Va.Code § 55-360 et seq.
Cited: Skinner v. Steele, 730 S.W.2d 335, 1987 Tenn. App. LEXIS 2515 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1987). NOTES TO DECISIONS ANALYSIS 1. Legislative Intent. 2. Standing. 1. Legislative Intent.
The overriding purpose of title 66, ch. 32 is to protect consumers. State v. Heath, 806 S.W.2d 535, 1990 Tenn. App. LEXIS 800 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1990), appeal denied, 1991 Tenn. LEXIS 104 (Tenn. Mar. 11, 1991).
2. Standing.
Where the attorney general is clothed with authority to bring an action under the Tennes- see Consumer Protection Act of 1977, title 47, ch. 18, part 1, and title 66, ch. 32, part 1, the attorney general’s standing does not depend on
the outcome of the claims. State v. Heath, 806 S.W.2d 535, 1990 Tenn. App. LEXIS 800 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1990), appeal denied, 1991 Tenn. LEXIS 104 (Tenn. Mar. 11, 1991).
Participation in action was well within the attorney general’s discretion where underlying financing on time-share units contained no pro- tection for non-defaulting purchasers and where such omission could cause many con- sumers to lose money invested in time-shares. The attorney general’s standing under the Ten- nessee Consumer Protection Act of 1977 arose from T.C.A. § 47-18-114 and standing under this part arose under the attorney general’s broad statutory and common law powers. State v. Heath, 806 S.W.2d 535, 1990 Tenn. App. LEXIS 800 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1990), appeal de- nied, 1991 Tenn. LEXIS 104 (Tenn. Mar. 11, 1991).
Collateral References. Am. Jur. 2d New Topic Service, Real Estate Time-Sharing § 1 et seq.
Regulation of time-share or interval owner- ship interests in real estate. 6 A.L.R.4th 1288.
Estates in propertyA1 et seq.
66-32-102. Part definitions. — As used in this part and part 2 of this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) “Acquisition agent” means a person who by means of telephone, mail, advertisement, inducement, solicitation or otherwise attempts directly to encourage any person to attend a sales presentation for a time-share program; (2) “Advertise” or “advertisement” means any written, printed, verbal or visual offer by an individual or general solicitation;
(3) “Commission” means Tennessee real estate commission, which is an agency created under § 62-13-201;
(4) “Component site” means a specific geographic site at which certain time-share accommodations and facilities are located. If permitted under applicable law, separate phases that are operated as a single development in a particular geographic location and under common management shall be deemed a single component site;
(5) “Developer” means, in the case of any given property, any person or entity which is in the business of creating or which is in the business of selling its own time-share intervals in any time-share program. This definition does not include a person acting solely as a sales agent;
(6) “Development,” “project,” or “property” means all of the real property subject to a project instrument, and containing more than one (1) unit;
(7) “Exchange agent” means a person who exchanges or offers to exchange time-share intervals in an exchange program with other time-share intervals; (8) “Managing agent” means a person who undertakes the duties, respon- sibilities, and obligations of the management of a time-sharing program;
(9) “Offering” means any offer to sell, solicitation, inducement or advertise- ment whether by radio, television, newspaper, magazine or by mail, whereby a person is given an opportunity to acquire a time-share interval within a project located either within or outside the state of Tennessee. Any offering of a time-share interval which is not located in this state shall not be an offering if the developer shall submit appropriate documentation satisfactory to the commission that the time-share program is in compliance with the law of the jurisdiction in which the time-share interval is located and such law is as stringent as this part;
(10) “Person” means one (1) or more natural persons, corporations, partner- ships, associations, trusts, other entities, or any combination thereof;
(11) “Project” — See “Development”;
(12) “Project instrument” means one (1) or more recordable documents applicable to the whole project by whatever name denominated, containing restrictions or covenants regulating the use, occupancy or disposition of an entire project, including any amendments to the document, but excluding any law, ordinance, or governmental regulation;
(13) “Property” — See “Development”;
(14) “Public offering statement” means that statement required by § 66-32-112;
(15) “Purchaser” means any person other than a developer or lender who acquires an interest in a time-share interval;
