Timeshare Transparency Act 3502 S and 9255 H.R. – Ten Members of Congress Support -August Update
Categories: Monthly NewslettersJuly 29, 2026
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The TIMESHARE TRANSPARENCY ACT offers federal oversight and other provisions for the protection of timeshare consumers. The bipartisan Senate bill was introduced by Senator John Curtis (UT) and Senator Adam Schiff (CA). Congressman Glenn Thompson (PA) and Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL) introduced a House companion bill.
At The Hive: TARDA co-founder Irene Parker, Don Parker, Utah Senator John Curtis (R), TARDA co-founder and President Sheilah Brust, and Kimberly Calhoun, PodTV Executive Producer of Timeshare Solution or Surrender
Thank you to approximately 250 families who have reached out to their members of Congress to ask their Senators and Representatives to cosponsor the Timeshare Transparency Act. Sponsors and cosponsors can be found at the link below: “Track the bill and Find Your Members of Congress.” Of the ten members of Congress supporting the bill, eight are sponsors and cosponsors, one recently pledged to cosponsor, and one Senator said they would support the bill, meaning a yes vote if the bill reaches the floor. Four of the members of Congress who support the bill were contacted by families who have joined our effort to effect change.
Industry Media Spin and Hypocrisy
USA Today published two bizarre and contradictory articles about timeshares. The first was promoting Gen Z buyers, suggesting a timeshare is a better investment than buying a home. Timeshare commissions can be as high as 50% or more; there is little to no resale value, and a timeshare with an outstanding loan is impossible to sell. Timeshares are financed at 14 to 19.99%. Banks don’t finance timeshares. The article quoted Michael Flaskey, President and CEO of Marriott Vacation Clubs, and Jason Gamel, President and CEO of the timeshare industry lobby, ARDA. The second article published promoted an “attorney- backed” exit company that has been sued by Wyndham aka Travel & Leisure, and Capital Vacations!
We have received many complaints from Gen Z buyers, including several members of the military, whose credit scores have been ruined, reporting unfair and deceptive practices. Rina, a Delaware resident and a Marriott Vacation Club buyer, is financially devastated. She transferred a sizeable loan to a third-party lender. She met with her Senator’s office staff and has prepared a 16-page PowerPoint describing how reading the contract didn’t protect her.
Those with the opportunity to default on a loan can find their credit score drops by around 200 points. Many seniors are not concerned about their credit scores, but the young have trouble borrowing money. One Gen Z buyer, Andrew, involuntarily left military service after having served 10 years with the Utah Air Force National Guard. He reported that he was sold a 4-BR Westgate Resort timeshare as a rental investment. We have heard from many members of the military, including veterans who need to maintain their security clearance post-service.
Andrew has been on our PodTV show, Timeshare Solution or Surrender, Episodes 20, 27, and 36. Gen Z buyer Megan reported that, pregnant with her third child, she was told not to worry about her husband, a Marine, being deployed to a combat zone because she could rent it out, and it would pay for itself. Megan was on Episode 36 explaining why renting through Wyndham’s programs doesn’t work. All shows can be accessed from the bottom of the homepage by clicking Live Update. https://podtv.tv/
Reading the contract and the contract rescission period often does not protect the buyer because the contract states you can rent, but does not disclose the fees and obstacles that make the strategy unfeasible. This has been the most common reason for default. A Westgate Resorts Florida public records request produced 585 complaints, of which nearly half mentioned being assured of the ability to cover costs and earn income.
It should be noted that seniors in timeshare despair were Gen Z age when they bought their timeshare. History is repeating itself. We have heard from 27 Marriott’s Harborside owners, infuriated because Marriott will not allow a deed back under any circumstance, no matter how debilitating the medical conditions. Marriott is prominently displayed on ARDA’s Responsible Exit website. The Chairman of the political action committee, ARDA-ROC, is Scott Weisz, also VP of Business Operations at Marriott Vacation Clubs. ARDA has partnered with Blackwell Recovery, retained by Marriott and Club Exploria, to demand payments for maintenance fees for a timeshare that can no longer be used. https://ardaresortbuyersmarketplace.com/
As stated on the website: At The Marriott Vacation Clubs, we understand that vacation ownership is a life-changing decision — and, sometimes, even long-time Owners need to exit their timeshare due to life circumstances.
