SUMMER 2020
Newsletter
TROPIC SUN TOWERS NEWSLETTER
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PRESIDENT’S LETTER
SUMMER UPDATES
GM’S CORNER
UPCOMING EVENTS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS TROPIC SUN TOWERS // 2020 NEWSLETTER
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MESSAGE FROM – The President –
We are finally fully open after a disappointing three months of a partial lockdown by the government due to COVID-19. Some amenities are still not available due to the remaining government directives. Hopefully soon, those restrictions will be lifted whenever the virus is under control. Many are eagerly awaiting their vacations. Misinformation, retracted information, and sometimes incorrect information have all plagued the entire world. America has not been spared, but we are slowly trying to dig our way back to normal. I hope all of you have been spared the misery of suffering through the viral infection and that any family members or close friends have recovered if any caught COVID-19. We are all hoping for a hurricane-free season. That would enable all of us to have a lower stress level for the rest of the year, at least where the weather is concerned. For those struggling financially, try to take advantage of our prepayment method we have for owners. It can help ease the payment of the maintenance fee obligations for 2021. To keep our lives balanced, we need play time, as well as work time. Hopefully, all our owners have not been devastated by the shutdown of much of our economy.
Elsewhere in this newsletter, our planned improvements are listed. We have also listed those completed since our last newsletter. We depend on timely maintenance fee payments to keep your resort operating, as well as for improving the property to make it a beautiful place to relax and enjoy life when we can. All owners are invited to our Board meetings and the Annual Owner’s Meeting. If any owner wishes to attend, please email the resort for the location and to ask for help in arranging accommodations. Once again, my final thought: good communication is the bedrock of any successful endeavor. Any change in your address, telephone number, and email is absolutely required so the resort may inform you of any newsworthy items affecting the resort. It is also imperative that your information is up-to-date so that your legal information matches what the county and Tropic Sun Towers have for ownership of your resort unit/weeks. Michael Scallan President, Board of Directors
SUMMER UPDATES
• Tropic Sun Improvements • Topic of Interest • New hand railings on the balconies of phase I • Please pay your maintenance fee online or by • Painting and waterproofing the second deck that calling Capital Vacations at (844) 777-CLUB. covers the parking garage Please understand that calling the resort puts • New exterior lighting on the walkways a strain on the resort team. • New key card lock system for the unit doors • Please consider calling the resort on days • New enhanced safety system for public entrance other than Saturdays. On Saturdays, the team • Sliding glass doors where the seal was broken is busy checking in and out guests and have have been replaced trouble devoting time to you. • Several new AC systems on the roof have been replaced • Day use is suspended during Covid-19. • New resort signage • Owner Specials • New sun deck patio loungers • New pool deck games to play • Phase I elevator pump has been replaced • Gym update including new Nautilus weight system • 5 units with new appliances • Balance of new TVs have been installed • 14 units with updated furniture, beds and carpeting • All units have the new triple sheeting where all the linens you touch are washed with each turn • Lobby and public space updating 2
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MANAGER’S CORNER – with Harold Channell –
WOW, it is hard to believe that I have been with Tropic Sun Towers one year. I am so blessed and honored to be part of your vacations. It has been a year. We have had two hurricanes, one pandemic, and construction on the property. I told the Board that if a swarm of flesh-eating bugs comes, I might hide…just kidding! I have had the privilege of meeting a lot of you this past year and have heard wonderful stories of how parents have passed down their vacation to their children and so on. I have heard the stories of children growing up visiting Tropic Sun Towers year after year to see their friends. I have seen wedding vow renewals on the beach and wedding proposals. I have had the pleasure of having hors d’oeuvres with Julius Caesar at the Halloween costume party and listening to Classical Christmas songs played on the harp in the lobby of Phase II with owners. The biggest impact this year is obviously how the pandemic is hitting us. The resort remained open during the shutdown. We were able to implement the recommended guidelines from the CDC to make sure that all the guests and associates were protected. During this time, the occupancy was very low, and we were able to perform maintenance and deep cleans on all the units that would have been down for September and October. This allowed us to open the units that were down in September and October for the owners who were not able to come earlier. All the CDC guidelines are still in place. The associates are social distancing, and we ask the guests to do the same. All associates are wearing masks, gloves, and face shields where appropriate. Washing hands and random temperature checks are also practices currently in effect. We ask that guests wear masks in the lobbies and elevators and practice social distancing. We also have associates who are wiping down the high touchpoints throughout the resort. Housekeeping is taking extra time to clean the units to make sure each unit is ready for the next guests. A version of curbside check-in is also being performed. We will take the arriving guest’s name, and when ready, allow one family member in at a time to check in with each Guest Service Agent. I know, like you all, that we would love to see this end sooner than later, but until then, Tropic Sun Towers is here to create vacation memories for you and your family. Looking forward to welcoming you back soon, Harold Channell
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MEET YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michael Scallan, President michael@scallan.net David Smith, Vice President davidsmith15@yahoo.com Kenneth Tomlinson, Treasurer ktomlinson326@aol.com Robert Franks, Director franksb1@msn.com Linda Hayes, Director MLHayes34@earthlink.net
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING BOARD MEETING DATES Pre-Budget Conference Call Meeting August 6, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. Budget Meeting Off Site Annual Meeting November 13, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. We thank all of the owners who attended the 2019 Annual Meeting and would like to encourage more of our owners to make arrangements to attend the 2020 Annual Meeting. If you would like to attend any of the meetings and would like to reserve a unit, please contact us at the Resort (386) 672-4611 to check for availability.