(16) “Reservation system” means the method, arrangement, or procedure by which the owners of vacation club interests are required to compete with other owners of vacation club interests in the same vacation club in order to reserve the use and occupancy of an accommodation of the vacation club for one or more use periods, regardless of whether such reservation system is operated and maintained by the vacation club managing entity, an exchange company, or any other person. In the event that mandatory use of an exchange program is an owner’s principal means of obtaining the right to use and occupy a vacation club’s accommodations, such arrangement shall be deemed a reser- vation system for purposes of this subdivision (16) and part 2 of this chapter; (17) “Sales agent” means a person who sells or offers to sell “time-share intervals” in a “time-share program” to a purchaser. All such sales agents shall
be licensed and subject to the provisions of title 62, chapter 13;
(18) “Time-share estate” means an ownership or leasehold estate in prop- erty devoted to a time-share fee, tenants in common, time span ownership, interval ownership, and a time-share lease;
(19) “Time-share instrument” means any document by whatever name denominated, creating or regulating time-share programs, but excluding any law, ordinance or governmental regulation;
(20) “Time-share interval” means a time-share estate or a time-share use; (21) “Time-share program” means any arrangement for time-share inter- vals in a time-share project whereby use, occupancy or possession of real property has been made subject to either a time-share estate or time-share use whereby such use, occupancy or possession circulates among purchasers of the time-share intervals according to a fixed or floating time schedule on a periodic basis occurring annually over any period of time in excess of one (1) year;
(22) “Time-share project” means any real property that is subject to a time-share program;
(23) “Time-share resale broker” means any person or entity who undertakes to list, advertise for sale, promote or sell by any means whatsoever more than five (5) time-share intervals per year in one (1) or more time-share projects on behalf of any number of purchasers. A time-share resale broker must be a licensed real estate broker, as defined in § 62-13-102. “Time-share resale broker” does not include:
(A) Any person who has acquired any number of time-share intervals in any number of time-share projects for personal use and occupancy;
(B) Any resale performed by a time-share resale broker affiliated with a duly registered time-share developer, involving time-share intervals under the control of the time-share developer in its project; provided, that the time-share developer is in compliance with § 66-32-137(d); or
(C) A publisher of a newspaper or periodical in general circulation, broadcaster or telecaster in connection with the advertising for resale or other promotion of one (1) or more time-share intervals, so long as the publisher, broadcaster or telecaster is not under common ownership or control with a person required to be licensed by this part or chapter 13 of this title or does not have as its primary purpose the solicitation of resales or other uses of time-share intervals;
(24) “Time-share use” means any contractual right of exclusive occupancy which does not fall within the definition of a “time-share estate” including, without limitation, a vacation license, prepaid hotel reservation, club mem- bership, vacation club interest, limited partnership or vacation bond;
(25) “Unit” means the real property or real property improvement in a project which is divided into time-share intervals;
(26) “Vacation club” means any system or program with respect to which a purchaser obtains, by any means, a recurring right to use and occupy accommodations and facilities, if any, in more than one (1) component site through the mandatory use of a reservation system, whether or not the purchaser’s use and occupancy right is coupled with an interest in real property; and
(27) “Vacation club documents” means and includes the one (1) or more documents or instruments, by whatever name denominated, creating or
governing a vacation club and the disposition of vacation club interests therein. “Vacation club documents” is intended to be broadly construed to incorporate all terms and conditions of the purchase of a vacation club interest, the incorporation of accommodations and facilities located at component sites into the vacation club, the management and operation of the vacation club’s component sites, and the management and operation of the reservation system, including, but not limited to, the reservation system’s rules and regulations. [Acts 1981, ch. 372, § 2; T.C.A., § 64-3202; Acts 1983, ch. 210, § 2; 1985, ch. 98, § 1; 1990, ch. 672, § 2; 1995, ch. 90, §§ 5, 7.]
Section to Section References.This sec- tion is referred to in §§ 6-53-102, 66-32-139.
