§34-27-58. Acts constituting violation of article - Failure to place 50 percent of cash, etc., received in escrow; failure to provide liability insurance, etc.

(a) It shall be a violation of this article for a seller of vacation time-sharing lease plans to fail to:

(1) Place in escrow 50 percent of the cash and receivables received from the purchasers of such plans, such receivables to be assessed at net principal value.

a. The purpose of such escrow account is to protect the purchaser's right to a refund if at any time the accommodations and facilities are no longer available as provided in the contract; provided however, nothing contained in this section shall operate to deny the seller the option to repair, replace, or reconstruct, within a reasonable time, the accommodations or facilities, if destroyed or damaged.

b. The purchaser shall be entitled to a refund from the escrow account upon the conditions described above in an amount which represents the buyer's pro rata share of the moneys therein.

c. Funds may be withdrawn by the seller from the escrow account in the ratio of the amount of remaining time available for use by the purchaser of the vacation time-sharing lease plan in relation to the total time available to the purchaser at the time of purchase.

d. The escrow agent shall release or dispense funds from the escrow account to the seller of a vacation time-sharing lease plan only upon receipt of a sworn statement from the seller that the accommodations and facilities have been available for use by the purchaser according to the terms of the purchaser's contract.

(2) In lieu of the escrow account provided in subdivision (1), a seller of vacation time-sharing lease plans may:

a. Assign to an escrow agent receivables, the income from which shall be adequate to pay all liens or encumbrances secured by the time-sharing facilities or accommodations.

Should net income from such escrowed receivables be insufficient to pay all liens or encumbrances as aforesaid, the escrow agent shall so notify the seller in writing, and the seller shall within 15 days after notice pay unto the escrow agent the amount of such deficit.

b. Sell, hypothecate, or discount receivables, the proceeds from which shall be deposited with an escrow agent and administered in the manner prescribed by paragraph (2)a. of subsection (a) of this section.

(3) Provide the purchaser with liability and property insurance at the seller's expense for the accommodations and facilities to be used by the vacation time-sharing lease plan purchaser in an amount equal to the replacement cost of such accommodations and facilities, or the maximum amount of insurance available on the accommodations and facilities, according to generally accepted underwriting principles for similar properties in the same area, and to deposit with an escrow agent, annually, sufficient funds for the payment of all insurance premiums, taxes, and assessments levied against the accommodations and facilities; or, in the alternative, provide for the assessment against the purchaser by an association or duly appointed agent for the owners of such escrow funds for all costs including insurance premiums, taxes, assessments, maintenance repairs, and management fees.

(4) Provide the purchaser with an instrument, in recordable form, which provides notice to all subsequent creditors of the seller of the existence of the vacation time-sharing plan rights of the purchaser. Such instrument shall be provided to the purchaser by the seller at the time of signing of the contract. When recorded, such instrument shall serve to protect the purchaser's interest in the seller's accommodations from any claims by subsequent creditors of the seller.

(5) Provide a document which explains the content, purpose, and protection afforded to the purchaser by the documents described in subdivision (4) along with the procedure necessary to follow in order to secure to the purchaser the rights and protections which such documents provide.

(b) It shall be a violation of this article for a seller of vacation time-sharing ownership plans to fail to:

(1) Deposit with an escrow agent no less than 50 percent of the cash and receivables received from the purchasers of such plans, such receivables to be assessed at net principal value.

a. The purpose of the escrow account required hereunder is to protect the purchaser's ownership interest in the accommodations or facilities and to provide funds from which periodic payments can be made to retire any outstanding indebtedness on the time-sharing facilities or accommodations.

b. The escrow agent shall release or dispense to the seller of the vacation time-sharing ownership plan funds from the escrow account, at least quarterly but not more frequently than monthly, in an amount which shall not exceed 100 percent of the sum of all accrued indebtedness secured by the time-sharing accommodations or facilities which funds shall be used by the seller solely for the retirement of that indebtedness.

c. Prior to the release or dispensing of such escrow funds, the seller shall furnish the escrow agent with a sworn statement which reveals by category the total amount of all liens or indebtedness secured by the time-sharing accommodations or facilities, the amount of indebtedness anticipated during the next succeeding reporting period, and the amount of any deficit or surplus accruing from the preceding reporting period.

(2) In lieu of the escrow account provided in subdivision (1) of this subsection (b), a seller of vacation time-sharing ownership plans may alternatively:

a. Assign to an escrow agent receivables, the income from which shall be adequate to pay all liens or encumbrances secured by the time-sharing facilities and accommodations.

Should net income from such escrowed receivables be insufficient to pay all recurring debts as aforesaid, the escrow agent shall so notify the seller in writing and the seller shall within 15 days after notice pay into the escrow account the amount of such deficit.

b. Sell, hypothecate, or discount receivables, the proceeds from which shall be deposited with an escrow agent and administered in the manner prescribed by paragraph (2)a. of this subsection (b).

(3) Provide the purchaser with liability and casualty insurance at the seller's expense for the accommodations and facilities to be used by the vacation time-sharing lease plan purchaser in an amount equal to the replacement cost of such accommodations and facilities, or the maximum amount of insurance available on the accommodations and facilities, according to generally accepted underwriting principles for similar properties in the same area, and to deposit with an escrow agent, annually, sufficient funds for the payment of all insurance premiums, taxes, and assessments levied against the accommodations and facilities. In the alternative, provide for the assessment against the purchaser by an association or duly appointed agent for the owners of such escrow funds for all costs including insurance premiums, taxes, assessments, maintenance, repairs, and management fees.

(c) Any escrow account kept pursuant to this section may be discontinued when all liens or encumbrances on the subject of time-sharing accommodations and facilities have been fully discharged. When the value of the escrow account equals the sum of all mortgages, liens, and indebtedness on the project secured by project property, the seller may reduce his or her payments into the escrow account to monthly amounts which will maintain the value of the escrow account at an amount equal to the total obligation represented by all mortgages, liens, and indebtedness.

(d) The commission may at its discretion waive the requirement for a time-share plan to maintain an escrow account pursuant to this section upon proof satisfactory to the commission that the unit weeks being sold or leased through the respective time-sharing plan are being released from all liens or encumbrances at, or prior to, the time of the sale or lease.

(Acts 1983, No. 83-670, p. 1035, §9; Acts 1985, No. 85-750, p. 1204, §1.)