§34-27-50. Definitions.

For the purposes of this article, the following terms shall have the meaning respectively ascribed to them by this section:

(1) ACCOMMODATIONS. Any hotel or motel room, condominium, or cooperative unit, cabin, lodge, apartment, or any other private or commercial structure designed for occupancy by one or more individuals or any recreational vehicle campsite or campground.

(2) BUSINESS ENTITY. Any individual, corporation, firm, association, joint venture, partnership, trust, estate, business trust, syndicate, fiduciary, and any other group or combination which engages in acts or practices in any trade or commerce.

(3) CONTRACT. Any contract, promissory note, credit agreement, negotiable instrument, lease, use agreement, license, security, or other muniment conferring on the purchaser the rights, benefits, and obligations of a vacation time-sharing plan.

(4) COMMISSION. The Alabama Real Estate Commission.

(5) COMMISSIONER. A member of the Alabama Real Estate Commission.

(6) FACILITIES. Any structure, service, or property whether improved or unimproved made available to the purchaser for recreational, social, family, or personal use.

(7) SELLER. Any owner of a vacation time-sharing plan or any business entity, including but not limited to an agent, dealer, distributor, franchiser, subsidiary, assignee, reseller, broker, or any other representative thereof who, for a fee, commission, or other valuable consideration, negotiates or attempts to negotiate the listing, sale, auction, purchase, exchange, or lease of any real estate or the improvements thereon or collects rents or attempts to collect rents, or who advertises or holds himself or herself out as engaged in any of the foregoing activities. Provided however, that the provisions of this article shall not be applicable to:

a. The resale of a vacation time-sharing unit week by the owner of such unit week, when the seller owns no more than four such unit weeks within the respective vacation time-sharing plan. Provided however, that the contract for such resale shall meet all the requirements of a contract for the initial sale of a vacation time-sharing interest, including the nonwaivable right of the purchaser to cancel the contract within the specified five-day period.

b. Agencies and instrumentalities of the state or federal government nor to employees of any lender or public officials making appraisals for federal, state or local units of government, nor to anyone making appraisals through such employees for lending or governmental purposes; and provided further, that the sales licensure provisions of this article shall not be applicable to the sale or leasing of real estate by anyone who owns a fee simple interest of at least 10 percent therein, or to the attorney-at-law of such owner acting within the scope of his duties as an attorney-at-law. Ownership of stock in a corporation is not ownership of an interest in real estate owned by the corporation and does not exempt such stockholder from any provision of this article unless the stockholder owns or controls at least 10 percent of the stock of the corporation. This provision exempts owners from only the sales licensure requirements of this article. All other requirements of sellers under this article shall apply to owners of vacation time-sharing plans.

(8) VACATION TIME-SHARING OWNERSHIP PLAN. Any arrangement, plan, or similar device, whether by tenancy in common, sale, deed, or by other means, which is subject to supplemental agreement or contract for use of the time-sharing unit, whereby the purchaser receives an undivided fee simple ownership interest in and the right to use accommodations or facilities, or both, for a specific period of time during any given year, but not necessarily for consecutive years, which extends for a period of more than one year.

(9) VACATION TIME-SHARING LEASE PLAN. Any arrangement, plan, or similar device, whether by membership agreement, lease, rental agreement, license, use agreement, security, or other means, whereby the purchaser receives a right to use accommodations or facilities, or both, but does not receive an undivided fee simple interest in the property, for a specific period of time during any given year, but not necessarily for consecutive years, and which extends for a period of more than one year. Such lease plans shall not include an arrangement or agreement whereby a purchaser in exchange for an advance fee and yearly dues is entitled to select from a designated list of facilities located in more than one state accommodations, of companies which operate in at least nine states in the United States through franchises or ownership, for a specified time period and at reduced rates and under which no interest in real property is transferred.

(10) VACATION TIME-SHARING PLAN. Either a vacation time-sharing ownership plan or a vacation time-sharing lease plan as defined herein.

(11) TIME-SHARING UNIT. The actual accommodations and related facilities which are the subject of the vacation time-sharing ownership plan or lease plan.

(12) SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE. All structural components and mechanical systems of all buildings containing or comprising any time-sharing unit, facilities, or accommodations are finished in accordance with the plans or specifications of the project as evidenced by a recorded certificate of completion executed by an independent registered surveyor, architect, or engineer.

(13) UNIT WEEK OR INTERVAL. A number of consecutive days, normally seven consecutive days in duration, which may reasonably be assigned to purchasers of vacation time-sharing plans by the sellers.

(14) RECEIVABLE. Any note, contract, promise, or any other agreement to pay a fixed or determinable amount of money which, for the purposes of this article, shall not be in arrears for more than 90 days.

(15) ESCROW AGENT. A federally insured financial institution doing business in this state or a bonded trust agent bonded in at least the amount of the trust; provided, however, that nothing contained in this article shall operate to prevent investment of funds escrowed pursuant to this article by the bank, trust company, or bonded agent and to pay all interest and dividends to the seller of vacation time-sharing plans.

(16) ESCROW ACCOUNT. Any funds held or maintained by an escrow agent.

(17) VACATION TIME-SHARING SALES LICENSE. A license issued by the commission authorizing individuals to act as sellers of vacation time-sharing plans.

(18) LICENSEE. A person having a vacation time-sharing sales license.

(19) EXCHANGE COMPANY. Any person or business entity owning and/or operating an exchange program.

(20) EXCHANGE PROGRAM. Any arrangement allowing owners to exchange occupancy rights with persons owning other timeshares; provided, however, that an exchange program shall not exist if all of the occupancy rights which may be exchanged are in the same time-share property.

(21) MANAGING AGENT. Any person engaged by the owners association to manage the time-share plan and the time-share property.

(22) QUALIFYING BROKER. A person who is licensed by the commission as a real estate broker as well as a seller of vacation time-sharing plans and who serves in a supervisory capacity to all other licensees acting in the name of the vacation time-sharing plan which the qualifying broker represents.

(23) TIME-SHARING PROJECT. All the real property contained as part of a vacation time-sharing plan.

(Acts 1983, No. 83-670, p. 1035, §1; Acts 1984, No. 84-282, p. 472, §1; Acts 1985, No. 85-750, p. 1204, §1.)