Senate Bill sb2630c1

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2630

    By the Committee on Regulated Industries; and Senator Webster





    580-2249-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to vacation and timeshare

  3         plans; amending s. 721.03, F.S.; revising the

  4         formula for funding reserve accounts;

  5         authorizing a seller to offer timeshare

  6         interests in timeshare plans located outside of

  7         this state without filing a public offering

  8         statement for such out-of-state timeshare plan;

  9         providing criteria for such offers; requiring

10         certain notice; providing for a fee; amending

11         s. 721.05, F.S.; revising the definition of the

12         term "one-to-one purchaser to accommodation

13         ratio"; amending s. 721.13, F.S.; providing

14         conditions under which certain timeshare

15         condominium associations and timeshare

16         cooperative associations are subject to certain

17         provisions relating to transfer of association

18         control; authorizing funding of reserve

19         accounts to be waived or reduced; amending s.

20         721.165, F.S.; authorizing certain insurance to

21         include reasonable deductibles as determined

22         initially by the seller and thereafter by the

23         managing entity; providing an effective date.

24  

25  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

26  

27         Section 1.  Paragraph (e) of subsection (3) of section

28  721.03, Florida Statutes, is amended, and subsection (11) is

29  added to that section, to read:

30         721.03  Scope of chapter.--

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2630
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 1         (3)  A timeshare plan which is subject to the

 2  provisions of chapter 718 or chapter 719, if fully in

 3  compliance with the provisions of this chapter, is exempt from

 4  the following:

 5         (e)  Part VI of chapter 718 and part VI of chapter 719,

 6  relating to conversion of existing improvements to the

 7  condominium or cooperative form of ownership, respectively,

 8  provided that a developer converting existing improvements to

 9  a timeshare condominium or timeshare cooperative must comply

10  with ss. 718.606, 718.608, 718.61, and 718.62, or ss. 719.606,

11  719.608, 719.61, and 719.62, if applicable, and, if the

12  existing improvements received a certificate of occupancy more

13  than 18 months before such conversion, one of the following:

14         1.  The accommodations and facilities shall be

15  renovated and improved to a condition such that the remaining

16  useful life in years of the roof, plumbing, air-conditioning,

17  and any component of the structure which has a useful life

18  less than the useful life of the overall structure is equal to

19  the useful life of accommodations or facilities that would

20  exist if such accommodations and facilities were newly

21  constructed and not previously occupied.

22         2.  The developer shall fund reserve accounts for

23  capital expenditures and deferred maintenance for the roof,

24  plumbing, air-conditioning, and any component of the structure

25  the useful life of which is less than the useful life of the

26  overall structure. The reserve accounts shall be funded for

27  each component in an amount equal to the product of the

28  estimated current replacement cost of such component as of the

29  date of such conversion (as disclosed and substantiated by a

30  certificate under the seal of an architect or engineer

31  authorized to practice in this state) multiplied by a

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2630
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 1  fraction, the numerator of which shall be the age remaining

 2  life of the component in years (as disclosed and substantiated

 3  by a certificate under the seal of an architect or engineer

 4  authorized to practice in this state) and the denominator of

 5  which shall be the total useful life of the component in years

 6  (as disclosed and substantiated by a certificate under the

 7  seal of an architect or engineer authorized to practice in

 8  this state). Alternatively, the reserve accounts may be funded

 9  for each component in an amount equal to the amount that,

10  except for the application of this subsection, would be

11  required to be maintained pursuant to s. 718.618(1) or s.

12  719.618(1). The developer shall fund the reserve accounts

13  contemplated in this subparagraph out of the proceeds of each

14  sale of a timeshare interest, on a pro rata basis, in an

15  amount not less than a percentage of the total amount to be

16  deposited in the reserve account equal to the percentage of

17  ownership allocable to the timeshare interest sold. When an

18  owners' association makes an expenditure of reserve account

19  funds before the developer has initially sold all timeshare

20  interests, the developer shall make a deposit in the reserve

21  account if the reserve account is insufficient to pay the

22  expenditure. Such deposit shall be at least equal to that

23  portion of the expenditure which would be charged against the

24  reserve account deposit that would have been made for any such

25  timeshare interest had the timeshare interest been initially

26  sold. When a developer deposits amounts in excess of the

27  minimum reserve account funding, later deposits may be reduced

28  to the extent of the excess funding.

