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Orient Beach and Club O
#188106
03/21/2019 02:56 PM
03/21/2019 02:56 PM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,106 Southport, North Carolina, US
candj
OP
Traveler
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OP
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,106
Southport, North Carolina, US
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I am sure there is a thread on this but I couldn't find it; What is the status of Club O? Is there any signs or word on progress to rebuild?
Fair winds and following seas! SSN691-May She Ever Prowl The Seas in Defense of Human Freedom! SSN787-Preserving Peace, Prepared for War
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Re: Orient Beach and Club O
[Re: candj]
#188112
03/21/2019 03:20 PM
03/21/2019 03:20 PM
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Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 933
SammyM
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 933
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Hello Candy (or is it Candj?) ... Was there just two weeks ago and posted my reports of our SXM vacation last week on this forum. But, rather sending you hunting for those posts let me give you my eyewitness report. Club O. is no more in terms of a physical place. It was destroyed 18 months ago and it essentially lays in ruins today. This was so sad to see. About half of the individual cabins are still standing, but have been gutted and are most likely beyond repair. Others were flattened by Hurricane Irma and are just piles of debris. And, some others are just gone with just the footprint of where a cabin once was. At the southern end of Orient Beach the restaurant Papagayo has also been destroyed and should be roped off from curious bystanders because it looks like the roof is about to collapse at any time. No work at all was being done here, and what really is needed is a complete bulldozing of the former structures here and a rebuild from the ground up.
When will this be rebuilt? I have no idea, but some others on this forum may have updates that they can share. But, it doesn't appear to be any time soon.
However, all is not lost! The clothing-optional beach is alive and well and had many visitors the two different days we were there. The yellow umbrellas were flying proudly in the breeze, and people were in various groups talking and laughing just like before. On our last day there my wife and I decided to eat lunch at the new Perch Bar & Grill and support the local business man named Cedric who helped resurrect this place. It was just great! For $26 USD we hot two huge cheeseburger platters with fries an drinks. And, the burgers were delicious and cooked to perfection. Every table was taken at 12:30 that afternoon, and I would guess that 70 percent of the guests dined without clothing. Nearby other folks were playing a three-on-three volleyball game in the buff and having a great time.
In all honesty if you can avoid looking and staring at where the cabins once stood and at Papagayo (just turn your backs), and focus on what is there now and enjoy the people dedicated to this area, the same feeling is there as it was when Club Orient was open. This is just my take on it, and my wife's as well. I wish I had photos I can share with you, but I don't take my phone to the beach and suggested to my wife to keep her phone tucked away in her tote bag. Hope this helps!
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Re: Orient Beach and Club O
[Re: candj]
#188113
03/21/2019 03:23 PM
03/21/2019 03:23 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,143 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
islandgem
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,143
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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The actual status of Club O is NO STATUS. Nothing really being done to reconstruct the resort. A very sad state of affairs there. The beach is still beautiful but the Club O resort is non existent!
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Re: Orient Beach and Club O
[Re: candj]
#188553
03/24/2019 05:51 PM
03/24/2019 05:51 PM
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Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 25 Michigan
Clifford
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 25
Michigan
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When we were on the island in mid February I talked to several owners. They said the owners run the place not the defunct management company. Almost all the owners have clear title and the money to rebuild. I was told it "will happen" shortly after a settlement. Club O was the largest private employer on the French side.
Last edited by Clifford; 03/24/2019 05:52 PM.
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Re: Orient Beach and Club O
[Re: Clifford]
#188555
03/24/2019 06:08 PM
03/24/2019 06:08 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,862 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,862
Central Florida!
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Clifford---This is a very complicated situation, but my understanding that basically NO ONE has clear title to the land where Club O is (was??). Pretty sure that's what was posted here by Maitre' Jim, who I believe is a lawyer involved with some of the owners. Something about some heirs from over a hundred years ago? Don't remember the details, but apparently a real mess. I think that is part of the problem. Or, that's what I've read. ...which could be incorrect.
Carol Hill
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Re: Orient Beach and Club O
[Re: candj]
#188582
03/24/2019 11:46 PM
03/24/2019 11:46 PM
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 716 People's Republic of Md
dannan
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 716
People's Republic of Md
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From what I saw, there are about 50 buildings that are intact and level. They would need renovations and the supporting infrastructure (water, sewer, and power). That would be a great start to getting club O in the right direction. Not sure why there is such red tape with the rebuild, but whatever they do, the controlling entity should be set up properly so this ridiculous situation is not repeated in the future when the next inevitable storm occurs. Just my $.02
Last edited by dannan; 03/24/2019 11:47 PM.
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Re: Orient Beach and Club O
[Re: candj]
#188679
03/25/2019 05:31 PM
03/25/2019 05:31 PM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,106 Southport, North Carolina, US
candj
OP
Traveler
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OP
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,106
Southport, North Carolina, US
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So basically nothing has changed since we were there last December, what a waste.
