Timeshare owners at Legends lose their vacation-trading privileges

Vernon - Last week, Legends timeshare owners were bewildered when they learned that their ability to trade their timeshares for vacations in other timeshare resorts had been suspended. The news came in a letter from RCI, (Resort Condominiums International), a company that acts as a brokerage house for people trading timeshares. By trading, people who own timeshares can vacation in different resorts around the country and the world. For many, the program is one of the main reasons to buy a timeshare. "RCI is currently working with Legends Resort and Country Club to resolve ongoing concerns reported by members," the letter began. "Until this issue is rectified, we must suspend your RCI vacation exchange privileges effective immediately." Exchanges already confirmed are not affected, the letter said. In concluded by saying, ". . .we are working diligently with your resort in an effort to correct this situation. . ." A woman, who with her husband owns a timeshare at Legends, sent a copy of the letter to The Advertiser-News with the stipulation that the family not be identified. The couple lives in Vernon, and, the woman said, would not have purchased a timeshare in their hometown unless they could trade it to vacation in other parts of the country. "We bought the timeshare partly so that we could exchange it for time at other locations, and now this isn't possible," she said. "We wonder if we've thrown away our money. I don't understand how something like this could happen. "This is such a disappointment. Everything is coming to some kind of head, and we don't know what will happen next." Legends was born more than 30 years ago as the Playboy Club. It has been through several hands and multiple financial crises since and today its ownership is entangled in a welter of lawsuits and countersuits filed by the various parties with an interest in it. In recent years, it has had its power turned off for failure to pay utility bills. Last year, it considered hosting a swinger's gathering, but backed out when local residents objected. The resort recently was turned down by the Vernon Township Zoning Board when it sought to build several hundred resort condominiums on the land surrounding the 27-hole golf course on the 600-plus-acre property. A key consideration in the board's decision was the unwillingness of the applicant, Spring Creek, to promise to renovate the Legends Resort before building the housing units. Al Warrington, the chief operations officer for Legends, assured The Advertiser-News that the company would send timeshare owners another letter next week informing them that their full exchange privileges are being restored. What's more, he said that as soon as Vernon authorities grant permission to begin work, Spring Creek Holding Company is ready to commit to renovating the hotel. RCI telephone sales representative Elicia Burress, speaking from Indianapolis on Aug. 30, said that Legends remains an RCI resort. However, Legends timeshared units aren't offered on RCI's Web pages, where the only New Jersey resorts are nine seaside buildings. Although timeshare owners didn't receive RCI's letter until the week of Aug. 21, the letter was dated Aug. 12, several days before the zoning board's Aug. 15 decision to deny Spring Creek Holding Company's request to build the condos on the property. Warrington appeared at the Aug. 15 meeting but did not testify. The timeshare owner who contacted this newspaper said she had expected to be able to use the proffered conveniences 365 days a year, as promised, and recited a litany of woes that centered on broken promises and amenities not provided, among them the "distinctive dining facilities, beauty salon, gift shops, indoor and outdoor Olympic-sized pools, tennis and a spa" still proclaimed in the resort's Internet advertising. A Saturday visit to the property revealed tennis courts overgrown with weeds, no open outdoor pool, and an absence of cars in the parking lot. Great Gorge golf course and club were in use, however. Nevertheless, golegends.com/legends/, last updated in Sept. 2003, still extols the various benefits the resort offers guests. "Our hotel is listed as an RCI timeshare resort. An entire floor has been completely refurbished to provide state-of-the-art timeshare." In addition, on other Web sites, timeshare units still are listed for sale, one of them as "reduced to $5,900 neg. - Great Gorge, New Jersey." After Playboy bailed out on the hotel, the American Hotel Chain bought the property, and in 1998, Legends became the Seasons Resort and Conference Center. Then the Seasons Investment Corp. sold the property to a Louisiana investment group, which retained Divi Resorts as the resort manager and timeshare marketing agent. Divi planned to introduce a program to convert hotel rooms into timeshare suites over a five-year span. The business arrangement didn't work out, and Divi vanished from the picture. Today, the property is known as "Legends Resort and Country Club, an RCI-affiliate." Crystal Springs now operates the 27-hole golf course, which is owned by Shinnihon.