PETITCREST VILLASAT BIG CANOE

REST VILLAS
C
T
I
AT
T
E
BIG
CANOE
P
April 2010
ANOTHER QUALITY RESORT MANAGED BY
RAL RESORT PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, INC
FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED
P.O. Box 250 • Marble Hill, GA 30148
From the President:
The Annual Meeting of the Petit Crest Villas Owners Association will be
held on Saturday, May 22, at 9:30 AM. For meeting details and location,
see the Management article elsewhere in this issue. As always, we look
forward to seeing many Petit Crest Owners at the Meeting. Come and
join us as we discuss future plans for your resort and bring Owners up
to date on events of the past year. Again this year, we will have a drawing for two RCI timeshare vacation week exchanges, to be given out to
Petit Crest Owners attending the Annual Meeting.
Our RCI rating remains “Silver Crown”; and our management personnel are doing a great job to maintain that rating and make PCV a
wonderful place to spend a vacation. But, there still remains one
very important thing that PCV Owners must do to help us retain
RCI’s Silver Crown category. When you use your week at Petit Crest,
please remember to complete the owner comment card. The information provided on these cards is used by RCI to determine the RCI
resort category; and we want to do everything possible to keep our
Silver Crown rating.
As a result of the poor economy over the past year, PCV’s financial
condition has suffered, along with the rest of the nation. Here is what
we are doing and planning to do to alleviate this pressing problem
and avoid substantial increases in maintenance fees:
1. It has been one year since PCV moved to a Friday check in; and our
weekend rental revenue has increased as a result. But we are searching
for still more rental revenue from the Association-owned weeks inventory. Owners’ rental weeks remain in RAL Resorts inventory; and we
have recently entered into a rental agreement with RCI to rent a portion
of our Association-owned weeks.
2.The Association-owned weeks have increased due to deed-backs, which
has resulted in less than sufficient operating revenue and many weekly
empty units. While a few of our Association-owned weeks are reselling,
your BOD feels that additional action needs to be taken. Therefore, your
BOD has approved the consolidation of certain units’ ownership, which
will allow us to sell one or three PCV units to private or corporate owners. You will be getting more information and a ballot on this issue in your
Annual Meeting Notice.
As always, we try to keep the annual maintenance fees as low as
possible, while maintaining the integrity of your vacation resort. Your
comments and suggestions are welcome and appreciated. Stay safe
and we wish happy vacations to all of you.
Penny Barker, President
Petit Crest Villas Owners Association
Official Call to Annual Meeting
You are hereby notified of the Annual Meeting of the
members of the Petit Crest Villas Owners Association,Inc.,
to be held at 9:30 A.M.on May 22,2010, at the Club House
at Lake Sconti downstairs in the Card Room.
Many topics will be discussed and you are urged
to attend this meeting. Should you not be able to attend, PLEASE SIGN AND MAIL THE ENCLOSED PROXY
BACK BY MAY 21, 2010, so that official action can be
taken on issues pertinent to the operation of your resort. A quorum at the Annual Meeting is necessary
and depends upon proxies returned.
The agenda for the meeting will include the
following:
1. Election of Three (3) Board members to serve a
3-year term.
2. Review the 2010 operating and reserve budget.
3. Transaction of such other business as may
properly come before the membership.
A Board of Directors meeting will be held after
the Annual Meeting to elect officers.
Rentals
Rental has been steady. As we all know the economy is
the main culprit and we want to inform the ownership of
all the options that are available to our owners. Please note
the conditions portion of the rental contract which allows
owners to write in specific “conditions” such as a lower
amount, minimum number of nights, a higher amount etc.
When a possible renter calls either the resort or management office we quote our base rate. Then we see if there
are any owners who may have specific conditions written
on their contract. To put your unit up for rent it can be
done 3 different ways: we can send a rental contract to you
in the mail, or by fax, or you can download one from our
website www.ralresorts.com, click on Petit Crest Villas and
on the left hand side click on rental contract. Either way
please mail it back to us, or fax it as soon as you are ready. If
you have any questions please feel free to give us a call.
Maintenance Fees
The Petit Crest Villas Annual Maintenance Fee billing for
Jan. 1, 2011 will be mailed by Nov. 1, 2010. Payment envelopes must be postmarked by Jan.31, 2011 to avoid late fees
and penalties. According to the Rules and Regulations of the
Association these policies must be strictly enforced. In the
future, late charges will not be waived for any reason. It is the
responsibility of the owner to know that they are to make
payment of their maintenance fees. The following is a payment and collection schedule, which will take place in the
first four months of 2011:
Nov. 1, 2010 Statements mailed.
