A. A possibility of reverter contained in a reverter deed for a time-share estate subject to reverter is valid, is enforceable in law and in equity, and shall operate to transfer title to the time-share estate from each grantee in such deed back to the developer, provided that the following conditions are satisfied:

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Terms Used In Virginia Code 55.1-2222

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Association: means the association organized under the provisions of § 55. See Virginia Code 55.1-2200
  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • Deed: means the instrument by which title to a time-share estate is transferred from one person to another person. See Virginia Code 55.1-2200
  • Deed of trust: means the instrument conveying the time-share estate that is given as security for the payment of the note. See Virginia Code 55.1-2200
  • Default: means either a failure to have made any payment in full and on time or a violation of a performance obligation required by a consumer document for a period of no less than 60 days. See Virginia Code 55.1-2200
  • Developer: means any person or group of persons acting in concert that (i) offers to dispose of a time-share or its interest in a time-share unit for which there has not been a previous disposition or (ii) applies for registration of the time-share program. See Virginia Code 55.1-2200
  • Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Note: means the instrument that evidences the debt occasioned by the deferred purchase of a time-share. See Virginia Code 55.1-2200
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Possibility of reverter: means a provision contained in a reverter deed by which the time-share estate automatically reverts or transfers back to the developer upon satisfaction of the requirements imposed by § 55. See Virginia Code 55.1-2200
  • program: means any arrangement of time-shares in one or more time-share projects by which the use, occupancy, or possession of real property has been made subject to either a time-share estate or time-share use in which such use, occupancy, or possession circulates among owners of the time-shares according to a fixed or floating time schedule on a periodic basis occurring over any period of time in excess of five years. See Virginia Code 55.1-2200
  • project: means all of the real property subject to a time-share program created by the execution of a time-share instrument. See Virginia Code 55.1-2200
  • Purchaser: means any person other than a developer or lender that owns or acquires a product or that otherwise enters into a contract for the purchase of a product. See Virginia Code 55.1-2200
  • real estate: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights and appurtenances thereto and interests therein, other than a chattel interest. See Virginia Code 1-219
  • Reverter deed: means the deed from a developer to a grantee that contains a possibility of reverter. See Virginia Code 55.1-2200
  • Time-share: means either a time-share estate or a time-share use plus its incidental benefits. See Virginia Code 55.1-2200
  • Time-share estate: means a right to occupy a time-share unit or any of several time-share units during five or more separated time periods over a period of at least five years, including renewal options, coupled with a freehold estate or an estate for years in one or more time-share units or a specified portion of such time-share units. See Virginia Code 55.1-2200
  • Transfer: means a voluntary conveyance of a resale time-share to a person other than the developer, association, or managing entity of the time-share program of which the resale time-share is a part or to a person taking ownership by gift, foreclosure, or deed in lieu of foreclosure. See Virginia Code 55.1-2200

1. The reverter deed from the developer contains the possibility of reverter by insertion of the language required by subsection E;

2. A grantee in the reverter deed is in default and has been provided after such default with at least two written notices to this effect with no less than a 10-calendar day right to cure in each notice;

3. A grantee in the reverter deed has been provided with no less than 30 calendar days within which to cure the default before exercise of the possibility of reverter occurs;

4. At the time of exercise of the possibility of reverter, the developer is the sole holder of the note and the sole beneficiary under the deed of trust;

5. The exercise by the developer of the possibility of reverter is evidenced by an affidavit duly recorded where the reverter deed was recorded that contains the following information:

a. A description of the time-share project and time-share estate and a statement that, upon recordation of the affidavit, title to such time-share estate reverts back to the developer;

b. A description and recitation of the reverter deed that contained the possibility of reverter and a reference of when and where such deed was recorded and its recording information;

c. A recitation that the purchaser defaulted in or violated a consumer document and failed to cure such default or violation within a period of no less than 30 calendar days;

d. A description of the note and deed of trust with a recitation that (i) the developer is the sole holder of the note and the sole beneficiary under the deed of trust, (ii) such note is canceled and declared void, and (iii) such deed of trust is automatically released;

e. A recitation that such purchaser’s rights and entitlements in the time-share estate, the time-share project, and the time-share program are extinguished effective the date of recordation of the affidavit;

f. The signature of a duly authorized representative of the developer verified under oath as to its truth of the statements contained in such affidavit; and

6. A copy of the recorded affidavit described in subdivision A 5 is sent by the developer to each purchaser at his address as maintained by the developer or the association, along with the statement from the developer explaining the consequences of such affidavit with emphasis on subdivisions A 5 a, d, and e.