Carolyn Murphy, Director cmgojesus7@msn.com Richard Wikle, Director richardwikle@gmail.com
CHECK-IN INFORMATION CHECK-IN TIME BEGINS at 4:00 p.m. CHECK-OUT TIME is 10:00 a.m. The Resort charges a $75.00 per hour late fee beginning at 11:00 a.m. Please abide by this schedule so that the Housekeeping and Maintenance Staff have the necessary time to get your unit ready for you or the next guest who will be arriving. Please refer to the following information prior to requesting your reservation: • All one-bedroom units have a maximum occupancy of 4 people. • All two-bedroom units have a maximum occupancy of 6 people. If you arrive at the Resort with more than the number of people allowed in your unit, you will have to make other arrangements to accommodate them. All children, no matter what their age or size, are considered an additional person; therefore, they must be counted in the number of people in your unit. 4
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MAINTENANCE MATTERS If you encounter any items in your unit that require our attention or notice any missing items, our friendly and courteous Maintenance Staff are here to assist you. Please let the Front Desk or Maintenance Staff know immediately if you discover any concerns. If at all possible, these issues will be addressed during your stay. We understand, however, if you do not wish to be disturbed, but at least let our staff know prior to check-out.
RESERVATIONS Whether you wish to use your unit/week at the Resort, place your unit/week in the rental pool, or bank your unit/ week, please note the following about Reservations: • Reservations can be made up to 365 days in advance. • Your maintenance fees must be paid in order to make a reservation. • Reservation Forms must be mailed to the Central Reservations Call Center Office located at 9654 N. Kings Hwy., Suite # 101, Myrtle Beach, SC, 29572. • Reservation Forms can also be faxed to the Central Reservations Call Center at (843) 353-3548. • You can phone the Central Reservation Call Center at (855) 978-3777, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Our friendly Resort Staff can still assist you while you are at the Resort.
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BEWARE OF RED FLAGS We hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy during this unprecedented time. We are reaching out today to give you a friendly word of caution. It has come to our attention that dishonest third-party entities posing as Timeshare exit companies are contacting owners at a high rate in an effort to take advantage of fears and worries around the current health crisis. Please keep in mind that these Timeshare exit companies often present themselves as consumer advocates or resellers offering assistance with transfer and exit services. Capital Vacations and its managed resorts are in no way affiliated with any third-party Timeshare exit company, and we urge Owners to be aware of the following red flags:
Requests for your personal Owner login credentials Promises of an exit or ownership transfer guarantee Suggestions that you do not discuss/verify their validity with your Resort Requirements for upfront fees or offers that include money-back guarantees Claims that the third-party company is affiliated with your Resort or Capital Vacations Suggestions that you forego your account payments
These predatory tactics have already caused harm to many of our Owners, costing thousands of dollars in upfront fees but delivering nothing in return. We will continue to closely monitor this issue and provide additional information as needed. Most importantly, your Team at the Resort looks forward to welcoming you on a well-deserved vacation soon. To all of us at Capital Vacations, the moments created while away on holiday have become even more important. We look forward to seeing you soon. Capital Vacations Resort Management
ESTATE PLANNING Did you know you have a deed to your timeshare week? Yes, it is a legal deed, much like your own home. If you plan to leave your timeshare property to your heirs, you need to designate ownership early so that it doesn’t become a burden on your estate. Having a will does not avoid probate and a beneficiary can refuse the inheritance. In most cases, changing your deed while you are alive to include your beneficiary and “Joint Ownership with Rights of Survivorship” or setting up a “Revocable Living Trust” will ensure there are no issues with ownership when the time comes. Speaking with an estate planning attorney in the city in which your timeshare is located can help you make the right choice. Feel free to contact the Resort for a listing of estate planning or real estate attorneys who may be able to assist you.