Jan. 1, 2011
Maintenance Fees and Taxes are due.
Jan. 31, 2011 Payment must be postmarked to avoid
late penalties.
A $25.00 late charge and finance charge are
Feb.1, 2011
assessed to all accounts not paid in full by
January 31, 2011.
Mar. 1, 2011
A $25.00 collection and finance charge will
be assessed to delinquent accounts for all
payments postmarked after Feb. 28, 2011.
Lockout letters are sent from the
collection company to delinquent
accounts. Collection and foreclosure
proceedings will commence.
If for any reason, you do not receive your annual maintenance fee statement by January 1, 2011, please contact the
Maintenance Fee Department, 1-877-481-9580, toll free, or local 481-9580, Monday through Friday, 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Amendment
The Board of Directors has worked for many years trying to
resolve the ongoing problem of having unit weeks that are delinquent or deeded back to the association. Over the past several years
this has grown to over 300 weeks of lost maintenance and tax revenue. Due to the economy the timeshare buyer base has significantly
decreased. So we have looked at alternative ways other resorts have
used to balance the operations for the existing owners so that they
may continue enjoying the property. PCV can not continue to operate with its current income.The selling of 3 units and moving owners to equal time in other units would be a way to solve our deficit in
operations. The Board strongly recommends this solution and hopes
that the general ownership will agree that this is a reasonable solution to the problem.
REQUESTING APPROVAL OF OWNERS FOR A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF PETIT CREST VILLAS OWNERS ASSOCIATION. INC. CONCERNING THE
AMENDMENT
AMENDMENT TO RESTATED DECLARATION OF CONDOMINIUM AND BYLAWS FOR PETIT CREST VILLAS AT BIG CANOE
TO AMEND THE DECLARATION OF COVENANTS
Petit Crest Villas Plan,The plan consists of Thirty Five detached
Dwellings.
To be revised to (The plan consists of Thirty Two detached
Dwellings)
THE BYLAWS
Voluntary Termination by sale of up to 3 Units 607 - 608 – 609
proposed.
The above proposal must be approved by 75% of the Ownership of Petit Crest Villas.
Amenities at Big Canoe
Each year the Big Canoe Property Owner’s Association
(POA) sets the fees that Petit Crest owners and guests must
pay in order to use the POA’s amenities. The Petit Crest
Board of Directors must approve their budget each year as
well. In 2010 there was such a drastic increase in the fishing and swimming fees that Petit Crest cannot afford to
buy these for you.
The POA does offer us great weekly packages for use
of all of Big Canoe’s amenities – you can either choose to
pay the daily rate or pay the more economical weekly rate.
If you have questions, please call Tammy or Jamie at 706268-3600.
BIG CANOE’S OUTDOOR SWIM VENUES ARE OPEN
JUNE-JULY AND WEEKENDS IN AUGUST.
THE SWIM CLUB - Tried and true is the outdoor pool
and Disharoon Lake venue we all have known over the
years as THE SWIM CLUB. If you are not familiar with The
Swim Club, let me take you to the ultimate summer camp
experience! For kids of all ages, there is an Olympic size
pool and Disharoon Lake with a sandy beach in between
the two! There is a dock on Lake Disharoon along with
canoes and paddleboats to enjoy. Life jackets are furnished
and are required to use the canoes and paddleboats. The
spillway for the Lake is a rockslide that you can slide down as many
times as you want! Lifeguards are on duty for your safety. All
activities may not be available at all times due to staffing,
maintenance or repairs.
WILDCAT RECREATION CENTER- Open May 22 thru Labor Day with
Lifeguards on Duty
The new Wildcat Recreation Center offers a wonderful kiddie
pool play area with fountains – plus a25 meter pool with a covered
pavilion close by.
FREE STUFF
There are many activities in Big Canoe that are FREE, including
but not limited to:
• Nature trails and parks, including a new trail from Petit Crest
to the Playfield and Wolfscratch Village area
• Basketball court
• Baseball field
• Soccer field
• Bird watching
• Wildlife viewing, including deer, raccoons, turkeys, and black
bear
• Children’s playground
Going Green
If you are Internet savvy, love your email, and like have the
ease of having the world at your finger tips we have got the
avenue for you! Call or email RAL Resorts and provide us with
your email address! Please contact Jamie or Tammy at PCV 706268-3600 or contact JR at JR@ralresorts.com.Your email will be
provided to Jamie at the resort and she will be happy to email
you your welcome packets and any important information
throughout the year! This is just another way for to help us go
green and save some paper.
