European Consumer Claims (ECC), based in Henley-on-Thames, work exclusively with M1 Legal in Málaga, Spain. The partnership has recently secured a payout of more than €20,000 for a client with an Airtours Beach Club timeshare in Gran Canaria. Just a week earlier, the same team reported a €16,076 payout for a Hampshire couple in relation to a Club La Costa World timeshare purchase that was found not to be legally compliant.
We have confirmed that M1 Legal are currently handling more than 1,500 timeshare cases. Of these, 985 lawsuits have already been filed in court, with a combined value of over £21 million. To date, they have achieved 195 favourable judgments totalling £3.1 million.
The client, Mr Townsend, has encouraged other consumers who feel trapped by their timeshare to seek advice from European Consumer Claims. “If anyone has a similar situation, my advice would be to go along to a meeting and see if you have a claim, and if you do, then you can take comfort in knowing that this company does pursue claims unlike others out there.”
Mr Townsend purchased a one-bed apartment at Airtours Beach Club in 2000. He bought it as a fixed week (week 38) for £8,211. Over the following 15 years, he paid more than a further £20,000 in maintenance fees after costs rose by over 110%.
At the point of sale, Airtours reassured Mr Townsend that they were trustworthy as a British company, but he says he was given false information. “I saw it as a holiday the family could enjoy after I was gone - they could benefit from quality 5 star accommodation with facilities such as a spa and a private beach,” said Mr Townsend. “But that was not the case, I later found out I had been misinformed and felt trapped with no option to sell. I was also becoming increasingly worried about my family being held liable for the annual maintenance bills.”
In 2016, he stopped using the property and received his payout in December 2019. “In early December 2019, M1 Legal informed me that the Judge had passed final judgement, and shortly before Christmas, I received the sum of €20,202.” Mr Townsend said he was relieved by the outcome and has been considering how to use the money, including saving some for his family and possibly treating himself to a holiday this year.
The contract Airtours provided to Mr Townsend was found to be a 96-year lease, when the legal time period is a 50-year limit. Under Spanish law, a contract over 50 years in length is considered to be in perpetuity. In addition, the contract lacked specific accommodation details about when the timeshare could be used, and there was no land registry number for the accommodation. The case was heard in the Court of First Instance in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, where M1 secured a favourable outcome.
UPDATE 26/11/2020
As the world continues to battle the pandemic, European Consumer Claims, with the assistance of M1 Legal, continue to pursue Spanish court claims on behalf of unhappy timeshare clients. Earlier in the year, we confirmed some stats regarding court cases; here is an update:
We have confirmed that M1 Legal are currently processing more than 2,000 timeshare cases. Of these, 1,354 lawsuits have already been submitted to court, with a combined value of over £30 million. They have achieved 341 favourable judgments totalling £7.7 million.
“If there is anyone who is on the fence about pursuing a claim with ECC and M1 Legal, then I am happy to recommend them based on my personal experience,” said Mr Townsend. “It is my understanding that my case was not easy and I would like to thank M1 Legal for pushing to get a positive outcome.”