29         3.  The developer shall provide each purchaser with a

30  warranty of fitness and merchantability pursuant to s.

31  718.618(6) or s. 719.618(6).

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2630
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 1         (11)  A seller may offer timeshare interests in a real

 2  property timeshare plan located outside of this state without

 3  filing a public offering statement for such out-of-state real

 4  property timeshare plan pursuant to s. 721.07 or s. 721.55,

 5  provided all of the following criteria have been satisfied:

 6         (a)  The seller shall provide a disclosure statement to

 7  each prospective purchaser of such out-of-state timeshare

 8  plan. The disclosure statement shall contain information that

 9  is substantively equivalent to the disclosures required to be

10  provided for similar timeshare plans pursuant to s. 721.07 or

11  s. 721.55, whichever is applicable. The disclosure statement

12  shall also include the exhibits that are required by s.

13  721.07(5)(ff)1., 2., 3., 4., 5., 7., 8., and 20.

14         (b)  With respect to any offer for an out-of-state

15  timeshare plan made pursuant to this subsection, the delivery

16  by the seller to a prospective purchaser of the disclosure

17  statement required by paragraph (a) shall be deemed to satisfy

18  any requirement of this chapter regarding a public offering

19  statement.

20         (c)  The seller shall utilize and furnish to each

21  purchaser of an out-of-state timeshare plan offered pursuant

22  to this subsection a fully completed and executed copy of a

23  purchase contract that contains the statement set forth in s.

24  721.065(2)(c) in conspicuous type located immediately prior to

25  the space in the contract reserved for the purchaser's

26  signature. The contract shall also contain the initial

27  purchase price and any additional charges to which the

28  purchaser may be subject in connection with the purchase of

29  the timeshare plan, such as financing, or that will be

30  collected from the purchaser on or before closing, such as the

31  current year's annual assessment for common expenses.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2630
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 1         (d)  All purchase contracts for out-of-state timeshare

 2  plans offered pursuant to this subsection must also contain

 3  the following statements in conspicuous type:

 4  

 5         This timeshare plan has not been reviewed or

 6         approved by the State of Florida.

 7  

 8         The timeshare interest you are purchasing

 9         requires certain procedures to be followed in

10         order for you to use your interest. These

11         procedures may be different from those followed

12         in other timeshare plans. You should read and

13         understand these procedures prior to

14         purchasing.

15  

16         (e)1.  An out-of-state timeshare plan may only be

17  offered pursuant to this subsection by the seller on behalf

18  of:

19         a.  The developer of a timeshare plan that has been

20  approved by the division within the preceding 7 years pursuant

21  to s. 721.07 or s. 721.55, or concerning which an amendment by

22  the developer has been approved by the division within the

23  preceding 7 years, which timeshare plan has been neither

24  terminated nor withdrawn; or

25         b.  A developer under common ownership or control with

26  a developer described in sub-subparagraph a., provided that

27  any common ownership shall constitute at least a 50-percent

28  ownership interest.

29         2.  An out-of-state timeshare plan may only be offered

30  pursuant to this subsection to a person who already owns a

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2630
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 1  timeshare interest in a timeshare plan filed by a developer

 2  described in subparagraph 1.

 3         (f)1.  Except for ss. 721.06, 721.065, 721.07, 721.27,

 4  721.55, and 721.58, any out-of-state timeshare plan offered

 5  pursuant to this subsection must meet all requirements of this

 6  chapter. The out-of-state timeshare plan shall also be

 7  eligible for any exemptions provided by this chapter.

 8         2.  Any escrow account required to be established by s.

 9  721.08 for any out-of-state timeshare plan offered under this

10  subsection may be maintained in the situs jurisdiction.

11         (g)  Any seller of an out-of-state timeshare plan

12  offered pursuant to this subsection shall be required to

13  provide notice of such plan to the division on a form

14  prescribed by the division, along with payment of a one-time

15  fee not to exceed $1,000 per filing.

