California Business and Professions Code 11245 – (a) No person subject to this chapter shall do any of the …
(a) No person subject to this chapter shall do any of the following:
(1) Make any material misrepresentation that is false or misleading in connection with any advertisement or promotion of a time-share plan.
Terms Used In California Business and Professions Code 11245
- Advertisement: means any written, oral, or electronic communication that is directed to or targeted to persons within the state or such a communication made from this state or relating to a time-share plan located in this state and contains a promotion, inducement, or offer to sell a time-share plan, including, but not limited to, brochures, pamphlets, radio and television scripts, electronic media, telephone and direct mail solicitations, and other means of promotion. See California Business and Professions Code 11212
- Assessment: means the share of funds required for the payment of common expenses that is assessed from time to time against each purchaser by the managing entity. See California Business and Professions Code 11212
- Association: means the organized body consisting of the purchasers of time-share interests in a time-share plan. See California Business and Professions Code 11212
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Developer: means and includes any person who creates a time-share plan or is in the business of selling time-share interests, other than those employees or agents of the developer who sell time-share interests on the developer's behalf, or retains agents to do the same, or any person who succeeds to the interest of a developer by sale, lease, assignment, mortgage, or other transfer, but the term includes only those persons who offer time-share interests for disposition in the ordinary course of business. See California Business and Professions Code 11212
- Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
- Incidental benefit: is a n accommodation, product, service, discount, or other benefit, other than an exchange program, that is offered to a prospective purchaser of a time-share interest prior to the end of the rescission period set forth in Section 11238, the continuing availability of which for the use and enjoyment of owners of time-share interests in the time-share plan is limited to a term of not more than three years, subject to renewal or extension. See California Business and Professions Code 11212
- Managing entity: means the person who undertakes the duties, responsibilities, and obligations of the management of a time-share plan. See California Business and Professions Code 11212
- Offer: means any inducement, solicitation, or other attempt, whether by marketing, advertisement, oral or written presentation, or any other means, to encourage a person to acquire a time-share interest in a time-share plan, other than as security for an obligation. See California Business and Professions Code 11212
- Person: means a natural person, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, association, estate, trust, government, governmental subdivision or agency, or other legal entity, or any combination thereof. See California Business and Professions Code 11212
- Promotion: means a plan or device, including one involving the possibility of a prospective purchaser receiving a vacation, discount vacation, gift, or prize, used by a developer, or an agent, independent contractor, or employee of any of the same on behalf of the developer, in connection with the offering and sale of time-share interests in a time-share plan. See California Business and Professions Code 11212
- Public report: means a preliminary public report, conditional public report, final public report, or other such disclosure document authorized for use in connection with the offering of time-share interests pursuant to this chapter. See California Business and Professions Code 11212
- Purchaser: means any person, other than a developer, who by means of a voluntary transfer for consideration acquires a legal or equitable interest in a time-share plan other than as security for an obligation. See California Business and Professions Code 11212
- Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.
- Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs, unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Business and Professions Code 15
- Time-share interest: means and includes either of the following:
California Business and Professions Code 11212
- Time-share plan: means any arrangement, plan, scheme, or similar device, other than an exchange program, whether by membership agreement, sale, lease, deed, license, right to use agreement, or by any other means, whereby a purchaser, in exchange for consideration, receives ownership rights in or the right to use accommodations for a period of time less than a full year during any given year, on a recurring basis for more than one year, but not necessarily for consecutive years. See California Business and Professions Code 11212
(2) Make a prediction of any increases in the resale price or resale value of the time-share interest.
(3) Materially misrepresent the size, nature, extent, qualities, or characteristics of the offered time-share plan.
(4) Materially misrepresent the conditions under which a purchaser may exchange the right to use accommodations in one location for the right to use accommodations in another location.
(5) Materially misrepresent the current or future availability of a resale or rental program offered by or on behalf of the developer.
(6) Materially misrepresent the nature or extent of any incidental benefit.
(7) Fail to deliver any item offered in connection with a promotion to a prospective purchaser upon the conclusion of the sales presentation, or fail to deliver any item offered in connection with a promotion to a prospective purchaser, upon request, reasonably approximate to the conclusion of the length of time for the sales presentation that was previously represented to the prospective purchaser.
(8) Fail to disclose, in a manner that meets the requirements of Section 17537.1 or 17537.2 of the Business and Professions Code, that a certificate, coupon, or raincheck redeemable for fulfillment for goods or services will be provided in connection with a promotion for the purchase of a time-share interest, if that is the case.
