Chapter 707

707.30(2)(a) (a) More than 12 time shares.

707.30(2)(a)1. 1. If the number of time shares in a time-share property exceeds 12, the developer shall establish an association to govern the time-share property not later than the date of the first conveyance of a time share in the time-share property to a purchaser. The association shall be organized as a profit or nonprofit corporation or as an unincorporated association. After it is organized, the membership of the association shall at all times consist exclusively of all of the time-share owners.

707.30(2)(a)2. 2. If a developer does not establish an association under subd. 1., any interested party, including a time-share owner or a holder of a lien in the time-share property, may petition the circuit court in the county in which the time-share property is located to establish an association and prescribe the powers of the managing entity in accordance with sub. (5).

707.30(2)(b) (b) Twelve or fewer time shares. If the number of time shares in the time-share property is 12 or fewer, 3 or more time-share owners may form an association to manage the time-share property.

707.30(3) (3) Developer control period. Until an association is established under sub. (2) or unless time-share owners exercise the authority granted under sub. (6), the developer has the power and responsibility to act in all instances in which this chapter, any other provision of law, the time-share instrument or project instrument requires action by the association or its officers.

707.30(4) (4) Board of directors.

707.30(4)(a) (a) All powers of the association under sub. (5) shall be exercised by and under the authority of, and the business and affairs of the association shall be conducted by, a board of directors elected in accordance with pars. (b) to (d).

707.30(4)(b) (b) The developer or persons designated by the developer may appoint or remove the members of the association’s board of directors, except as provided in par. (c).

707.30(4)(c) (c)

707.30(4)(c)1. 1. Time-share owners other than the developer may elect no less than one-third of the members of the board of directors of the association when time-share owners other than the developer own 15 percent or more of the time shares in a time-share property.

707.30(4)(c)2. 2. Time-share owners other than the developer may elect no less than a majority of the members of the board of directors of an association when the first of any of the following occurs:

707.30(4)(c)2.a. a. Three years after 50 percent of the time shares in a time-share property have been conveyed to purchasers.

707.30(4)(c)2.b. b. Three months after 90 percent of the time shares in a time-share property have been conveyed to purchasers.

707.30(4)(c)2.c. c. All of the time shares that will ultimately be operated by the association have been completed, some of them have been conveyed to purchasers, and none of the others is being offered for sale by the developer in the ordinary course of business.

707.30(4)(c)2.d. d. Some of the time shares have been conveyed to purchasers and none of the others is being constructed or offered for sale by the developer in the ordinary course of business.

707.30(4)(c)3. 3. The developer or persons designated by the developer may not remove any member of the board of directors who was elected by the time-share owners.

707.30(4)(d) (d) Within 60 days after the time-share owners are entitled under par. (c) to elect a member or members of the board of directors of an association, the association shall call, upon not less than 30 days’ nor more than 40 days’ notice, a meeting of the time-share owners to elect the members of the board of directors. Any time-share owner may call and give notice of a meeting under this paragraph if the association fails to do so.

707.30(5) (5) Powers of managing entity.

707.30(5)(a) (a) Subject to par. (c) and the time-share instrument, the association may do any of the following:

707.30(5)(a)1. 1. Adopt, amend and repeal bylaws, rules and regulations.

707.30(5)(a)2. 2. Adopt and amend budgets for revenues, expenditures and reserves, and levy and collect assessments for time-share expenses from time-share owners.

707.30(5)(a)3. 3. Employ and dismiss employees, agents and independent contractors.

707.30(5)(a)4. 4. Commence, defend or intervene in court actions or administrative proceedings in its name on behalf of itself or 2 or more time-share owners on matters affecting the time-share property or time shares.

707.30(5)(a)5. 5. Make contracts and incur liabilities.

707.30(5)(a)6. 6. Regulate the use, maintenance, repair, replacement and modification of the time-share property.

707.30(5)(a)7. 7. Cause additional improvements to be made to the time-share property.

707.30(5)(a)8. 8. Impose charges for late payment of assessments and, after notice and an opportunity to be heard, levy reasonable fines for violations of the time-share instrument, bylaws and rules or regulations of the association.

707.30(5)(a)9. 9. Impose reasonable charges for the preparation of resale certificates required by s. 707.48 (2) or statements of unpaid assessments.

707.30(5)(a)10. 10. Exercise any other powers conferred by the time-share instrument or bylaws.

707.30(5)(a)11. 11. Impose and receive any payments, fees or charges for the use, rental or operation of the time-share property and for services provided to time-share owners.

