RDO has warned its members against any unsolicited approach by an organisation in the UK using the names of 'Owners Action', 'ITRA' and 'Bridge View Consultants LTD'.

Allegedly, this organisation has been contacting Group RCI members to inform them they may be entitled to compensation from RCI. It is thought that this organisation may be offering members participation in a proposed class action as a cover to sell them another product, such as membership of a holiday club.

Movers and shakers in the fractional ownership industry, gathered at a breakfast meeting organised by OPP, called for the appointment of a “fractional champion” to help raise awareness of shared ownership and its potential.

Amongst those present were Paul Gardner Bougaard, chief executive of RDO and head of the Fractional and Shared Ownership Trade Association (FSOTA); Piers Brown, founder of Fractional Life; and Paul Mattimoe, publisher of the Perspective and Owners Perspective shared ownership titles.

RDO’s Enforcement team in Spain confirmed that five companies have been recently closed down by the Spanish authorities on the Costa del Sol, on suspicion of fraudulent activities related to timeshare.

The companies closed include First Legal Services, a class action company operating from Estepona, and Multisur, a resale company operating from Fuengirola, where five people were arrested. This company had been approaching timeshare owners with an offer from a potential buyer, demanding up-front payment to carry out the supposed sale, which never materialised.

Occupancy at Hapimag resorts remained high during the summer months at 87.6 per cent, with 1,130,000 overnight stays, a level similar to last year's, despite the economic crisis.

The most popular resorts were La Madrague in France and the recently extended resort in Tonda, Italy, as well as Hapimag's German resorts, which reported an average 98 per cent occupancy rate.

Citadel Trustees Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of Hutchinson, has signed a mutual co-operation agreement with Best Group to provide a one-stop for commercial, legal and trustee services to real estate developers looking to enter the fractional market.

The agreement means that once Best Group has taken the developer through the initial commercial feasibility phase, then Citadel will structure the legal framework for the project, making the process more cost effective and giving greater credibility to the fractional product.

Club La Costa Resorts & Hotels has closed down four of its five off-site sales operations in the UK which were proving less effective in the current financial climate, in a bid to focus on new programmes aimed at increased Fly-Buy activity.

As well as the company’s sales and exhibition centre in London’s West End, which continues to operate, Club La Costa has kept its Essex-based marketing operation, which is at the centre of a flurry of Fly Buy activity.