16         Section 2.  Subsection (25) of section 721.05, Florida

17  Statutes, is amended to read:

18         721.05  Definitions.--As used in this chapter, the

19  term:

20         (25)  "One-to-one purchaser to accommodation ratio"

21  means the ratio of the number of purchasers eligible to use

22  the accommodations of a timeshare plan on a given day to the

23  number of accommodations available for use within the plan on

24  that day, such that the total number of purchasers eligible to

25  use the accommodations of the timeshare plan during any

26  12-month period a given calendar year never exceeds the total

27  number of accommodations available for use in the timeshare

28  plan during that 12-month period year. For purposes of

29  calculation under this subsection, each purchaser must be

30  counted at least once, and no individual timeshare unit may be

31  counted more than 365 times per 12-month period calendar year

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2630
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 1  (or more than 366 times per leap year). A purchaser who is

 2  delinquent in the payment of timeshare plan assessments shall

 3  continue to be considered eligible to use the accommodations

 4  of the timeshare plan for purposes of this subsection

 5  notwithstanding any application of s. 721.13(6).

 6         Section 3.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) and

 7  paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section 721.13, Florida

 8  Statutes, are amended to read:

 9         721.13  Management.--

10         (1)

11         (b)1.  With respect to a timeshare plan which is also

12  regulated under chapter 718 or chapter 719, or which contains

13  a mandatory owners' association, the board of administration

14  of the owners' association shall be considered the managing

15  entity of the timeshare plan.

16         2.  During any period of time in which such owners'

17  association has entered into a contract with a manager or

18  management firm to provide some or all of the management

19  services to the timeshare plan, both the board of

20  administration and the manager or management firm shall be

21  considered the managing entity of the timeshare plan and shall

22  be jointly and severally responsible for the faithful

23  discharge of the duties of the managing entity.

24         3.  An owners' association which is the managing entity

25  of a timeshare plan that includes condominium units or

26  cooperative units shall not be considered a condominium

27  association pursuant to the provisions of chapter 718 or a

28  cooperative association pursuant to the provisions of chapter

29  719, unless such owners' association also operates the entire

30  condominium pursuant to s. 718.111 or the entire cooperative

31  pursuant to s. 719.104.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2630
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 1         4.a.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary

 2  contained in chapter 718 or chapter 719, timeshare condominium

 3  associations and timeshare cooperative associations created

 4  after July 1, 2006, are not subject to the provisions of s.

 5  718.301(1) and (2) or s. 719.301(1) and (2) unless a majority

 6  of those present at a duly called meeting of the association

 7  other than any developer, which majority shall constitute at

 8  least 15 percent of the total voting interests other than

 9  those owned by any developer, vote to hold a

10  transfer-of-control election. A meeting to decide whether to

11  have a transfer-of-control election shall be conducted upon

12  the written request of 15 percent of the total voting

13  interests other than those owned by any developer. If a

14  transfer-of-control election is approved, that election, when

15  held, shall entitle purchasers other than a developer to elect

16  a majority of the members of the board of administration of

17  the association.

18         b.  No transfer-of-control election held pursuant to

19  this subparagraph shall be held prior to the time that

20  transfer of majority control of the members of the board of

21  administration of the association would otherwise be required

22  by the provisions of s. 718.301(1) or s. 719.301(1). After

23  such time, the election approved under sub-subparagraph a.

24  shall be held with 75 days after the vote authorizing a

25  transfer-of-control election. After purchasers other than a

26  developer vote to elect a majority of the members of the board

27  of administration of the association, a developer may exercise

28  the right to vote any developer-owned timeshare interests in

29  the same manner as any purchaser except for purposes of

30  reacquiring control of the association or electing a majority

31  of the members of the board of administration.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2630
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 1         (3)  The duties of the managing entity include, but are

 2  not limited to:

