Palm Harbor Timeshare Resort Closing March 30

Sutherland Crossing, a timeshare resort located on 32 acres of desirable waterfront property in Crystal Beach, will close on March 30, 2013.

The resort features 35 three-bedroom-homes, a pool, basketball court, put-put golf course, walking trails, tennis courts and a 580-foot-long pier. It is located in a Crystal Beach neighborhood of million-dollar waterfront homes.

Pinellas County Property Records show the common area of the Sutherland Crossing property is valued at $5,250,000 and is owned by Sutherland Crossing Condo Association.

Staff at the resort declined to answer questions about the reason for the upcoming closure and what will happen to the property.

"We're closing March 30, that's all I can tell you," said a woman who answered the phone.

Donna Sage of Vacation Services International (VSI), a company that manages timeshare properties including Sutherland Crossing Resort, would not release any details.

"I'm not going to discuss this with you," said Sage when contacted by Palm Harbor Patch. "We are explaining what's going on to our owners. I think that's plenty for now," she said.

Patch made a public records request to the office of Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi regarding any possible consumer complaints filed against Sutherland Crossing Resort.

Bondi's Press Secretary John Lucas says that four complaints have been filed since 2012. Two of those complaints were from the same person.

Patch obtained copies of the complaints. All four of the complaints were filed by persons who lived outside of Florida and are 60 or older:

A person who lives in Lexington, MA and purchased a timeshare for $10,000 in 1992 emailed Bondi's office on Jan. 24, 2013 with the following: 

"After years of progressively deteriorating administration, my timeshare association board is forcing owners who remain to turn in their titles and accept whatever residual assets remain. The suggestion is that nothing much remains and their are liabilities and debts that the association must pay. Somehow over ninety percent of the units are non-paying and owned by the association. Is there an ombudsman for timeshare affairs?"

A person who lives in Tewksbury, MA emailed Bondi's office on May 22, 2012 with the following:

"I own timeshare at Sutherland Crossing and because a lot of owners are foreclosing therefore cannot pay maintenance fees the association is charging the owners that are barely affording their maintenance fees $1000.00 as a special assessment fee that we cannot afford. We faithfully pay our fees and shouldn't have to pay for those who cannot. Is this legal for them to do that? Eagerly awaiting and thank you for your time."

A person who lives in Windham, ME emailed Bondi's office twice on Nov. 29, 2012 with the following:

"I believe that Sutherland Crossing owners are being strong armed to turn back their properties to Sutherland Crossing via astronomical increases, 300% in maintenance fees, so that Vacation Resorts International, the Charles Rutenberg Realty, Inc. of Clearwater, Florida and an unnamed developer can "create a residential community " on Sutherland Crossing property."

"I just filed a very brief description of my complaint. I have hard copy paperwork to substantiate my suspicions that I would like to send to the Attorney General's Office. Please contact me so that I know to whom I should send the documents."

Patricia Zicko is a former Sutherland Crossing timeshare owner who lives outside of Florida. She told Palm Harbor Patch that she gave the deed back to Sutherland Crossing Resort in December of 2012, because she could no longer afford to pay the maintenance fees. 

"I deeded it back to them. I had to pay a lawyer $400-$500 to do that," she by telephone from her home in the northeast.

Zicko and her husband had been trying to sell the timeshare for years, but did not have any luck. She thinks she paid about $3,000 for the timeshare about 15 years ago, which entitled her to one week of stay per year at Sutherland Crossing Resort. 

She said that when she initially purchased the timeshare, the yearly maintenance fees were about $350 and had climbed to $1,000 per year when she gave it up. She said there were also special assessments.

"As time went on, they had to fix things and the price goes up. So, it ended up costing even more," she said.

She used the timeshare mostly for swapping to get a week-long vacation at other timeshare resorts. She only stayed at Sutherland Crossing once and said she enjoyed the stay. However, she recommends that people only buy timeshares if they can afford it.

"You don't ever make your money back. You end up losing your money or you end up paying them to get rid of it."

Sutherland Crossing Resort is located at 962 Seaview Circle in Crystal Beach

Are you a timeshare owner at Sutherland Crossing Resort? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below.

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