A former ARDA Chairman: “Nobody is in this business for debt collection, and no one is in this business for the arbitrage on the loan,” Nusbaum says. “We are resort developers.” Mr. Nusbaum is the former chairman of ARDA.
ARDA awards Concord Servicing Corporation, affiliated with Blackwell, its Award of Innovation
Founded in 1988, Concord, a two-time winner of the American Resort Development Association’s (ARDA) ACE Innovator Award, services consumer loans with a strong emphasis on leveraging technology to obtain efficiency, accuracy, and flexibility.
Club Exploria has also retained Blackwell Recovery. They offer no responsible exit for existing owners, but new buyers are being told they may exit in 10 years. The definition of financial elder abuse: The illegal, unauthorized, or improper use of an older adult’s money, assets, or property for personal gain.
Corky, a 22 ½ year Army veteran, down to 15% lung capacity, is in default on his Club Wyndham points. He has no loan. Despite his medical condition, Corky took the time to write 10 pages that he wants submitted to members of Congress detailing lobbyist hypocrisy, as further described below. He also took the time to reach out to his Congressman. Corky, TARDA volunteers, and others met with his Congressman’s District Director. Wyndham’s debt collector, Pinnacle, is demanding payment.
These and thousands of other reports received by TARDA and law firms across the country counter ARDA’s claim that additional regulation is not needed, or that it is not difficult, time-consuming, or expensive to exit a timeshare. Three of the lawmakers we met with after reviewing our data asked us, “How is this legal?”
The Senate bill had a 5% chance of making it through committee, but those odds increased to 26% with a second co-sponsor, Senator Marsha Blackburn (TN). Additional House cosponsors include Congressman Paul Tonko (NY), Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR), and Congressman John Rose (TN). AARP supports the bill.
ARDA opposes the bill, even though many repeat offender sales agents have been allowed to operate unchecked. One disbarred attorney in Missouri was hired in 2018 to sell timeshares. In September, he will begin an 18-month prison sentence after marking himself exempt from income taxes, working for four timeshare developers over a period of ten years. He owes the IRS over $600,000. Accountants can do the math to estimate how much income he earned. We have two 1-party state recordings when he fabricated a maintenance fee relief program. We have tracked several repeat offender agents for over 10 years. They say criminals know the law. Many timeshare sales agents know the contract, overworking the oral representation clause buried in electronic fine print.
H. B. 9255, introduced by Congressman Glenn Thompson (PA) and Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL).
The Morale and Readiness of our Military troops
Several developers have been sued, accused of violating the Military Lending Act. The Middle District of Florida in Steines vs Westgate CERTIFIED the following liability-only class: All active-duty service members or their dependents who financed the purchase of one or more timeshare interests via an extension of credit from Westgate Palace, LLC., made between February 2, 2017, and February 28, 2025 (“the Class Period”), who paid interest and who did not sign an MLA waiver form.
The Timeshare Transparency Act & the Federal Trade Commission – https://www.ftc.gov/media/71268
If you feel you experienced unfair and/or deceptive practices, file a complaint with the FTC. Few think to file with the FTC, so we believe the number of complaints the FTC receives through its Consumer Sentinel portal is small compared to the actual number of complaints. Senator Curtis questioned Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson about timeshare at the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee this past April.
Track the Bill and Find Your Local Members of Congress. A sample letter is provided:
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/119/s3502
The Senate bill includes a letter of support from AARP:
CURTIS, SCHIFF INTRODUCE BILL TO PROTECT CONSUMERS FROM PREDATORY TIMESHARE PRACTICES
What’s not in the bill
- A 14-day rescission period will standardize the confusing 3- to 10-day periods that vary by state, but will have little effect on those over-promised availability, because the purchaser typically does not have access to the booking site until after the cancellation period has passed. The only opportunity to truly protect the consumer would be if the rescission period began the day the purchaser obtained access to the booking site.
Not disclosing the meeting or “update” is a solicitation
- Branded hotels like Hilton/Marriott/Holiday Inn solicit without disclosing that the invitation is about timeshare. The loyalty member is invited to hear about our “vacation program.” Existing members are often told that what they will be attending is informational or an orientation, when it is an attempt to sell more points.
The recorded closing is being used as an entrapment
- Diamond Resorts started recording the closing in 2017, after the Arizona Attorney General issued an Assurance of Discontinuance. The purchaser is not allowed to record. There are many reports of agents coaching on what to say or not say on the recording closing. If the recorded closing can be used against the purchaser, the purchaser should be allowed to record the sales session.