B. The recordation of the affidavit referred to in subdivision A 5 shall automatically:

1. Transfer title to the time-share estate from each grantee in the reverter deed to the developer without the need of a deed to the developer or consent from such grantee;

2. Declare null and void and act as an automatic release of the deed of trust or mortgage given by such grantee to finance a portion of the purchase price of the time-share estate with no deficiency resulting;

3. Void and act as an automatic release of any debt from such grantee to the developer arising out of the purchase or financing of the time-share estate as evidenced by the note; and

4. Extinguish any ownership or other property right or entitlements such grantee has in and to the time-share estate, the time-share project, and the time-share program.

C. The clerk of the court shall record such affidavit in the land books where the time-share project is located, indexing the purchaser in the grantor indices and the developer in the grantee indices. For indexing purposes only, the purchaser shall be referred to as the grantor and the developer as the grantee. The cost of recording the affidavit shall be limited to the clerk’s fee only.

D. In the exercise of the possibility of reverter, the developer shall be liable to the purchaser for the developer’s failure to comply with the provisions of this section; however, such failure shall not operate to defeat or diminish the transfer of title to the time-share estate from each grantee in the reverter deed to the developer upon recordation of the affidavit referred to in subdivision A 5. The developer’s liability shall be limited to the amount paid by such purchaser toward the purchase price of the time-share estate, exclusive of interest and closing costs but without offset for the purchaser’s utilization of the time-share program. The court shall award court costs and reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing party.

E. The reverter deed shall contain the following statement in order to possess the possibility of reverter. The opening phrase shall be in 10-point boldface type as follows:

“Loss of Time-Share Estate. Developer has inserted into this deed a “possibility of reverter.” By this concept, should a grantee of this reverter deed default in or violate an obligation imposed by a consumer document for a period of at least 60 days and fail to cure such violation or default within no less than 30 calendar days thereafter, title to the time-share will revert back to the developer upon the developer recording an affidavit to this effect where this reverter deed is recorded. Only the developer can elect to exercise the possibility of reverter. Each grantee in this reverter deed will be sent at least two notices of default or violation within the 30-day period with no less than 10 days to cure in each instance. The notice will be sent to the address of each grantee maintained at the office of the developer or the association. After the cure period has lapsed and the developer records the affidavit, title to the time-share estate will automatically vest in the developer and any note executed by the grantee will be deemed canceled and any recorded deed of trust securing such note shall be automatically released. The possibility of reverter will itself lapse and become null and void at the soonest to occur of the following: (i) the deed of trust is released of record, (ii) a statement that the deed of trust is released of record is executed and recorded by the developer with a date of when the possibility of reverter was or is to lapse, or (iii) when the time-share program terminates pursuant to either the Virginia Real Estate Time-Share Act or the time-share instrument which created such program.”

F. The filing of the affidavit referred to in subdivision A 5 shall not result in the requirement of any filing under Chapter 12 of Title 64.2.

G. Any possibility of reverter not otherwise exercised by the developer pursuant to this section shall itself lapse and become null and void at the soonest to occur of the following: (i) the deed of trust is released of record, (ii) a statement that the deed of trust is released of record is executed and recorded by the developer with a date of when the possibility of reverter was or is to lapse, or (iii) when the time-share program terminates pursuant to either this chapter or the time-share instrument.

H. In exercising the possibility of reverter, the developer shall be entitled to retain as liquidated damages all moneys paid by the purchaser in conformity with any consumer document.

I. The exercise of the possibility of reverter shall not operate to diminish or eliminate (i) any debt of the purchaser to the time-share association or other third party occasioned by ownership of the time-share estate or participation in the time-share program or (ii) any recorded lien junior in priority to the deed of trust lien referred to in this section.

2004, c. 143, § 55-376.1; 2019, c. 712.