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Irene Parker Diamond Resort Legal Defense Fund

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My GoFundMe is a Legal Defense fund to cover legal expenses concerning a lawsuit Diamond Resorts filed against Finn Law Group in 2017. I was called as a non-party witness. Lately, Diamond members have been reporting that Diamond has been listening to complaints, instead of dismissing them because they signed a contract. According to some members, Diamond is responding in a matter that is proactive and positive. Maybe something good will come out of a lawsuit filed primarily to discredit me. I am painstakingly portrayed as a sinister person preying on timeshare members. Those who know me know this is nonsense. 

I abide by Mother Teresa's Final Analysis:

#1 of 8: People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered: Forgive them anyway.
#2: If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives: Be kind anyway.  

I have heard from over 2,000 timeshare families since 2016. Approximately 30% are veterans and active duty service members. Over 1,000 of the 2,000 complaints are members of Diamond Resorts. In the YouTube, Angela and her father Roy Simmons, a Navy veteran and retired letter carrier, explains how the family ended up with $2,700 a month in timeshare loan payments. Roy and his wife are one of 135 Diamond Platinum members to have reached out. I am over 40 volunteer hours per week hearing from timeshare members and owners, and writing about the need for timeshare reform.  Diane Burkhart's father is one of the 135. 
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/diamond-resorts-still-cant-explain-why-it-sold-250000-worth-of-timeshare-points-to-an-88-year-old-032919.html

Highest loyalty level members allege that they bought timeshare points they believed could be used to pay maintenance fees, only to learn later no such program exists. Other complaints are about being told that if they purchased additional points, they would be able to resell points or relieve heirs of the burden. Diamond points  have no resale value.  Diamond's law firm, Baker Hostetler, filed a motion that was granted stating that Diamond's sales practices are not admissible at trial. I was deposed for fourteen hours over two sessions. I looked upon the challenge as an opportunity to be the spokesperson for those harmed. 

When asked a legal question, when a timeshare buyer doesn’t have the time or temperament to self-advocate, or the member has reached the end of their rope, volunteers and I refer to one of seven law firms.  Finn Law Group is one of them. The timeshare member must make the decision to retain counsel or self-advocate. Self-advocacy has been a better alternative for many. The process requires contacting the resort, and if dismissed, filing a series of appropriate regulatory complaints.  

February 13, 2020 Complaint Instructions revised by Fran Dygulski
https://tarda.org/f/how-to-write-and-file-a-timeshare-complaint
February 6, 2020 A Well-written BBB Complaint
https://tarda.org/f/a-well-written-bbb-rebuttal

Finn Law Group is a respected law firm. The firm has top AVVO and Martindale-Hubble ratings, and an A+ BBB rating. Recently, Finn Law Group filed a national multi-million dollar class action case against Capital One over data theft. In 2015, the firm settled a class action filed against Bluegreen, Equifax and Experian which resulted in 11,000 Bluegreen members able to get the fatal foreclosure designation expunged from their credit reports. Going forward, Bluegreen is not allowed to report a loan default as a foreclosure for their right-to-use product.   

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151222006023/en/Finn-Law-Group-Settles-Consumer-Class-Action 

Mike Finn has been practicing law for nearly 50 years and has never been charged or faced disciplinary proceeding.

https://www.finnlawgroup.com/about-finn-law-group/attorney-credentials/ 

The lawsuit Diamond Resorts filed against Finn Law Group as reported by the Orlando Sentinel:      

"Finn and Diamond signed a settlement agreement in 2015 because Finn Law Group was bringing so many cases against the company, according to Diamond’s lawsuit."

"It says in its latest lawsuit documents that the contract required them to cancel a number of contracts for Finn’s clients, while Finn agreed to stop reaching out to Diamond timeshare owners. Diamond says Finn disclosed the contract to third parties, violating an agreement to keep it confidential. But Finn responded in court that Diamond failed to cancel some of the contracts it had promised to, while the timeshare company also violated the confidentiality agreement, rendering the contract void."

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-bz-orange-lake-timeshare-finn-20180404-story.html

My timeshare journey began in July of 2015 when my husband Don and I were invited to be interviewed by the late Las Vegas attorney Bob Massi, for his FOX News show Property Man. I wrote to Bob after experiencing a timeshare presentation at Diamond’s Grand Beach Resort in Orlando that was predatory and deceptive. Since then, I have written over 300 articles, including articles for TheStreet, Jim Cramer's investment news service (CNBC Mad Money)
https://www.thestreet.com/opinion/is-apollo-returning-to-its-junk-roots-with-its-acquisition-of-diamond-resorts-13624491

Diamond offered us a refund after I filed complaints with the Arizona, Florida and New York Attorneys General. I refused to sign Diamond’s non-disclosure agreement. We are still Diamond members. 