(9) State that the purchase of a time-share interest constitutes a financial investment.
(10) Fail to clearly and conspicuously disclose, prior to the execution of any purchase contract, the annual maintenance and association dues or any separately billed taxes, when applicable.
(11) Fail to clearly disclose in writing any automatic charging or billing procedure, and fail thereafter to obtain the express written authorization from the prospective purchaser for any purchase, subscription, or enrollment that results in that automatic charging or billing of initial or periodic amounts to the prospective purchaser.
(12) If the contract for a time-share interest is negotiated primarily in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or Korean, orally or in writing, and the developer fails to provide to the prospective purchaser prior to the commencement of the rescission period an unexecuted translation of the contract in the language in which the contract was negotiated.
(13) Fail to inform, verbally or in writing, any prospective purchaser that he or she can take as much time as he or she requires in order to read the public report, and any and all other documents necessary to consummate a sale before leaving the premises or signing a contract, and not allowing, upon request, the prospective purchaser the time and opportunity to do so. If the prospective purchaser requests that he or she be able to return the next calendar day to complete the review of the documents before signing, the developer shall accommodate such a request, and the return visit shall not disqualify the prospective purchaser from receiving any price reduction or other incentive for purchasing on the day of the scheduled sales presentation. Further, it shall not be fraudulent or misleading for a developer to honor the request even if presented as an incentive only available on the day of the offer.
(14) Inform prospective purchasers that they are finalists in winning an item offered in connection with a promotion or have already won a specific prize, unless it is true.
(15) Offer as a promotional incentive any travel certificate or coupon redeemable for transportation, accommodations, or other travel-related service that does not allow the recipient to activate or redeem the incentive without incurring any additional telephone expenses charged by or on behalf of the developer other than the usual toll costs imposed by the prospective purchaser’s telephone service.
(16) Offer as a promotional incentive any travel certificate or coupon redeemable for fixed air transportation or hotel accommodations or other travel-related service that entitles the prospective purchaser to a trip of a specified duration unless the offeror states at the time of the offer that there are terms or conditions that must be followed in order to utilize the incentive and that the details of the terms will be sent to the consumer in writing in time to be received by the consumer prior to leaving his or her house to attend the scheduled sales presentation. The writing shall include the approximate times of the air or sea transportation’s departure and return, if applicable, and all other material conditions, including any limitations as to the dates or times available for use of the incentive.
(17) Misrepresent or fail to disclose that a prospective purchaser is required to attend a sales presentation to obtain a prize or promotional item, if attendance is a requirement of the promotion.
(18) Fail to inform any prospective purchaser who contacts the developer with a request to cancel a purchase within the rescission period provided by this chapter all of the procedures necessary to effectively cancel the purchase.
(19) Fail to cancel a purchase upon the receipt of a valid timely written notice of rescission. No person may obtain from the person a waiver or cancellation of the rescission.
(20) Fail to provide any refund of moneys, within the required timeframe, due to the prospective purchaser upon receipt of a valid timely written notice of rescission.
(21) Fail to provide a mechanism for an equitable apportionment of expenses between the time-share owner’s association and any commercial operation on the property not operated by the time-share owner’s association.
(b) For any time-share plan in which the managing entity is an affiliate of the developer, neither the developer nor the managing entity shall, during any applicable priority reservation period, hold out for rental to the public on a given day, developer owned or controlled time-share periods in a number greater than the total number of time-share periods owned or controlled by the developer in a particular season, multiplied by a fraction wherein the numerator is the number of time-share periods owned or controlled by the developer in that particular season, and the denominator is the total number or time-share periods in that particular season. For example, if the developer owns or controls 1,000 time-share periods in a particular season, out of a total of 4,000 time-share periods available during that season, then the developer may not hold out for rental to the public during any applicable priority reservation period, more than 250 time-share periods on a given day during that season (1,000 × 1,000/4,000=250). The number of time-share interests permitted to be rented under this subdivision shall be in addition to any time-share interests that the developer may have the right to rent or use by virtue of having acquired those rights from another owner. The developer or managing entity may, at any time, rent any inventory transferred to the developer or managing entity by another owner in exchange for hotel accommodations, future use rights, or other considerations. For any use or rental by a developer of time-share interests owned or controlled by the developer, the developer shall reimburse the association for any increased expenses for housekeeping services that exceed the amount allocated in the assessment for maintenance for the use or rental.
(Added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 697, Sec. 14. Effective January 1, 2005. Section operative July 1, 2005, pursuant to Section 11288.)