Law Reviews.Selected Tennessee Legisla- tion of 1983 (N. L. Resener, J. A. Whitson, K. J. Miller), 50 Tenn. L. Rev. 785 (1983).
Attorney General Opinions.Constitution- ality, OAG 90-80 (8/20/90).
66-32-103. Nature of time-share estates — Recordation. — (a) A “time-share estate” is an estate in real property and has the character and incidents of an estate in fee simple at common law or estate for years, if a leasehold, except as expressly modified by this part. This shall supersede any contrary rule at common law.
(b) Each time-share estate constitutes for purposes of title a separate estate or interest in property except for real property tax purposes.
(c) A document transferring or encumbering a time-share estate in real property may not be rejected for recordation because of the nature or duration of that estate or interest. [Acts 1981, ch. 372, §§ 3, 4; T.C.A., §§ 64-3203, 64-3204.]
66-32-104. Applicability of local ordinances, regulations, and build- ing codes. — A zoning, subdivision, or other ordinance or regulation may not discriminate against the creation of time-share intervals or impose any requirement upon a time-share program which it would not impose upon a similar development under a different form of ownership. [Acts 1981, ch. 372, § 5; T.C.A., § 64-3205.]
66-32-105. Time-share units. — A time-share program may be created in any unit, unless expressly prohibited by the project instruments or local governing laws. [Acts 1981, ch. 372, § 6; T.C.A., § 64-3206.]
66-32-106. Instruments for time-share estates. — Project instruments and time-share instruments creating time-share estates must contain the following:
(1) The name of the county in which the property is situated;
(2) The legal description, street address or other description sufficient to identify the property;
(3) Identification of time periods by letter, name, number, or combination thereof;
(4) Identification of time-share estates and, where applicable, the method whereby additional time-share estates may be created;
(5) The formula, fraction or percentage, of the common expenses and any voting rights assigned to each time-share estate and, where applicable, to each unit in a project that is not subject to the time-share program;
(6) Any restrictions on the use, occupancy, alteration or alienation of time-share intervals;
(7) The ownership interest, if any, in personal property and provisions for the care, maintenance and replacement of the commonly owned capital improvements and the commonly owned personal property belonging to the time-share estates. Specifically, an escrow or reserve account shall be estab- lished for the repair, replacement and maintenance of capital improvements and personal property; and
(8) Any other matters the developer deems appropriate. [Acts 1981, ch. 372, § 7; T.C.A., § 64-3207; Acts 1989, ch. 65, § 1.]
66-32-107. Time-share estate management. — The time-share instru- ments for a time-share estate program shall prescribe reasonable arrange- ments for management and operation of the time-share program and for the maintenance, repair and furnishing of units, which shall ordinarily include, but need not be limited to, provisions for the following:
(1) Creation of an association of time-share estate owners;
(2) Adoption of bylaws for organizing and operating the association; (3) Payment of costs and expenses of operating the time-share program and owning and maintaining the units;
(4) Employment and termination of employment of the managing agent for the association;
(5) Preparation and dissemination to owners of an annual budget and of operating statements and other financial information concerning the time- share program;
(6) Adoption of standards and rules of conduct for the use and occupancy of units by owners;
(7)(A) Collection of assessments from owners to defray the expenses of management of the time-share program and maintenance of the units, which will include the maintenance of reserve and escrow accounts that will adequately provide for the maintenance and replacement of capital improve- ments to the commonly owned areas of the time-sharing program and for the timely maintenance and replacement of the personal property commonly owned by the time-share estates;
(B) The board of directors of the property owners association shall decide when maintenance or replacement of capital improvements shall be accom- plished and shall set amounts of reserve. The board of directors of the property owners association and managing agent shall disclose to each interval owner, in a written annual report, the status of the required accounts. The report shall include the total funds deposited, the current balance, the interest earned, the purpose and amount of any payouts since the previous report. The report shall include the name and address of the person or persons in responsible charge of the accounts;
(8) Comprehensive general liability insurance for death, bodily injury and property damage arising out of, or in connection with, the use of units by
owners, their guests and other users;
