The Florida Senate

721.075  Incidental benefits.--Incidental benefits shall be offered only as provided in this section.

(1)  Accommodations, facilities, products, services, discounts, or other benefits which satisfy the requirements of this subsection shall be subject to the provisions of this section and exempt from the other provisions of this part which would otherwise apply to accommodations and facilities if and only if:

(a)  The use of or participation in the incidental benefit by the prospective purchaser is completely voluntary, and payment of any fee or other cost associated with the incidental benefit is required only upon such use or participation.

(b)  No costs of acquisition, operation, maintenance, or repair of the incidental benefit are passed on to purchasers of the timeshare plan as common expenses of the timeshare plan or as common expenses of a component site of a multisite timeshare plan.

(c)  The continued availability of the incidental benefit is not necessary in order for any accommodation or facility of the timeshare plan to be available for use by purchasers of the timeshare plan in a manner consistent in all material respects with the manner portrayed by any promotional material, advertising, or public offering statement.

(d)  The continued availability to purchasers of timeshare plan accommodations on no greater than a one-to-one purchaser to accommodation ratio is not dependent upon continued availability of the incidental benefit.

(e)  The incidental benefit will continue to be available in the manner represented to prospective purchasers for no less than 6 months but less than 3 years after the first date that the timeshare plan is available for use by the purchaser. The developer shall not be required to make the incidental benefit available for longer than 18 months after the date of purchase. Nothing herein shall prevent the renewal or extension of the availability of an incidental benefit.

(f)  The aggregate represented value of all incidental benefits offered by a developer to a purchaser may not exceed 15 percent of the purchase price paid by the purchaser for his or her timeshare period.

(g)  The incidental benefit is filed with the division in conjunction with the filing of a timeshare plan or in connection with a previously filed timeshare plan.

(2)  Each purchaser shall execute a separate acknowledgment and disclosure statement with respect to all incidental benefits, which statement shall include the following information:

(a)  A fair description of the incidental benefit, including, but not limited to, the represented value of the benefit; any user fees or costs associated therewith; and any restrictions upon use or availability.

(b)  A statement that use of or participation in the incidental benefit by the prospective purchaser is completely voluntary, and that payment of any fee or other cost associated with the incidental benefit is required only upon such use or participation.

(c)  A statement that the incidental benefit is not assignable or otherwise transferable by the prospective purchaser or purchaser.

(d)  The following disclosure in conspicuous type immediately above the space for the purchaser's signature:

[Describe incidental benefit] is an incidental benefit offered to prospective purchasers of the timeshare plan [or other permitted reference pursuant to s. 721.11(5)(a)]. This benefit is available for your use for a [minimum of 6 months but less than 3 years] after the first date that the timeshare plan is available for your use. The availability of the incidental benefit may or may not be renewed or extended. You should not purchase an interest in the timeshare plan in reliance upon the continued availability or renewal or extension of this benefit.


The acknowledgment and disclosure statement for each incidental benefit shall be filed with the division prior to use. Each purchaser shall receive a copy of his or her executed acknowledgment and disclosure statement as a document required to be provided to him or her pursuant to s. 721.10(1)(b).

(3)(a)  In the event that an incidental benefit becomes unavailable to purchasers in the manner represented by the developer in the acknowledgment and disclosure statement, the developer shall pay the purchaser the greater of twice the verifiable retail value or twice the represented value of the unavailable incidental benefit in cash within 30 days of the date that the unavailability of the incidental benefit was made known to the developer unless the developer has reserved a substitution right pursuant to paragraph (b) by making the required disclosure in the acknowledgment and disclosure statement and timely makes the substitution as required by paragraph (b). The developer shall promptly notify the division upon learning of the unavailability of any incidental benefit.

(b)  If an incidental benefit becomes unavailable as a result of events beyond the control of the developer, the developer may reserve the right to substitute a replacement incidental benefit of a type, quality, value, and term reasonably similar to the unavailable incidental benefit by including the following language in the disclosure required by paragraph (2)(d):

In the event [describe incidental benefit] becomes unavailable as a result of events beyond the control of the developer, the developer reserves the right to substitute a replacement incidental benefit of a type, quality, value, and term reasonably similar to the unavailable incidental benefit.

The substituted incidental benefit shall be delivered to the purchaser within 30 days after the date that the unavailability of the incidental benefit was made known to the developer.

(4)  All purchaser remedies pursuant to s. 721.21 shall be available for any violation of the provisions of this section.

History.--s. 5, ch. 93-58; s. 7, ch. 95-274; s. 894, ch. 97-102; s. 5, ch. 98-36.