 3         (c)1.  Providing each year to all purchasers an

 4  itemized annual budget which shall include all estimated

 5  revenues and expenses. The budget shall be in the form

 6  required by s. 721.07(5)(u). The budget shall be the final

 7  budget adopted by the managing entity for the current fiscal

 8  year. The final adopted budget is not required to be delivered

 9  if the managing entity has previously delivered a proposed

10  annual budget for the current fiscal year to purchasers in

11  accordance with chapter 718 or chapter 719 and the managing

12  entity includes a description of any changes in the adopted

13  budget with the assessment notice and a disclosure regarding

14  the purchasers' right to receive a copy of the adopted budget,

15  if desired. The budget shall contain, as a footnote or

16  otherwise, any related party transaction disclosures or notes

17  which appear in the audited financial statements of the

18  managing entity for the previous budget year as required by

19  paragraph (e). A copy of the final budget shall be filed with

20  the division for review within 30 days after the beginning of

21  each fiscal year together with a statement of the number of

22  periods of 7-day annual use availability that exist within the

23  timeshare plan, including those periods filed for sale by the

24  developer but not yet committed to the timeshare plan, for

25  which annual fees are required to be paid to the division

26  under s. 721.27.

27         2.  Notwithstanding anything contained in chapter 718

28  or chapter 719 to the contrary, the board of administration of

29  an owners' association which serves as the managing entity may

30  from time to time reallocate reserves for deferred maintenance

31  and capital expenditures required by s. 721.07(5)(u)3.a.(XI)

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2630
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 1  from any deferred maintenance or capital expenditure reserve

 2  account to any other deferred maintenance or capital

 3  expenditure reserve account or accounts in its discretion

 4  without the consent of purchasers of the timeshare plan. Funds

 5  in any deferred maintenance or capital expenditure reserve

 6  account may not be transferred to any operating account

 7  without the consent of a majority of the purchasers of the

 8  timeshare plan. The managing entity may from time to time

 9  transfer excess funds in any operating account to any deferred

10  maintenance or capital expenditure reserve account without the

11  vote or approval of purchasers of the timeshare plan. In the

12  event any amount of reserves for accommodations and facilities

13  of a timeshare plan containing timeshare licenses or personal

14  property timeshare interests exists at the end of the term of

15  the timeshare plan, such reserves shall be refunded to

16  purchasers on a pro rata basis.

17         3.  With respect to any timeshare plan that has a

18  managing entity that is an owners' association, reserves may

19  be waived or reduced by a majority vote of those voting

20  interests that are present, in person or by proxy, at a duly

21  called meeting of the owners' association. If a meeting of the

22  purchasers has been called to determine whether to waive or

23  reduce the funding of reserves and no such result is achieved

24  or a quorum is not attained, the reserves as included in the

25  budget shall go into effect.

26         Section 4.  Subsection (1) of section 721.165, Florida

27  Statutes, is amended to read:

28         721.165  Insurance.--

29         (1)  The seller, initially, and thereafter the managing

30  entity, shall be responsible for obtaining insurance to

31  protect the accommodations and facilities of the timeshare

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2630
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 1  plan in an amount equal to the replacement cost of such

 2  accommodations and facilities. Any insurance, regardless of

 3  any requirement in the timeshare instrument for coverage for

 4  "full insurable value," "replacement cost," or the like, may

 5  include reasonable deductibles as determined initially by the

 6  seller and thereafter by the managing entity. Failure to

 7  obtain and maintain the insurance required by this subsection

 8  during any period of developer control of the managing entity

 9  shall constitute a breach of s. 721.13(2)(a) by the managing

10  entity, unless the managing entity can show that, despite such

11  failure, it exercised due diligence to obtain and maintain the

12  insurance required by this subsection.

13         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

14  

15          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
16                         Senate Bill 2630

17                                 

18  The committee substitute revises the formula for funding
    reserve accounts. It provides for timeshare condominiums and
19  cooperative associations to be exempted from the board
    turnover provisions of ch. 719 and 719, F.S., unless a
20  majority of those present at a duly called meeting, other than
    the developer, vote to hold a transfer of control election.
21  It deletes the provision that provided that a developer may
    deliver documents required under ch 721, F.S., by alternative
22  media if agreed to and specified by the purchaser.

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