(9) Methods for providing compensation for use periods or monetary com- pensation to an owner if a unit cannot be made available for the period to which the owner is entitled by schedule or by confirmed reservation;
(10) Procedures for imposing a monetary penalty or suspension of an owner’s rights and privileges in the time-share program for failure of the owner to comply with provisions of the time-share instruments or the rules of the association with respect to the use of the units. Under these procedures an owner must be given notice and the opportunity to refute or explain the charges against such owner in person or in writing to the governing body of the association before a decision to impose discipline is rendered;
(11) Employment of attorneys, accountants and other professional persons as necessary to assist in the management of the time-share program and the units;
(12) The managing agent for the association shall be responsible for the maintenance of an escrow or reserve account, as set by the board of directors, which shall contain the assessments collected for the maintenance and replacement of the capital improvements to the commonly owned areas and for the maintenance and timely replacement of the personal property commonly owned by the time-share estates. Such escrow or reserve accounts shall be maintained in an institution insured by the federal deposit insurance corpo- ration or federally insured agencies;
(13) Failure of the managing agent to properly maintain the escrow or reserve accounts, as set by the board of directors, for maintenance and replacement of capital improvements to the common area and the mainte- nance and timely replacement of the personal property shall constitute a felony and the managing agent shall be subject to the penalties as provided in § 66-32-118; and
(14) The managing agent shall be a licensed real estate firm or bonded agent. The principal broker/agent of the firm shall have control of the accounts required in subdivision (12), and shall enter into a tri-party agreement by and between the commission, the managing agent, and the depository institution, providing for the authority of the commission to access and inspect the account records at all times on behalf of the condominium homeowners association. [Acts 1981, ch. 372, § 8; T.C.A., § 64-3208; Acts 1989, ch. 65, §§ 2, 3.]
Attorney General Opinions. Proposed amendment to T.C.A. § 66-32-107, pertaining to management of time-share estates, that did not state that it acted retroactively would not
violate either the contract clause of the United States Constitution or Tenn. Const., Art. I, § 20, OAG 04-081 (4/30/04).
66-32-108. Developer control. — (a) The time-share instruments for a time-share estate program may provide for a “developer control period,” during which the developer or a managing agent selected by the developer may manage the time-share program and the units in the time-share program.
(b) If the time-share instruments for a time-share estate program provide for the establishment of a developer control period, they shall ordinarily include provisions for the following:
(2) Termination of contracts for goods and services for the time-share program or for units in the time-share program entered into during the developer control period; and
(3) A regular accounting by the developer to the association as to all matters that significantly affect the interests of owners in the time-share program. [Acts 1981, ch. 372, § 9; T.C.A., § 64-3209.]
66-32-109. Instruments for time-share use. — Project instruments and time-share instruments creating time-share uses must contain the following: (1) Identification by name of the time-share project and street address where the time-share project is situated;
(2) Identification of the time periods, type of units and the units that are in the time-share program and the length of time that the units are committed to the time-share program;
(3) In case of a time-share project, identification of which units are in the time-share program and the method whereby any other units may be added, deleted or substituted; and
(4) Any other matters that the developer deems appropriate. [Acts 1981, ch. 372, § 10; T.C.A., § 64-3210.]
66-32-110. Time-share use management. — The time-share instru- ments for a time-share use program shall prescribe reasonable arrangements for management and operation of the time-share program and for the main- tenance, repair and furnishing of units which shall ordinarily include, but need not be limited to, provisions for the following:
(1) Standards and procedures for upkeep, repair and interior furnishings of units and for providing maid, cleaning, linen and similar services to the units during use periods;
(2) Adoption of standards and rules of conduct governing the use and occupancy of units by owners;
(3) Payment of the costs and expenses of operating the time-share program and owning and maintaining the units;
(4) Selection of a managing agent to act on behalf of the developer;
(5) Preparation and dissemination to owners of an annual budget and of operating statements and other financial information concerning the time- share program;
(6) Procedures for establishing the rights of owners to the use of units by