lawsuit, Wyndham violated Arkansas Trust Code, which requires a trustee to administer the trust solely in the interest of the beneficiaries, and dictates that a “trust and its terms must be for the benefit of its beneficiaries.”
The Wyndham class action claims that the Trust Code states that trustees cannot profit from the trust, even if they did not breach the trust in profiting from it.
The timeshare holders argue that the Fairshare Vacation Owners Association’s Board of Directors has the right to change any program or feature of the trust at will, even if these changes are against the best interest of the customers.
During the time period at issue in the Wyndham lawsuit, all three members of the Board of Directors were Wyndham members, and they were able to make changes to the trust even if those changes were not in the best interest of the timeshare holders.
In the words of the timeshare owners, “to gain control over the Fairshare Vacation Owners Association and the Fairshare Trust, [Wyndham] or its affiliated entities appointed its own executives and employees to control the actions of the Trustee.” Allegedly, this led to “tremendous” financial benefits for Wyndham and affiliates.
The Wyndham timeshare class action lawsuit argues that Wyndham’s control of the trust is absolute, and that the company is violating their fiduciary duty to timeshare owners.
The timeshare owners go on to argue that Wyndham requires timeshare owners to pay fees that cover the costs of administering and operating the trust, which only financially serves Wyndham, not the timeshare holders.
Wynham has previously faced claims that the timeshare company misled consumers about its services, and unfairly profited from consumers.
Do you have a timeshare? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.
The timeshare holders are represented by John A. Yanchunis and Patrick A. Barthle II of Morgan & Morgan Complex Litigation Group; James M. Terrell and Rodney E. Miller of Methvin Terrell Yancey Stephens & Miller PC; and Bradford D. Barron of The Barron Law Firm PLLC.
The Wyndham Timeshare Trust Class Action Lawsuit is Carolyn Nolen, et al. v. Wyndham Vacation Resorts Inc., et al., Case No. 6:20-cv-00330-PGB-EJK, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
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340 thoughts onWyndham Class Action Lawsuit: Hotel Unfairly Profits Off Timeshare Owners
Have been misinformation every year. Was recently told that I would start paying housekeeping fees every year. Very high pressure sales. Then next year sales people say you should not have done that you should have upgraded differently.
Add me and my husband Brian Gecha. Owner for 25 years.
How can we be added to this?
Please add me
I forgot to mention earlier that booking a vacation is no treat either. examples galore, but one sticks out. planned vacation to Florida. was unable to book my resort over the phone because the resort is completely booked I was told. I booked something different, went to see the local people that always meet daily at that resorts tiki bar. long and behold they asked me why I don’t stay at the resort. I told them it’s booked solid and no room available. come to find out from employees at that resort that they had plenty of openings, no construction going on or other reason why I was lied to. but I also found out that the Wyndham was renting rooms out. guess that makes them more money… pretty disgusting, right?
we owned with Fairfield first, then it became Wyndham. There is always pressure to buy more and threatening speech as to if you don’t do this….. you want be able to vacation.
in one presentation the person got so nasty with me and he flat out told me “if you don’t sign the papers to get into the trust, we will make sure to increase the maintenance fees every year and make them higher and higher”.
deceptive sales tactics, lots of lies, even phone calls at home. seems like they never stop.
please add me to it!!
Please add me to this claim!
We ought to be able to get out of a timeshare if we no longer want it. The fees are going up every year. I have had one for years and have never used it because of schedule conflicts-going vs availability. Add to me to this and expand it to being able to cancel out if the contract without any penalty.
I’d love to be added to this class action. My wife and I bought two wyndham timeshares due to the high pressure sales pitch and needing to own more to get higher priorities. Still can’t get half the reservations that we try to book.
Add me