If you own a timeshare at The Manhattan Club, you may already know the feeling. You bought into a prestigious Midtown address, expecting easy getaways in the heart of New York City. Instead, you found booking a stay harder than you were led to believe, while the maintenance fees kept arriving every year, whether you used the property or not.
For many owners, the question shifts over time from how do I use this to how do I get out of this. If you have started researching Manhattan Club timeshare cancellation, you are not alone, and you are not without options. This page explains what makes this particular property unusual, why so many owners feel stuck, and how a timeshare attorney can help you understand where you stand.
The Manhattan Club, At a Glance
The Manhattan Club sits at 200 West 56th Street, a short walk from Central Park, Carnegie Hall, and Times Square. The property was acquired in 1994, and timeshare sales began in 1996, marketed as one of the first flexible urban timeshares in the United States and, at one point, promoted as the largest urban timeshare in the world.
It was developed by real estate figure Ian Bruce Eichner and family members through a group of affiliated companies, including his firm The Continuum Company. The building holds 241 suites across its residential floors, along with a club lounge, fitness center, and business center. Unlike a beachfront resort, the appeal here was location: a private, club-style base in one of the most visited parts of Manhattan.
How Manhattan Club Ownership Works
The Manhattan Club was sold as a deeded interest rather than a simple hotel membership. Owners purchased the right to reserve suite time, and many bought at prices ranging from roughly ten thousand dollars to more than forty thousand dollars per interest. After later ownership changes, some interests became connected to a points-based vacation club system.
Two features of this structure tend to cause the most frustration for owners:
Ongoing maintenance fees. These are billed every year and generally rise over time, regardless of whether you book a stay. The obligation does not simply stop because you no longer want the timeshare.
A lasting commitment. Deeded timeshare interests are often written to continue indefinitely, which is part of why owners find it so difficult to walk away on their own.
Why Manhattan Club Owners Want a Way Out
Every owner has a personal reason, but at this property, a few themes come up again and again.
Reservations that were hard to secure. Many owners reported difficulty booking the dates they wanted, at times while the same suites appeared available to the general public online.
Fees that outpaced the value. As annual maintenance costs climbed, some owners felt they were paying more each year for a benefit they could rarely use.
A resale market that offered little relief. Manhattan Club interests have frequently resold for a fraction of their original price, and in some cases for a nominal amount, leaving sellers with few practical exits.
A sense of being misled. A number of owners felt the reservation system and resale prospects were presented very differently at the sales table than they turned out to be.
If any of this sounds familiar, it helps to understand the documented history behind this specific property, because it is unlike most timeshare situations.
The Manhattan Club's Documented Legal History
The Manhattan Club became the subject of one of the most closely watched timeshare cases in the country. The following is a matter of public record.
The New York Attorney General's office investigated the property's sales and reservation practices. In 2014, the developers were ordered to stop selling timeshare interests while that investigation continued. In August 2017, the case ended in a settlement that the Attorney General's office described as one of the largest in the recent history of its Real Estate Finance Bureau.
Under that settlement, known as an Assurance of Discontinuance, the operators agreed to pay $6.5 million in restitution to eligible owners. According to the Attorney General's office, the operators acknowledged that they had repeatedly misled shareowners about the reservation process, about the ability to sell back their interests, and about details of the state-approved offering plan. The individuals involved also agreed to sell their stakes and to be barred from the timeshare industry.
In 2018, Bluegreen Vacations, based in Boca Raton, Florida, acquired the Manhattan Club's timeshare inventory and took over its management. Separately, a group of owners later pursued a federal lawsuit raising fraud and racketeering claims against the developers and Bluegreen. A federal court dismissed that lawsuit, and a later request to reopen it was denied in 2024.
The takeaway for a current owner is simple. The property has changed hands, but if you still hold a Manhattan Club interest, your contract and your maintenance obligations most likely continue under the current management. A past settlement involving prior operators does not automatically release you from your own agreement.
