Dear Editor,
My wife and I have been timeshare owners since 1984 and have used our four units at Pelican Resorts, now Simpson Bay Resorts, every year since we bought our first ones. We have learned to love St. Maarten and admire the culture and the wonderful courteous drivers and people of your country.
The consistent “downer” that seems to be a tradition in St. Maarten is the lack of respect the timeshare owners receive from the local governing bodies. This seems to be a constant at St. Maarten. Throughout the years we have watched the local governments and courts rule over and over again against the interests of the timeshare owners. Listen up, guys; We Are Family. We are a major part of the St. Maarten economy and population. We really should not need an “advocacy body” because our interests are aligned with the best interests of the island. What is good for the timeshare owners is good for the island and vice-versa.
If you feel the necessity of creating a body to deal with timeshare issues, by all means do so, but we are not asking for anything the rest of the St. Maarten citizens would not want for themselves; just fair treatment under existing laws. If the government decides to create a Timeshare Commission, it is your decision, but it should not be used to further tax the timeshare owners $200 a week. Doing this will go a long way toward removing this population from your shores. This will add $800 a year to our trip. Air fare to St. Maarten is already higher than other islands and at the added rate the Island becomes uncompetitive with other destinations. .
My wife and I are getting to a stage where we may not be traveling a lot, but we would hate to see the island we love simply charge $200 per week to timeshare owners just because they can when all we are asking in return is fair treatment and protection from raiders.
Treating timeshare owners fairly is good business for St. Maarten. Doing what is right will be rewarded.
Robert and Penny Catzen
Baltimore, MD