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IMPORTANT ADDRESS CHANGE Management’s Corporate Office will no longer be utilizing a Post Office Box. All correspondence can now be sent to the physical location; be sure to include Suite #101. If you use “Bill Pay” through your banking institution, or when sending a personal check, cashier’s check or money order, please address the payment to our physical address below: Tropic Sun Towers c/o Capital Vacations 9654 North Kings Highway, Suite #101 Myrtle Beach, SC 29572 Always include the payment stub(s) with your payment to ensure accurate processing.
SMOKING / VANDALISM Please remember: There is NO SMOKING inside the building or in any of the units. Cleaning fees of $250.00 will be assessed if smoking is detected in the unit. Please use the designated smoking areas only. Tampering or vandalism is strictly prohibited on property. Guests will be assessed if there is any damage/vandalism to any Resort equipment or any items in the unit. Costs will include not only the expense to replace and/or repair the damaged equipment/item, but a $250.00 fee will be assessed as well. If you see anyone tampering with any equipment, please notify the Front Desk Staff or Security immediately. 7
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COMMUNICATION While staying at the resort, please be sure to update your contact information at the Front Desk. Cell phone numbers and email addresses are extremely important in case of emergencies. For better communication and to help offset expenses associated with mailing newsletters and other communications, please submit your email address to help us provide a higher level of customer service.
CALL FOR NOMS There are seven positions on the Board of Directors to be elected at the meeting. If you are interested in serving the Owners’ Association as a member of the Board of Directors, please send your resume to: Tropic Sun Towers - Board of Directors c/o Capital Vacations 9654 North Kings Highway, Suite 101 Myrtle Beach, SC 29572 Resumes may also be faxed to (843) 238-5001 or by e-mail to: jbelyski@capitalvacations.com. All resumes must be received no later than September 30,2020. Resumes should be no more than 200 words stating your occupation, qualifications, experience and why you would like to serve on the Board of Directors. It is recommended that you call (843) 238-5000, extension 3078 to confirm receipt of your resume. If you have any questions about the call for nominations, please contact us at the Resort at (386) 672-4611. TROPIC SUN TOWERS // 2020 NEWSLETTER
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OWNER SPECIALS
CONTACT INFO
Owner’s Special for 2020 One-Bedroom Units: $566.00 Two-Bedroom Units: $643.00 The Owner’s Special can be booked 365 days prior to their start date. This special must be reserved by owners only.
We are happy to assist you in every way possible to answer any questions you may have regarding your vacation ownership at Tropic Sun Towers.
Owner Bonus Weeks for 2020 One-Bedroom Units: $541.00 Two-Bedroom Units: $612.00 Remember: Owner Bonus Weeks can only be booked 5 days prior to their start date and have a 3-night minimum.
Assistant General Manager Kerri Konecnik kkonecnik@capitalvacations.com
Owner’s Special and Owner Bonus Weeks are not allowed during special events or holidays, and are based upon availability.
Regional Vice President of Operations Trish Docherty tdocherty@capitalvacations.com
All money due MUST be paid at the time of booking. Contact the Resort at (386) 672-4611 for availability.
General Manager Harold Channell hschannell@capitalvacations.com
Regional Director of Operations Peter Pasca ppasca@capitalvacations.com
Capital Vacations Corporate Office 9654 North Kings Highway, Suite 101 Myrtle Beach, SC 29572 Phone: (843) 238-5000 Fax: (843) 238-5001 Exchange Companies Interval International (800) 468-3782 intervalworld.com RCI (800) 496-2247 Member Services (800) 338-7777 www.rci.com
Daytona Beach
Call the Resort at (386) 672-4611 to reserve a unit so you can enjoy some of the special events below. With dozens of historic and state-of-the-art venues, the Daytona Beach area has rapidly grown into a world-class music destination. Also home to over 60 renowned art, music and one-ofa-kind pop culture festivals, Daytona Beach is the Festival Capital of Florida!
Dial-An-Exchange (877) 516-7610 www.daelive.com
Professionally Managed by:
Check out more events at: https://www.daytonabeach.com/events/ 8
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