707.30(5)(a)12. 12. Acquire, hold, encumber and convey in its name any right, title or interest in or to real or personal property.

707.30(5)(a)13. 13. Assign its right to future income, including the right to receive assessments for time-share expenses, but only to the extent that the time-share instrument expressly so provides.

707.30(5)(a)14. 14. Provide for the indemnification of its directors and officers and maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.

707.30(5)(a)15. 15. Exercise all other powers that may be exercised in this state by legal entities of the same type as the association.

707.30(5)(a)16. 16. Exercise any other powers necessary and proper for the governance and operation of the association.

707.30(5)(b) (b) Except as otherwise provided in the time-share instrument, the manager, to the extent permitted by the management contract, may exercise the powers specified in par. (a) 1. to 11.

707.30(5)(c) (c)

707.30(5)(c)1. 1. The time-share instrument may not impose limitations on the power of the association to deal with the developer which are more restrictive than the limitations imposed on the power of the association to deal with other persons.

707.30(5)(c)2. 2. If the time-share property is a part of a project, this section may not confer any powers on the managing entity, the developer or the time-share owners with respect to any portion of the project other than the units comprising the time-share property.

707.30(6) (6) Powers and responsibility if no managing entity. If the number of time shares in the time-share property is 12 or fewer and no managing entity is established, the time-share owners shall have all of the following:

707.30(6)(a) (a) The powers in sub. (5) (a) 1. to 11., subject to any restrictions and limitations specified by the time-share instrument. If the time-share instrument is silent with respect to the manner of exercise of any of these powers, the time-share owners may exercise the power only by unanimous action.

707.30(6)(b) (b) The responsibilities and liabilities of an association under ss. 707.33 and 707.34.

707.30(7) (7) Campgrounds excluded. This section does not apply to time-share property in which a campground member owns a time-share easement in a campground.

707.30 History History: 1987 a. 399.

707.31 707.31 Transfer of special developer rights.

707.31(1) (1) Definition. In this section, “special developer right” means a developer’s right to do any of the following:

707.31(1)(a) (a) Add more units to a time-share property under s. 707.21 (1) (f).

707.31(1)(b) (b) Maintain sales offices, management offices, models and signs under s. 707.25.

707.31(1)(c) (c) Appoint, control or serve as the managing entity.

707.31(2) (2) Requirements for transfer. No special developer right may be transferred except by an instrument executed by both the transferor and transferee which evidences the transfer and is recorded in every county in which any portion of the time-share property is located.

707.31(3) (3) Liability of transferor. Upon transfer of a special developer right, the liability of a transferor shall be as follows:

707.31(3)(a) (a) The transferor may not be relieved of any obligation or liability arising before the transfer, and the transferor shall remain liable for warranty obligations imposed upon him or her under s. 707.53. Lack of privity may not deprive a time-share owner of standing to maintain an action to enforce an obligation of the transferor.

707.31(3)(b) (b) If a successor to a special developer right is an affiliate of the developer, the transferor shall be jointly and severally liable with the successor for any obligations or liabilities of the successor relating to the time-share property.

707.31(3)(c) (c) If the transferor retains any special developer right but transfers other special developer rights to a successor who is not an affiliate of the developer, the transferor shall be liable for any obligations or liabilities imposed on a developer either by this chapter or by the time-share instrument relating to the retained special developer rights and arising after the transfer.

707.31(3)(d) (d) A transferor is not liable for any act or omission or any breach of a contractual or warranty obligation arising from the exercise of a special developer right by a successor developer who is not an affiliate of the transferor.

707.31(4) (4) Rights where foreclosure or tax sale.

707.31(4)(a) (a)

707.31(4)(a)1. 1. Unless otherwise provided in a mortgage instrument or deed of trust, in case of foreclosure of a mortgage, tax sale, judicial sale, sale by a trustee under a deed of trust, or sale under bankruptcy or receivership proceedings, of any time shares owned by a developer in the time-share property, a person acquiring title to all of the time shares being foreclosed or sold shall succeed, depending upon his or her request, to one of the following:

707.31(4)(a)1.a. a. All special developer rights.

707.31(4)(a)1.b. b. Any rights reserved in the time-share instrument under s. 707.25 allowing the developer to maintain sales offices, management offices, models and signs.

707.31(4)(a)2. 2. The judgment or instrument conveying title shall provide for transfer of only those special developer rights requested under subd. 1.