A timeshare loan should not be defined as a mortgage
- Timeshare contracts are financed at 12% to 19%, with little to no resale value. A timeshare with an outstanding loan is impossible to sell on the open market. Commissions are not disclosed. Selling and marketing expenses run as high as 50% or more, including the “free” gifts. The Eleventh Circuit Court in Steins vs Westgate Resorts ruled a timeshare loan is not a mortgage loan. FNMA, and the NCUA state on their websites that a timeshare loan is not a mortgage loan. Banks don’t refinance timeshares. This also drives thousands of families into default.
The oral representation/non-reliance clause should not be in a unilateral timeshare contract
- If it is, it should be disclosed at or before the presentation, not buried in volumes of fine print.
The National Association of Attorneys General disagrees:
The current landscape of the timeshare industry has exposed significant inadequacies in protection for those seeking to purchase, lease, or exit their timeshare contracts. https://www.naag.org/attorney-general-journal/timeshare-obligations-regulations-and-challenges
Who does the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) protect?
ARDA is the industry’s Washington-based trade association. ARDA-ROC, Resort Owners Coalition. They raise approximately $5 million a year in opt-out donations, invoiced on maintenance fees. The timeshare members we speak with, most don’t know who they are.
Why the switch to opt-out?
Resort Owners Coalition PAC will pay a $300,000 civil penalty. It is the largest fine imposed by the Federal Election Commission since 2007. The charges, most $3 to $5, were billed to individual timeshare owners along with tax and maintenance charges. The small donations, not itemized by the PAC, totaled $8.4 million between 2003 and 2007, records show. Political contributions are voluntary, and federal law requires solicitations to make that clear. Federal records show that since 2006, ARDA has spent more than $1.1 million on Washington lobbyists to oppose such things as mortgage reform legislation, including the expansion of truth-in-lending requirements to timeshare buyers. Reported by the Broward Bulldog (renamed Florida Bulldog)
Timeshare Users Group (TUG) [2017]: Got my maintenance fee statement. There was no mention of ARDA fees, BUT when I compared the DUES part with the lower total fees section, there was a $7 difference. There was no mention of the extra $7 for ARDA. I changed the amount at the bottom to reflect what was actually stated. Just be aware.
A YouTube video concerning ARDA-ROC recommending listing companies that charge an upfront fee to list a timeshare, including Timeshares Only, owned by a former ARDA chairman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lPhsKp09vg
In 2019, former Arizona Representative Shawnna Bolick, sponsored a bill that would have allowed a 24-hour cooling-off period BEFORE signing a contract. The bill passed the House, but was defeated in the Senate. ARDA lobbyist Don Isaacson argued: “But the bottom line is that the state should not step in to protect people who didn’t bother to understand the nature of the deal.”
The timeshare industry’s top lobbyist told ConsumerAffairs, “Their value comes from using it,” Nusbaum says. “When they [consumers] are done using it, all they want to do is quit paying the maintenance fees.”
ARDA-ROC’s 2019 website: ARDA-ROC is working on four core state issues in 14 states – Non-Judicial Foreclosure: Support non-judicial foreclosure laws that provide strong consumer protection provisions. https://www.redweek.com/blog/2019/12/02/arda-roc-maintenance-fees
Former ARDA-ROC Chairman Kenneth McKelvey stated in minutes of the April 10, 2019, at ARDA’s World conference: “The best thing we can do with exit (is) judicial foreclosure, ruin the credit, and enforce the contract.”
Self-help social media groups include Club Exploria Hostages, Vacation Village Unfortunate Owners https://www.facebook.com/groups/1309724916165817, Westgate Resorts Hostages, Bluegreen Hostages, https://www.facebook.com/groups/DiamondResortsOwnersAdvocacy,
Our PodTV show, Timeshare Solution or Surrender, has had over 200 guests share their experience. The show airs live from 1 to 1:25 Eastern time, with a prerecorded 35-minute Timeshare Resource segment provided by industry experts. https://podtv.tv/
Let’s hope TARDA becomes obsolete because of reaching our goal of greater honesty and transparency.
TARDA would not exist without your support. Let us hear from you if you wish to join our efforts or can donate to the cause.
https://tarda.org/get-involved/