Change of Address
Please be advised that if you sell your week or change your
names on your title to any relatives or family or other persons or if
you change your address and move to a new location, it is your
responsibility to notify the management company of any changes
to your status. It is very important to do this so we may send the
Newsletters and any mailings for Petit Crest Villas and also the yearend billings to the proper address.You may call RAL Resort Property Management toll free 1-877-481-9580 or mail it to RAL Resort
Property Management,12853 Banyan Creek Dr,Ft.Myers,FL 33908.
What Your Management Company Does For You
Please find below a synopsis of some of the areas that are
requirements of a management company and some of the
things that a management company does.
1. Oversee and monitor resort staff making sure that all policies and procedures are in place, all legalities are met regarding employment and payroll and that all of the proper requirements are met by federal and local laws.
2. Management of Maintenance Fees – Prepare and mail the
annual billings in Nov., Jan., and Feb. Collect and record all
deposits and credit cards.
3. Bookkeeping Service - This service entails many items such
as payment of invoices, upkeep of day-to-day vendors, preparation of monthly financial statements and reports, assistance
in year-end audit, monthly bank reconciliations and any other
requirements affiliated with the financial situation.
4. Open and maintain bank accounts, requiring signatures of
RAL and the Board of Directors; obtain maximum amount of
interest for the resort; perform weekly transfers with constant
monitoring of funds. Also, maintain the Reserves Account in
the proper manner as required by Georgia Statutes, transferring funds to and from Reserves as needed.
5. Pay real estate taxes on a yearly basis, protesting of real
estate taxes with the taxing authorities, calculating and preparation of the real estate tax and billing the tax to the owners,
collecting the tax and posting to accounts.
6. Board Meetings - Preparation of agenda; Post notices of
meetings; preparation of all reports that go along with agenda
packages; conducting meetings when requested by the President of the Board; explanation of reports, etc.; preparation,
distribution of minutes, and tallying ballots.
7. Maintenance of Owners’ list – This is the maintenance of
approximately 1734 unit weeks, keeping track of deed changes,
title changes, assisting owners to make sure their deeds are
properly prepared, constant maintenance of the records.
8. Handling of owners’ correspondence and calls – this is a
very time-consuming process. We receive approximately 300
calls per month from owners at PCV for general questions,
questions on maintenance fees, reserves, financials, timeshare
calendar, and on their unit weeks.
9. Preparation of the year-end budget – working with the Resort Manager to prepare an adequate budget for approval of
the Board of Directors.
10. Preparation of the 5-year plan which gives the Board and
Owners a snapshot of work in progress and future plans.
11. Newsletters – Preparation of newsletters twice a year and
a postcard calling for resumes, having them printed, labeled
and taken to the post office.
12. Foreclosures – a constant monitoring of past due accounts
assuring that the lockout laws are followed, rentals are made if
locked out, following up with the attorneys doing the foreclosures, getting the unit weeks back to the Association to be sold.
13. Overseeing contractors – making sure that contractors do
the proper work, overseeing the jobs, paying the bills, assuring that no liens are placed on the property.
14. Rentals –as you know, we charge 25% on rentals.We are the
low end of the industry. For this, we must advertise on the Internet and elsewhere, do return mailings, follow-up with exchangers, follow-up with past renters to assure that as many as possible
owners who want to rent their weeks get them rented.We have
to maintain and constantly monitor all escrow accounts, making
sure they balance daily and are in compliance with Georgia Statutes in case of an audit. Balance, reconcile and sign off on the escrow monthly, assume all liabilities that go along with potential
rentals.
15. Space banking-This involves working one on one with exchange
companies that allow owners of our resort to trade their weeks for
other locations. We have a personal relationship with each company and have the ability to call them with any concerns our owners may have.We also must verify/deny owners who are wishing
to trade their units. This is done multiple times a week and can
consist of more than 20 requests a day. It is an intensive process
that must be done correctly to ensure that no Villas are “double”
booked or an owner is trading their unit when their maintenance
fees are not current.Along with verifying the weeks we must keep
a list of incoming exchangers which can change at any time with
notification from the exchange company.
We could go on for quite a bit longer on the day-to-day items
that the management company performs. We have researched
area timeshares and have found that the average yearly maintenance fees are $700-$800 per week.We will continue as always
to work hard to keep the maintenance fees at PCV as low as
possible while maintaining a property of exceptional quality.
We will continue to have an open door policy and invite any
comments and or suggestions our owners have for us. Petit Crest
Villas remains a wonderful relaxing vacation destination.We are
always at your service.
RCI Reminder
Remember that in order to obtain MAXIMUM trading power
RCI suggests banking your unit/weeks at least 9 months in advance.To bank more than a year in advance fees must be paid in
advance equal to the current years maintenance and taxes. For
any questions please call Jamie at the main office, 706-268-3600
at Petit Crest Villas.