707.31(4)(b) (b) Upon foreclosure, tax sale, judicial sale, sale by a trustee under a deed of trust, or sale under bankruptcy or receivership proceedings of all time shares in a time-share property owned by a developer, all of the following shall occur:

707.31(4)(b)1. 1. The right to appoint, control or serve as the managing entity shall terminate unless the judgment or instrument conveying title provides for transfer of all special developer rights to a successor developer.

707.31(4)(b)2. 2. The developer shall cease to have any other special developer rights.

707.31(5) (5) Rights, liabilities and duties of successor.

707.31(5)(a) (a) A successor to any special developer right who is an affiliate of a developer is subject to all obligations and liabilities imposed on the transferor by this chapter or the time-share instrument.

707.31(5)(b) (b)

707.31(5)(b)1. 1. A successor to any special developer right, other than a successor described in par. (c) or (d), who is not an affiliate of a developer, is subject to any of the following obligations and liabilities imposed by this chapter or the time-share instrument:

707.31(5)(b)1.a. a. On a developer, which relate to a developer’s exercise or nonexercise of special developer rights.

707.31(5)(b)1.b. b. On the successor’s transferor, except as provided in subd. 2.

707.31(5)(b)2. 2. A successor described in subd. 1. is not subject to any of the following obligations and liabilities of the successor’s transferor:

707.31(5)(b)2.a. a. Liability for misrepresentations by a previous developer.

707.31(5)(b)2.b. b. Warranty obligations on improvements made by any previous developer or made before the property became a time-share property.

707.31(5)(b)2.c. c. Breach of any fiduciary obligation by any previous developer or any developer’s appointees.

707.31(5)(b)2.d. d. Any liability or obligation imposed on the transferor as a result of the transferor’s acts or omissions after the transfer.

707.31(5)(c) (c) A successor to only the right to maintain sales offices, management offices, models and signs under s. 707.25, if the successor is not an affiliate of a developer, may not exercise any other special developer right and is not subject to any liability or obligation as a developer, except the obligation to provide a time-share disclosure statement and any liability arising as a result of providing the time-share disclosure statement.

707.31(5)(d) (d) If a successor to all special developer rights held by a transferor is not an affiliate of the developer and has succeeded to those rights by deed in lieu of foreclosure, judgment or an instrument conveying title to the time shares under sub. (4), the successor may declare in a recorded instrument the intention to hold those rights solely for transfer to another person. Thereafter, until transferring all special developer rights, that successor may not exercise any of those rights other than any right held by the transferor to appoint, control or serve as the managing entity, and any attempted exercise of those rights is void. During any period in which a successor may not exercise special developer rights under this paragraph, the successor is not subject to any liability or obligation as a developer other than liability for his or her acts and omissions in appointing, controlling or serving as the managing entity.

707.31(6) (6) Preservation of purchaser’s claims and defenses.

707.31(6)(a) (a) Any claim or defense based on any written documentation which a purchaser may raise against the person who sold the time share to the purchaser is preserved against any assignee or successor to any of the following:

707.31(6)(a)1. 1. The contract of sale.

707.31(6)(a)2. 2. Any credit contract in connection with the sale of the time share which is executed by the purchaser and which may be retained by or assigned to the developer, an affiliate of the developer or a creditor having a contractual relationship with the developer.

707.31(6)(b) (b) Any recovery by a purchaser under par. (a) may not exceed the amounts paid by the purchaser under the contract.

707.31(6)(c) (c) Sellers and creditors shall include the following language in promissory notes executed in connection with the sale of time shares:

NOTICE

ANY HOLDER OF THIS CREDIT CONTRACT IS SUBJECT TO ALL CLAIMS AND DEFENSES WHICH THE DEBTOR COULD ASSERT AGAINST THE SELLER OF SERVICES OR PROPERTY OBTAINED PURSUANT TO THE CREDIT CONTRACT OR WITH THE PROCEEDS OF THE CREDIT CONTRACT. RECOVERY UNDER THE CREDIT CONTRACT BY THE DEBTOR MAY NOT EXCEED AMOUNTS PAID BY THE DEBTOR UNDER THE CREDIT CONTRACT.

707.31(7) (7) Extent of obligations. Nothing in this section subjects any successor to a special developer right to any claims against or other obligations of a transferor developer, other than claims and obligations arising under this chapter or any written documentation.

707.31 History History: 1987 a. 399.

707.32 707.32 Termination of contracts and leases of developer.

707.32(1) (1) Definition. In this section, “time-share property” does not include a campground.