Manhattan Club Lawsuit

Hi everyone, I’ve run out of money and patience so I’ve quit paying my timeshare bill. What happens after this unpleasant email?

The Officers of the Timeshare Association Board write to you and all delinquent Owners asking each to return to an Owner in good standing. Due to the continued delinquent status of your Timeshare Charges and Real Estate Taxes, The Manhattan Club Timeshare Association (“TSA”) is obliged to take further action. The action being considered is to refer the matter to the TSA’s attorneys to begin further collection activities, which may include the filing of a lien against your timeshare interval. To avoid this action, within the next fourteen (14) days, please contact Financial Services to bring your account current.

RETURN TO OWNER IN GOOD STANDING STATUS

This option allows you to remain an Owner at The Manhattan Club. As an Owner in good standing, you will be able to utilize and enjoy the amenities and services offered at the Club. Please contact a Financial Services Representative by calling 800-532-4566 and choose option 6 to discuss how to return to being an Owner in good standing status.

In the absence of paying your delinquent amounts, the TSA will have no choice except to resume the process whereby the TSA’s lawyers will commence further collections activities, which may include filing a lien against your timeshare interval.

We are distressed to recommend taking legal action against your timeshare interval. Having said that, however, our priority must be to make decisions that serve all of our owners. Non-paying Owners place a burden on Owners who are meeting their obligations. We hope to see you return to a Member in good standing but in any event, please let us hear from you soon.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Joshua A. Wirshba – President of The Manhattan Club Timeshare Board of Directors

Nothing happens. They can file a lien against their own property. If it was your personal real estate asset, would you want to lose it to the state by not paying a small percentage of the total property taxes???

I just came across this thread. I was deeded the property from my father 5 years ago and have spent the last two years trying to get out from under it. Has anyone been able to? How? I'd love any help you can give. They've told me they won't do deed in lieu of foreclosure, just foreclosure and that it will tank my credit rating. We're paying over $3300/year that we've had to take out of savings to maintain. It's disgusting what they're doing.

Track down and contact the firm where Mr. Zimmerman is now working. Contact them directly and discuss options. Any advice you receive here is simply noise (including this post).

I’ve been lurking for a while and I’ve been a penthouse owner for more than 25 years.

I haven’t paid maintenance since the pandemic, so six years at this point. I haven’t given money to a lawyer because I don’t see the benefit.

The fact is, I have not had a single adverse consequence since I stopped paying the maintenance. it has never shown up on my credit report. I have blocked their phone number and I ignore all messages when they try to call me.

I am going to hold on to my deed for as long as I can, and if there’s a new owner, I might finally have some leverage to get some money.

Perhaps not.

But in the meantime, I don’t see any downside to holding out.

Best post I have seen on this board.

Does anyone know whether MC has successfully sued timeshare owners for stopping to pay maintenance fees?

Dear Redweek colleagues,

My father passed away last year. He and my mother owned two weeks at the Manhattan Club. They had the usual problems during the mid-2010s, but more recently had used the time to visit friends, and sometimes for friends or family to use. But now my mother is alone in California (she's 84) and not likely to travel to New York. I knew about the earlier lawsuit but did not realize things were as dire in terms of unloading the weeks as they turn out to be.

I have written the attorney to see if we can join the current lawsuit. It appears Redweek does not allow us to sublet floating time, only to book time and then sell it? Am I reading that correctly?

The options I am seeing are: 1) try to sell but it seems a tough road, even for $1, 2) simply stop paying and/or join the lawsuit? Any other ideas? I feel like quite a newbie here, though I have been on the property dozens of times.

Andrew

TMC Members:

Mr. Zimmerman and I are in the initial stages of our NY Supreme Court action (Acklin et al. v. Eichner et al. Index No. 650350/2026) against TMC and its related entities. The case is temporarily stayed, and service on the defendants is not yet complete. There likely remains a limited opportunity for additional TMC members with interests in common with our existing clients to join this action. If you are interested, please let us know. Please review prior posts to understand our involvement in this matter.

Steven M. Hoffberg (914) 949-2300 steve@hoffberglaw.com

What does "temporarily stayed and service on the defendants is not complete" mean in non lawyer speak?

It means that the case is on hold -- no deadlines are ticking and no one is asked to do anything. Cases can be stayed for a large number of reasons and it means nothing regarding the merits or content.

"Service on the defendants" means providing a formal summons to each defendant notifying them that they are a defendant in this matter. Service is "incomplete" meaning not every defendant has been served yet. Because the case is "stayed" (on hold), any deadline to serve the defendants who have not been served has been paused.

We are TMC owners since 2005 who converted to RCI points years ago and received a $95 check yesterday from the Better Business Bureau as part of a settlement!

We are up to date on fees…. Not filed anything against TMC. We have no idea what this is about.

Anyone else get this?

I heard that Hilton bought or is buying The Manhattan Club.

I believe that to be a false rumor. Hilton bought Bluegreen which included a number of timeshares from TMC in their portfolio. Cathy G

Here is what ChatGpt says: The Manhattan Club (TMC) today is an independently operating, owner‑controlled timeshare association with a long history of legal and regulatory trouble, partial Bluegreen involvement in its governance, and ongoing disputes over inventory, reservations, and ownership transfers. It is not an HGV property, but Bluegreen has held board seats and acquired unsold developer inventory, which is why it sometimes appears connected.

Below is a full, evidence‑based deep dive using the most recent court and regulatory records.

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🧱 What The Manhattan Club is

TMC is a timeshare property at 200 West 56th Street, New York City, structured as a cooperative-style timeshare association. The building is owned by The Manhattan Club Timeshare Association, Inc. New York Sta...