Resales
RAL Resorts is pleased to announce that Professional Realty
Associates, LLC has signed on to be the Broker for Petit Crest Villas.
Professional Realty has a long and successful real estate sales record
in Big Canoe and has been associated with resale property inside
Big Canoe since 1994. Ken Owen, Broker for Professional Realty, is
proud to have the opportunity to help Petit Crest owners with their
timeshare resales and he along with Jamie Kemp, our Manager and
Sales Associate hope to continue to move forward in this endeavor.
Enclosed in this newsletter is a new listing agreement for
Professional Realty. If you could please fill out a new contract
and mail it to Jamie at
P.O Box 250
Marble Hill, GA 30148
Professional Realty will continue to honor contracts that were
submitted to RAL Resort Property Management, Inc., but suggest
that a new listing agreement be filled out and sent to Jamie.
Should you need to purchase additional weeks or want to sell
the weeks you own, please give Jamie a call at the RAL/Petit Crest
office at Big Canoe 1-706-268-3600.They are committed to quality
and professional service in today’s tough real estate market.
Proxies
Enclosed in this Newsletter, you will find a proxy where the Association is asking
you to vote for Board Members. It is imperative that you send this proxy back as we
need 357 votes just to have a meeting which establishes quorum.We ask you to please
take an interest in the Association and if you are not sure who to vote for, please either
leave the proxy blank at the top where it says appoint someone or the Secretary of the
Association or you may write in Board of Director or anyone else you know is going to
be at the meeting but we encourage you to vote. It is very important. The cost of
having an extra Annual Meeting due to insufficient quorum totals is considerable.
Prepaid Maintenance Fees
Over the past several months, several owners have asked if there was a procedure
for pre-paying their maintenance fees. There is a procedure in place if any owner would
like to prepay their fees, as long as they are paid in full by January 31 of each year,
(example, 2011 fees must be paid by January 31, 2011). If an owner owns five weeks
and the maintenance fee is $600.00 per week, his total assessment due would be
$3000.00. If that owner would wish to make payments starting in January 2010 through
January 2011, he could pay 1/12th per month or 1⁄4 per quarter, for example. Also, it
should be noted that we do accept credit cards for payment of maintenance fees which
does carry a 3% convenience fee. If you are not clear on this procedure or would like
further information on prepaid fees, please do not hesitate to call RAL, 1-877-481-9580.
New Rules, Etc. at PCV
If you are a visitor at Petit Crest, you will need to call the office at Petit Crest at (706)2683600 for authorization to gain access through the front gate and receive a visitor’s
pass. So please remember if you are visiting someone at Petit Crest you need to call
ahead and get permission for access.
If you do not get your welcome package at least two weeks in advance of your arrival
date, please call the office and let them know at (706)268-3600.
Good News! All Villas are Non-Smoking! Additionally, please remember there are no
pets allowed at Petit Crest. If you are found to have a pet, or smoking in the units, you
will be fined $100.00 per day up to $1,000.00 maximum.
We urge you strongly that as owners, you must realize that this is your home away from
home and respect the units.We ask you to treat your unit as you would your home.
We are excited to announce that the new Clubhouse at Lake Sconti opened last summer
and is doing great. This also includes the Mountain Grille at Lake Sconti and Blackbear Pub
at Lake Sconti. We hope you will enjoy the new restaurants.