I was a panel participant at the Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival  held in Washington DC July 2019. There I learned any whistleblower worth his or her salt will experience retaliation that can financially destroy a family and ruin a career. Baker Hostetler is the law firm that issued the subpoena. The firm is closely aligned with the timeshare industry's lobby ARDA.   

From left: Richard Hill, M.D. a VA whistleblower,
Maureen Elias, Associate Director Vietnam veterans of America,
Jackie Garrick, a DoJ whistleblower Whistleblowers of America
Irene Parker, the peasant from Venice

Articles about or by Members and Owners
Timeshare and Resort Developer Accountability Inc. is a 501c4 nonprofit. I have resigned to work on a project, but other members support members in distress. 

https://www.opednews.com/articles/A-Fourth-Agent-Orange-Vete-by-Irene-Parker-Fraud-180917-513.html 
https://www.opednews.com/articles/Let-s-Honor-our-Veterans--by-Irene-Parker-Fraud-180908-59.html 
https://www.opednews.com/articles/Raymond-Mori-83-Two-Purp-by-Irene-Parker-Fraud-180828-295.html 

June 24, 2020 Steve in Canada - a Mexico timeshare responsible exit
https://tarda.org/f/how-one-phone-call-to-my-resort-saved-my-family-6995

June 17, 2020 - Wyndham Carriage Hills and Carriage Ridge BDO Dunwoody retained in Canada
https://tarda.org/f/ontario-court-appoints-bdo-administrator-of-carriage-resorts

June 10, 2020 Welk Resort $5.5 million California Attorney General Settlement
https://tarda.org/f/welk%E2%80%99s-55-million-settlement-amid-dueling-timeshare-lawsuits

June 3, 2020 What is a Public Offering Statement?
https://tarda.org/f/what-is-a-public-offering-statement-is-it-important

May 27, 2020 A Bahama Timeshare Dispute Resolved through Self-Advocacy
https://tarda.org/f/a-bahama-timeshare-loan-cancellation-covid-hurricanes

May 20, 2020 Profeco - Mexico's Consumer Protection Agency
https://tarda.org/f/a-mexican-consumer-protection-agency-helps-timeshare-buyers

May 6, 2020 - Seven Positive Outcomes through Self-Advocacy
https://tarda.org/f/seven-positive-outcomes-achieved-by-working-with-resorts

April 8, 2020 Timeshare 1099c
https://tarda.org/f/the-timeshare-tax-trap-%E2%80%93-1099-c-questions-answered

March 4, 2020 A Wyndham Millennial Default
https://tarda.org/f/we-are-timeshare-trapped

Chris Spanellis January 23, 2020 Capital Vacations
https://tarda.org/f/capital-vacations-%E2%80%93-a-responsible-timeshare-exit

January 17, 2020 What is a “Legacy” resort? The Problem and the Solution
https://tarda.org/f/what%E2%80%99s-a-legacy-resort-and-why-are-they-struggling

March 13, 2020 Maury in Mississippi Crown Resorts
https://tarda.org/f/hickory-resorts-timeshare-non-exit-policy

December 26, 2019 Don in Illinois Alpenland
https://tarda.org/f/timeshares-morally-correct-vs-extortion

December 19, 2019 Joseph New Hampshire A New Hampshire Legacy Resort
https://tarda.org/f/the-worst-of-both-timeshare-worlds

December 5, 2019 Dorothy, age 90 – Florida and a Florida Legacy Resort resolved dispute
https://tarda.org/f/irresponsible-timeshare-exits

December 12, 2019 – Barbara Florida - A resolved Diamond dispute
https://tarda.org/f/why-will-diamond-resorts-not-protect-me

November 21, 2019 Beverly – Florida - Several complaints against the same agent
https://tarda.org/f/why-we-protested-timeshare-practices-november-8-11

November 7, 2019 Patty – Las Vegas - Several complaints against the same agent
https://tarda.org/f/over-100-platinum-members-report-timeshare-fraud

February 26, 2020 Karen Levins - Wyndham Carriage 
https://tarda.org/f/wyndham-carriage-resorts-an-ovation-petition-plea

November 28, 2019 Cindy Beer Letter - Wyndham Carriage
https://tarda.org/f/wyndham-carriage-resorts-and-other-timeshare-traps

January 30, 2020 TOWB
https://tarda.org/f/towb-is-about-transparency-in-timeshare

Thank you to all donors.

Irene Parker
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Donations 

  • Jeffrey Diehl
    • $10 
    • 4 yrs
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Fundraising team: TARDA (2)

Irene Parker
Organizer
Raised $16,366 from 175 donations
St. Augustine, FL
Patty Boyak
Team member
Raised $275 from 3 donations
This team raised $9,006 from 122 other donations.

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