March 2022 was another record-breaking month for M1 Legal timeshare lawyers, winning £573,190

M1 Legal continued its strong run against Spanish timeshare companies in March 2022, with the Malaga-based law firm reporting another record month for compensation awards.

Justice for timeshare victims

Many people find themselves stuck in a timeshare agreement they no longer want. Consumer protection laws introduced in 1999 were intended to stop holidaymakers being pressured into major financial decisions while on holiday in Spain. In practice, those rules were widely ignored by some operators in the timeshare market.

It took 17 years before a resort was made to pay compensation in a landmark case. In 2016, Gran Canaria-based Anfi was found to have sold Tove Grimsbo an illegal contract with a duration of more than 50 years. After taking the company to court, she was awarded €40,000.

That decision was a turning point for timeshare owners. Until then, companies had used a range of tactics to delay or prevent claims from reaching court, but the Grimsbo case helped pave the way for many more successful timeshare claims.

Since then, timeshare lawyers have secured win after win, challenging Spanish timeshare contracts that were sold unlawfully and pursuing compensation for affected clients.

M1 Legal (M1) soon emerged as a leading firm in this area, with its specialist team delivering significant results for clients in recent years.

M1 Legal: supporting timeshare claims

M1 Legal is a firm of experienced lawyers focused on securing redress for timeshare victims. The team works alongside European Consumer Claims (ECC), described as the largest timeshare claims firm operating in Europe.

Over the years, many timeshare owners were mis-sold contracts, and there may be hundreds of thousands of victims. People approach ECC, which assesses which cases appear strongest, and those claims are then referred to M1 Legal to pursue through the courts.

Timeshare resorts have often relied on delay and frustration tactics, but since 2016 M1 has challenged those approaches successfully. With each further court victory, the claims process has continued to move more quickly.

M1 had already recorded a high number of wins in 2022 and expected that momentum to continue in the months ahead.

Fernando Sansegundo, head of M1 Legal, said: "We are less than 3 months into 2022 and we have already secured 105 separate victories for our clients," he confirms. "This represents a total compensation award amount of £1,680,082. It is the best start to a year we have had since our inception."

March 2022: a record month for court victories

"Right now, nearing the end of March 2022 we have already broken all previous monthly records," continues Sansegundo. "There have been 39 court victories since the first day of this month. With 3 business days remaining, the total compensation award number so far is an incredible £573,190.

"That is 39 people who are not only free of their timeshare contracts and annual fee obligations, but were also awarded a financial windfall at the same time."

Several March wins were highlighted, including:

• Lynne and Ken D, who were awarded £42,987 in their claim against Club Gran Anfi.
• Mark Andrew S, who was awarded £21,526 from Diamond Resorts.
• Michael W, who was awarded £38,128 from Club La Costa.

The largest award mentioned went to Angela and Derek W, who received £59,175 in compensation after bringing a claim against Marriot Vacation Club.

For many clients, the main aim is to end ongoing commitments such as annual maintenance fees. Receiving compensation on top of exiting the contract is often an additional outcome.

"These are significant amounts of money," says Fernando. "It's enough to buy a luxury car, or even add an extension to a house. On average the compensation awards that our lawyers win for ECC/M1 clients is in excess of £20,000.

"Two clients who received their award money last week, an Ayrshire couple called Douglas and Linda, called me to tell me they are having the entire inside of their home remodelled. They were so happy speaking to me on the phone. It is calls like that which remind me how lucky I am to do this job."

Is now the right time to make a claim?

“The real hard work in timeshare claims has been done," explains Fernando.

"The timeshare company lawyers are running out of ways to delay the claims process. Timeshare sales operations broke the law, and modern judges are making them pay. "People due compensation who apply now face a much shorter wait than people who started their claims back in 2016. If you bought timeshare in Spain, on or after the 5th January 1999, then you may be entitled to financial recompense too."

Would you like help from M1 Legal? Contact Timeshare Advice Centre today to discuss your case and find out what support may be available.