What Changed After Bluegreen Took Over
New ownership can affect how the property is managed and how future sales are handled. What it usually does not do is erase an existing owner's contract. If you signed a deeded agreement years ago, that document, and the fees tied to it, generally remains in force unless it is properly resolved.
This is why owners who assumed the settlement would end their obligation are often surprised to keep receiving invoices. Understanding the exact terms of your individual contract is the starting point for any real conversation about how to cancel a timeshare at this property.
Options for Getting Out of a Manhattan Club Timeshare
Owners generally look at a few paths when they want to stop the ongoing commitment. Each has real limitations, which is worth understanding before you spend time or money.
Selling or Transferring the Interest
Reselling sounds appealing, but the Manhattan Club resale market has been notoriously weak, and legitimate buyers are scarce. Owners who try to sell often find offers far below what they paid, and some resale and transfer offers turn out to be schemes that charge large upfront fees and deliver nothing.
Timeshare Exit Companies
Many owners searching for how to get rid of a timeshare come across timeshare cancellation companies that promise a quick escape. These are not law firms, and their promises can outrun what they are able to deliver. Before paying anyone, it is worth reading why some owners choose to hire a law firm instead of an exit company, especially where a property has a contested history like this one.
Working With a Timeshare Attorney
A licensed timeshare attorney can review your actual contract, look at how the interest was sold to you, and help you understand what a timeshare cancellation effort might realistically involve. This is the path where the property's documented history can matter most, because the facts of how these interests were marketed are part of the public record.
Why Owners Turn to a Timeshare Cancellation Law Firm
There is a meaningful difference between a marketing company and a law firm. Finn Law Group is a national consumer protection law firm based in Florida that focuses on timeshare matters, with attorneys who have spent decades working on behalf of vacation ownership consumers rather than developers.
The firm's litigation work is led by managing attorney J. Andrew Meyer, who has handled individual and multi-plaintiff timeshare cases, including class actions. When people search for timeshare lawyers near me, what they are usually after is exactly this: attorneys who understand how these contracts are written and how developers market them.
A law firm is also held to professional and ethical standards that a sales-style exit company is not. That accountability matters when you are trying to resolve a long-term financial obligation on a property with a complicated past.
How Finn Law Group Approaches Manhattan Club Situations
Every owner's paperwork is a little different, so the work begins with your specific documents and circumstances. In general terms, a review may look at:
Your purchase documents. The original agreement, the offering plan, and how the interest was presented to you at the point of sale.
Your current obligations. The maintenance fees, any financing, and the ongoing terms that still apply under current management.
Your goals. Whether you want to stop the fees, resolve the interest entirely, or understand your position before deciding anything.
From there, the firm can explain the options that may fit your situation. No two cases are identical, and outcomes depend on the individual facts, so the aim is clarity rather than pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Manhattan Club settlement mean I can cancel for free?
Not necessarily. The 2017 settlement involved the prior operators and provided limited restitution to eligible owners. It did not automatically cancel every owner's contract. If you still hold an interest, your obligations most likely continue, which is why a review of your own paperwork matters.
I bought years ago. Is it too late to do anything?
Owning for a long time does not close the door on your options. What matters more is the content of your contract and the facts of your purchase. A timeshare attorney can help you understand whether there is a viable path forward in your situation.
Can I just stop paying the maintenance fees?
Walking away without a resolution can carry consequences, including collection activity and credit effects. Rather than guessing, it is wiser to understand your position first. You can review more common questions on the firm's timeshare FAQ page.
Talk to a Timeshare Attorney About Your Manhattan Club Ownership
If you are unsure about your options, speaking with an attorney can help clarify where you stand. There is no need to keep carrying the stress and the annual fees without understanding what a resolution might involve.
You can schedule a free consultation with our firm to discuss your specific circumstances. It is a calm, no-pressure conversation about your Manhattan Club interest and the paths that may be available to you.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Outcomes vary based on the facts of each individual situation, and you should consult a licensed attorney about your own circumstances.
