When used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning, the following shall have the meanings respectively set forth:

"Advertisement" shall be synonymous with "offer to sell."

"Agreement" shall be synonymous with "membership camping contract."

"Blanket encumbrance" means any legal instrument, whether or not evidencing the obligation to pay money, which permits or requires the foreclosure, sale, conveyance or other disposition of the campground or any portion thereof.

"Board" means the Virginia Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

"Business day" means any day except Sunday or a legal holiday.

"Camping site" means any parcel of real estate designed and promoted for the purpose of locating thereon a trailer, tent, tent trailer, pickup camper, recreational vehicle, house trailer, van, cabin or other similar device used for camping or for overnight lodging.

"Campground" means any single tract or parcel of real property on which there are at least ten camping sites.

"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, or a member of his staff to whom he has delegated his duties under this chapter.

"Contract" shall be synonymous with "membership camping contract."

"Department" means the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

"Facility" means an amenity within a campground set aside or otherwise made available to purchasers in their use and enjoyment of the campground, and may include campsites, swimming pools, tennis courts, recreational buildings, boat docks, restrooms, showers, laundry rooms, and trading posts or grocery stores.

"Holder" means the membership camping operator who enters into a membership camping contract with a purchaser or the assignee of such contract who purchases the same for value.

"Managing entity" means a person who undertakes the duties, responsibilities and obligations of the management of a campground.

"Membership camping contract" or "membership camping agreement" means any written agreement of more than one year's duration, executed in whole or in part within this Commonwealth, which grants to a purchaser a nonexclusive right or license to use the campground of a membership camping operator or any portion thereof on a first come, first serve or reservation basis together with other purchasers. "Membership camping contract" or "membership camping agreement" also means any written agreement of more than one year's duration, executed in whole or in part within this Commonwealth, which obligates the membership camping operator to transfer or which does in fact transfer to the purchaser title to or an ownership interest in a campground or any portion thereof, and which gives the purchaser a nonexclusive right or license to use the campground of a membership camping operator or any portion thereof, on a first come, first serve or reservation basis together with other purchasers.

"Membership camping operator" means any person who is in the business of soliciting, offering, advertising, or executing membership camping contracts. A membership camping operator shall not include:

1. Any enterprise that is tax-exempt under § 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended; or

2. Any enterprise that is tax-exempt under Chapter 36 of Title 58.1; or

3. Manufactured home parks wherein the residents occupy the premises as their primary homes.

"Membership fees, dues, and assessments" means payments required of the purchaser, or his successor in interest, by the agreement for the support and maintenance of facilities at the campground about which the agreement relates.

"Nondisturbance agreement" means any instrument executed by the owner of a blanket encumbrance which subordinates the rights of the owner of the blanket encumbrance to the rights of the purchasers of membership camping contracts. Unless the agreement specifically so provides, the owner of a blanket encumbrance does not by the fact of such ownership assume any of the obligations of the membership camping operator under membership camping contracts or under this chapter.

"Offer," "offer to sell," "offer to execute" or "offering" means any offer, solicitation, advertisement, or inducement, to execute a membership camping agreement.

"Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, company, unincorporated association or any other legal entity other than a government or agency or a subdivision thereof.

"Purchase money" means any money, currency, note, security or other consideration paid by the purchaser for a membership camping agreement.

"Purchaser" means a person who enters into a membership camping contract with the membership camping operator.

"Ratio of membership camping contracts to camping sites" means the total number of membership camping contracts sold in relation to each available camping site.

"Reciprocal program" means any arrangement under which a purchaser is permitted to use camping sites or facilities at one or more campgrounds not owned or operated by the membership camping operator with whom the purchaser has entered into a membership camping contract.

"Salesperson" means an individual, other than a membership camping operator, who offers to sell a membership camping contract by means of a direct sales presentation, but does not include a person who merely refers a prospective purchaser to a sales person without making any direct sales presentation.

1985, c. 409; 1989, c. 676; 1992, c. 545; 1999, c. 77.