Fair winds and following seas! SSN691-May She Ever Prowl The Seas in Defense of Human Freedom! SSN787-Preserving Peace, Prepared for War
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Re: Orient Beach and Club O
[Re: candj]
#188704
03/25/2019 08:51 PM
03/25/2019 08:51 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 154 Unionville, PA
Maitre_Jim
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 154
Unionville, PA
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TITLE Some of the owners have good title. That is because Maitre Mouiel, the notaire, passed on their titles and the deeds were recorded before the Beauperthuy suit that started in the 1980s (or maybe early in 1990 I have tried to forget it). After the suit was filed the notaire could not pass on titles.
Let me give you a specific example that deals with one of the units which is now a hole in the ground filled with water and pieces of concrete (unit 50). Unit 50 was conveyed by recorded deed from Brink to William and Eva Schertzer. Bill was a brilliant engineer who designed the electric, water and sewer systems. Bill died and shortly thereafter so did Eva. There was great resistance on the part of the notaire to the transfer of a recorded deed to their daughter. We found a loophole in the Code Civil which permitted this (after two or three trips to the island to argue and countless phone calls). That daughter agreed to sell the unit to Dr. Renee Epper and Elisabeth Epper. Their deed was never recorded. They both died and their interests passed, again by non-public documents to their son Martin and, I believe his sister. The result: the record title is still in the name of the Schertzer's daughter and the Eppers hold a piece of paper.
THE DISPUTE We became friends with Martin Epper during 1990s fight with the Brinks. Before the hurricane I reached out to the opposition group and offered to act as a neutral mediator. At the same time I spoke with the then President of the homeowners group who indicated a willingness to sit down and mediate. (Remember mediation is not like arbitration. The mediator simply tries to facilitate conversation between the parties designed to help them reach their own settlement). Owner Paul Dietterich replied, on October 27, 2016, to my offer as follows "Thank you for your message, your good intentions, and your generous offer of assistance. Our group has a new attorney, a specialist in copropriete law. She has developed plans that appear to be very strong, both for our case and for the resolution of the conflict. So at this moment we are following her lead."
After that message we have had the destruction of the resort, and no word from any judge. Perhaps the lawsuits continue to crawl along. Perhaps the parties are talking. As I have said many times the best thing would be for the parties to engage in mediation. Let me give you the #1 reason: Other than Martin Epper, the opposition group are all in their social security years. Some, like Paul and his wife are in their 80s. We can all imagine that after age 70, delaying something by 3 to 5 years, will feel very different than it did at age 45. I would imagine the opposition group is not out buying 20 year bonds.
I am still willing to act as a mediator between the groups. I don't have a dog in the fight. Perhaps with the passage of time the opportunity to mediate might be more interesting to both groups. I know both groups are represented on this board. Is it possible someone will see the light and want to sit down. Has it occurred to anyone that the new building code will change the face of the resort forever? Why not use that fact as a catalyst to bring the resort up from the ashes better than ever.
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Re: Orient Beach and Club O
[Re: candj]
#188804
03/26/2019 08:15 PM
03/26/2019 08:15 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 154 Unionville, PA
Maitre_Jim
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 154
Unionville, PA
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I think Schertzer's daughter would love to own a unit in a functioning resort. On the other hand, she is a woman of honor and would not dream of going back on her word. As for the nature of the dispute, I have never been able to fully understand all the issues.
I believe there are some who believe they fought their way out of being trapped in a hotel operation with the Brinks so they could own and occupy their units without have to place them in a rental pool or have them involved in a hotel. The other group I believe sees to removal of the units from the rental pool as the one impediment to have a hotel running in the black. Some suggest a system that pools the rentals and divides the money equally by type of home does not create an incentive to spending money to upgrade over the basic uncomfortable furniture. If you do spend more for a unit closer to the beach and fix it up, it will be more in demand and less available to use, but it will generate the same income as a less desirable unit. For others the issue may be a simple as "I am sick of the cold in Chicago and I want to spend the entire winter in the sun not being bothered with hotel issues." I am rambling because it is really hard to figure out the real issue. Like I said yesterday, for some of these owners, when you are in your 80s, a solution that might come in 5 or 6 years will feel a lot different to you than it would to a 45 year old.
One thing I do know from practicing law for 44 years, many people suffer from a disease which causes them to believe they are 100% correct and everyone else is crazy. This disease causes people to dig deeper into their trenches and pay more and more to their lawyers to wage war. These people have one thing in common, the have never read The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Sun Tzu says never go to war, instead spend time building a golden bridge upon which you enemy may retreat. (Give the other guy a way out with HONOR). Oh back to the disease. Its name "cranial anal inversion."
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