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🕰️ Historical background: Fraud findings and state intervention

TMC became one of the most notorious timeshare cases in New York due to years of owner complaints about:

• Impossible reservations despite high fees • Inventory being rented to the public instead of owners • Misleading sales practices

In 2014, the New York Attorney General ordered TMC to stop selling timeshares due to alleged fraud. In 2017, the original developers (the Eichner family and related entities) entered an Assurance of Discontinuance, admitting deceptive practices and agreeing to:

• Pay $6.5 million in restitution • Sell their interest in TMC by 2021 • Be barred for life from the timeshare industry timesharelaw...

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🔵 Bluegreen’s role: Limited but real

Bluegreen Vacations is not the owner of The Manhattan Club. However, Bluegreen did acquire the unsold developer inventory from the Eichner group in June 2018 and subsequently occupied four of seven seats on TMC’s board of directors. timesharelaw...

This is the only formal connection.

Important nuance: Bluegreen’s involvement came from acquiring the developer’s remaining interests—not from acquiring the building or the association. TMC remained structurally independent.

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⚖️ Recent litigation (2020–2025): Owners vs. TMC & Bluegreen

A major lawsuit (Acklin v. Eichner / Bluegreen, filed 2020) alleged:

• RICO violations • Fraud • Breach of fiduciary duty • Tortious interference • Securities violations

Owners claimed they were sold worthless timeshares, charged exorbitant fees, and denied reservations. In February 2024, the federal judge dismissed the RICO claims with prejudice and declined jurisdiction over the state claims. Justia Law In November 2024, the court denied owners’ attempt to reopen the case. timesharelaw...

Owners may still pursue state‑level claims, but the federal case is closed.

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🧩 Current operational issues (2024–2026)

Recent complaints and court filings show:

• Ongoing disputes over fraudulent or improper deed transfers (e.g., 2024–2025 Madeo case) New York Sta... • Long waitlists for deed‑back programs • Difficulty obtaining reservation availability • Maintenance fees that have risen significantly over time • Owners reporting inability to exit contracts (BBB complaints, 2025) Better Busin...

These issues are consistent with the property’s long‑standing operational problems.

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🧭 Where things stand today (2026)

The Manhattan Club is:

• Not owned by HGV • Not owned by Bluegreen • Still controlled by its Timeshare Association • Still dealing with legal, operational, and owner‑relations challenges • Partially influenced by Bluegreen through past board seats and inventory ownership (though the extent of current board representation is not fully documented in 2026

Excellent summary but I saw written confirmation that HVC bought out Bluegreen and their interest in TMC

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1674168/000119312523271642/d550342dex21.htm

This is The definitive, legally binding contract documents submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) outlining the complete acquisition of Bluegreen Vacations (and by extension, its rights and inventory in The Manhattan Club) by Hilton Grand Vacations .

I asked AI to analyze the above doc in regard to The Manhattan Club The Master Merger Agreement: The primary binding corporate contract is the SEC Agreement and Plan of Merger Contract executed on November 5, 2023. This document detailed the terms under which Bluegreen Vacations Holding Corporation officially became a wholly-owned subsidiary under the Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV) umbrella . The Formal Closing Filing: The definitive regulatory proof that the deal closed is the Hilton Grand Vacations SEC Form 8-K filed on January 17, 2024. This confirms the final transaction of $1.5 billion to secure full corporate succession.

1. The Definitions Explicitly Cover "The Manhattan Club" While the main body of the document references Bluegreen Vacations, Section 8.3 sets the boundaries for what Hilton is legally acquiring. • Section 8.3(aaaa) – Vacation Ownership Interests: This section explicitly targets all timeshare, fractional, vacation club, or destination club programs, whether deeded or non-deeded, owned or operated by Bluegreen. This legally ropes in the inventory and deed rights Bluegreen bought from O Park Central LLC and T Park Central LLC. [1] • Section 8.3(bbbb) & (cccc) – Vacation Ownership Property and Units: These definitions lock in full legal coverage over the physical buildings, overnight accommodations, and properties dedicated to the Vacation Clubs. This covers the exact infrastructure of The Manhattan Club boutique hotel rooms. [1] 2. Mandatory Maintenance of Governing Rules • Section 5.1(b)(xx) – Protection of Association Agreements: During the transition, Hilton required Bluegreen to guarantee that no material changes or waivers of rights were made to the Company Offering Documents of any Vacation Club Association or Vacation Ownership Property. This ensures the preservation of the asset pools and transaction records that your subpoena aims to uncover. [1] • Section 5.1(b)(xxiii) – Preservation of Control: This clause prohibited the sellers from voting or acting in any way within the Non-Profit VCAs or VOAs that would adversely affect corporate control or management powers. This locks down the exact corporate entities (O and T Park Central) that previously dominated the timeshare board. [1] 3. Complete Transfer of Property Property Rights and Liabilities • Section 1.4 – Effects of the Merger: This is the core structural link for your asset search. It dictates that at the Effective Time, "all property (or any interest therein), rights, privileges, powers and franchises... and all debts, liabilities and duties... shall vest in the Surviving Company".

The "Holder" Responsibility: While Hilton Grand Vacations did not cause the original fraud committed by the Manhattan Club sponsors, Hilton is currently the custodian of the resort’s active finances, accounting ledgers, and ongoing inventory sales.

The last law suit CHARLES R. ACKLIN et al v. IAN BRUCE EICHNER et al - 650350/2026 - New York County Supreme Court ' tracking is available for public viewing:

https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/DocumentList?docketId=hctwc4qP/Msoq2Hy3EOnYw==&display=all&courtType=New%20York%20County%20Supreme%20Court