Owner Accounts
2010
2011
Week
Friday
Number to Friday
Week
Friday
Number to Friday
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
Jan. 01-Jan. 08
Jan. 08-Jan. 15
Jan. 15-Jan. 22
Jan. 22-Jan. 29
Jan. 29-Feb. 05
Feb. 05-Feb. 12
Feb. 12-Feb. 19
Feb. 19-Feb. 26
Feb. 26-Mar. 05
Mar. 05-Mar. 12
Mar. 12-Mar. 19
Mar. 19-Mar. 26
Mar. 26-Apr. 02
Apr. 02-Apr. 09
Apr. 09-Apr. 16
Apr. 16-Apr. 23
Apr. 23-Apr. 30
Apr. 30-May 07
May 07-May 14
May 14-May 21
May 21-May 28
May 28-Jun. 04
Jun. 04-Jun. 11
Jun. 11-Jun. 18
Jun. 18-Jun. 25
Jun. 25-Jul. 02
Jul. 02-Jul. 09
Jul. 09-Jul. 16
Jul. 16-Jul. 23
Jul. 23-Jul. 30
Jul. 30-Aug. 06
Aug. 06-Aug.13
Aug. 13-Aug. 20
Aug. 20-Aug. 27
Aug. 27-Sep. 03
Sep. 03-Sep. 10
Sep. 10-Sep.17
Sep. 17-Set. 24
Sep. 24-Oct. 01
Oct. 01-Oct. 08
Oct. 08-Oct. 15
Oct. 15-Oct. 22
Oct. 22-Oct. 29
Oct. 29-Nov. 05
Nov. 05-Nov. 12
Nov. 12-Nov. 19
Nov. 19-Nov. 26
Nov. 26-Dec. 03
Dec. 03-Dec. 10
Dec. 10-Dec. 17
Dec. 17-Dec. 24
Dec. 24-Dec. 31
Dec. 31-Jan. 07
Jan. 07-Jan. 14
Jan. 14-Jan. 21
Jan. 21-Jan. 28
Jan. 28-Feb. 04
Feb. 04-Feb. 11
Feb. 11-Feb. 18
Feb. 18-Feb. 25
Feb. 25-Mar. 04
Mar. 04-Mar. 11
Mar. 11-Mar. 18
Mar. 18-Mar.25
Mar. 25-Apr. 01
Apr. 01-Apr. 08
Apr. 08-Apr. 15
Apr. 15-Apr. 22
Apr. 22-Apr. 29
Apr. 29-May 06
May 06-May 13
May 13-May 20
May 20-May 27
May 27-Jun. 03
Jun. 03-Jun. 10
Jun. 10-Jun. 17
Jun. 17-Jun. 24
Jun. 24-Jul. 01
Jul. 01-Jul. 08
Jul. 08-Jul. 15
Jul. 15-Jul. 22
Jul. 22-Jul. 29
Jul. 29-Aug. 05
Aug. 05-Aug. 12
Aug. 12-Aug.19
Aug. 19-Aug. 26
Aug. 26-Sep. 02
Sep. 02-Sep. 09
Sep. 09-Sep. 16
Sep. 16-Sep.23
Sep. 23-Set. 30
Sep. 30-Oct. 07
Oct. 07-Oct. 14
Oct. 14-Oct. 21
Oct. 21-Oct. 28
Oct. 28-Nov. 04
Nov. 04-Nov. 11
Nov. 11-Nov. 18
Nov. 18-Nov. 25
Nov. 25-Dec. 02
Dec. 02-Dec. 09
Dec. 09-Dec. 16
Dec. 16-Dec. 23
Dec. 23-Dec. 30
Dec. 30-Jan. 06
RAL has purchased and implemented a new management program used for all as- Pocket Calendars
pects of the resort.We ask that you please call the RAL offices to help us update and fill in
In this year's billing you reany blanks on your account. New information we are now taking includes, emails, emer- ceived small pocket calendars for
gency contacts, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Thank you so much in helping us become 2010 and 2011. Some of the calenmore efficient when it comes to obtaining owner information.
dars (not all) were missing a week.
We have included a correct calendar for you in this newsletter.
Please note that this year includes a week 53.Week 53 is owned by Owners of Week 52 Please check your pocket calendar
and may be used at their discretion. For more information please call RAL toll free at 1-877- to ensure that yours is correct.
481-9580 or Petit Crest Villas at 706-268-3600.
Week 53
Petit Crest Villas
First Class
U.S. Postage
c/o RAL Resort Property Management, Inc
PAID
Ft. Myers Bch., FL
Permit No. 281
12853 Banyan Creek Drive
Fort Myers, FL 33908
Scams
All we can say about scams is please be very careful, the same with Vacation Clubs.
If someone asks you for up front money to either sell or rent your unit, it is 99.9% of the
time a scam. Please do not let them take your money. Regarding Vacation Clubs, we
have some very big guys in the industry now, the Hyatts, the Hiltons, the Marriotts,
Bluegreen. They are very good clubs. We urge you to make sure you understand what
you are purchasing. Please read the fine print on the documents you are signing and
understand them. If you are not sure what you are buying, please say no as you will have
a hard time getting out of a Vacation Club if you join and it may cause you to lose a year
or two at the resort.
Important
Numbers
RAL
12853 Banyan Creek Drive
Ft. Myers, FL 33908
Office: (239) 481-9580
Toll Free: 1-877-481-9580
Fax: (239) 481-9386
e-mail: john@ralresorts.com or
maggie@ralresorts.com
Web site: www.ralresorts.com
Petit Crest Villas
P.O. Box 250
Marble Hill, GA 30148
Office: (706) 268-3600
Fax: (706) 268-3710
e-mail: pcv@tds.net
Web site:
www.petitcrestvillas.com