Using your grandmother to get out of a timeshare

[dansyr2514]

What is your grandmothers current living situation? Is she in her final assisted living facility. Or does she live on her own. If she lives on her own, sometime in the future she may need to move to a senior residence or assisted living facility. If this is the case her credit rating can affect her option.

We just spent the last couple of years looking at different options for my mom. All places want to know your finances and all places look at your credit. You don't want your grandmother to get rejected from her ideal place because she has bad credit. And don't assume there are places out there that will have to take your grandmother.

If she has a house and a certain amount of income (even if very little) then she won't qualify for a lot of government assisted housing. And if she has the money but bad credit then nicer places won't want to accept her.

Don't listen to your grandmother when she says she doesn't care about her credit. I seriously doubt she understands that there are severe consequence even at her age. My sister the social worker says to tell you, "You don't want your grandmother living in a place that smells like pee because her credit kept her from living in a nicer place."

Agreed. The timeshare was your financial decision to make and yours to deal with. I'm sure your grandmother would do anything to help her grandkids out but that doesn't mean she should.

 

[travelplus]

Please don't transfer it to Grandma. Do you know that its better to just ask for a Deedback by calling member services before your Maintenance Fee is Due and tell them you cannot afford to pay it. They will try and setup a payment plan and they may offer you another option if you sill can't afford it then tell them firmly that you would like a Deedback and then fill out the paperwork and start the process.

Giving a fake number for Grandma is really slick I could use a service like nuwbr and find out Grandma's real number if I am the TImeshare Company. They will find her one way or another but what you are doing is Fraud. Just either pony up the funds or do a deedback.

 

[silentg]

Has OP ever heard of Elder Abuse? Why do this? Why not just pay for it and use it r give it away? This is awful, I hope my family would have more respect for me than that!
Silentg

 

[travelplus]

Has OP ever heard of Elder Abuse? Why do this? Why not just pay for it and use it r give it away? This is awful, I hope my family would have more respect for me than that!
Silentg

Exactly why would you put the burden on someone with a fixed income? If you discussed it with your Grandmother that she take over the Maintenance Fees and Deed and she agrees to do it legally then thats one thing but for you to put her in a position especially if she is not coherent enough or does not understand the process then that could be Elder Abuse.

 

[WestgateHell]

An update for all of you. We were able to successfully get out of our Westgate timeshare. Here's what we did. We were 100% paid up on all maintenance and taxes. We called them and asked to be considered for their "voluntary deed back". They said it would take 5 business days for them to consider us. They got back to us 5 or 6 business days later, and said that we were eligible. We called back and they said it would be a $700 fee to deed back. We accepted immediately, then mailed us a form to sign (with notary) and within 3 weeks we had a letter stating that we were removed as owners. Westgate stated it would be 1-2 more months for the quitclaim deed to be filed with the county.

The Westgate organization must be doing well for them to have let us out so easily. Now is the time to get out if you've wanted to get out. $700 is peanuts compared to how much you have to pay to get out of your timeshare using other options recommended by others (and companies) on the internet.

So at the end of the day, we didn't have to deed the timeshare to good ole grandma. But that would have worked as well I must admit.

 

[Talent312]

Congrats for such a sensible outcome.
It sure beats getting Grandma run over by a reindeer.
.

 

[LannyPC]

$700 is peanuts compared to how much you have to pay to get out of your timeshare using other options recommended by others (and companies) on the internet.

Hear, Hear! That's one thing many here on TUG have been trying to point out to people who come here asking, "Should I pay [so-and-so law firm, charity, PCC, etc.] $3500 to cancel my timeshare?"

 

[Egret1986]

An update for all of you. We were able to successfully get out of our Westgate timeshare. Here's what we did. We were 100% paid up on all maintenance and taxes. We called them and asked to be considered for their "voluntary deed back". They said it would take 5 business days for them to consider us. They got back to us 5 or 6 business days later, and said that we were eligible. We called back and they said it would be a $700 fee to deed back. We accepted immediately, then mailed us a form to sign (with notary) and within 3 weeks we had a letter stating that we were removed as owners. Westgate stated it would be 1-2 more months for the quitclaim deed to be filed with the county.

The Westgate organization must be doing well for them to have let us out so easily. Now is the time to get out if you've wanted to get out. $700 is peanuts compared to how much you have to pay to get out of your timeshare using other options recommended by others (and companies) on the internet.

So at the end of the day, we didn't have to deed the timeshare to good ole grandma. But that would have worked as well I must admit.

Thank you for coming back and updating. Congratulations on a much better option!

 

[Centurion]

An update for all of you. We were able to successfully get out of our Westgate timeshare. Here's what we did. We were 100% paid up on all maintenance and taxes. We called them and asked to be considered for their "voluntary deed back". They said it would take 5 business days for them to consider us. They got back to us 5 or 6 business days later, and said that we were eligible. We called back and they said it would be a $700 fee to deed back. We accepted immediately, then mailed us a form to sign (with notary) and within 3 weeks we had a letter stating that we were removed as owners. Westgate stated it would be 1-2 more months for the quitclaim deed to be filed with the county.

Do you know if all Westgates are the same fee of $700 or was that a special deal based on your resort? That's great they took it back. Congratulations.

I bet there are a lot of people that own at Westgate Smokey Mountain's right now after the resort burn down that wouldn't mind giving it back..

 

[jehb2]

I am so glad everything worked out and you did the right did. You were a topic among my family members. And thanks for letting us know how things turned out.

 

[dgalati]

So if someone needed $1000 cash and asked if robbing a convenience store would be a "workable" plan, you would agree?

Same thing here -- both plans might "work", but both are illegal.

Kurt

Best $700 you spent knowing you did the right thing Morally and ethically- no it shouldn't be considered even if it works.

 

[pfletch]

Has anyone tried this approach to get out of their timeshare? We have a timeshare with Westgate Town Center in Kissimmee, Florida, and I'm wondering if this will work.

We want to hire a title company (like www.lttransfers.com, which seems highly reviewed on TUG) to transfer the timeshare deed to my grandmother for $1 or $0. She is retired and doesn't care about her credit one iota. She would intentionally default/foreclose by never paying the maintenance fees. We would never give her real phone number out as part of the transfer process.

Will this completely separate us from the deed and keep our credit clean? I believe it would...

Also wondering if Westgate has a "perpetuity clause" in its timeshare rentals, and if siblings or the estate are responsible for paying maintenance fees after she passes away.

thanks all!

I have a fully paid TS at Westgate Palace that I want to sell/get rid of, I see on this thread at least 3 people saying offer it back to WG and if they refuse default.......

I have offered it back and they say they do not buy/take back properties....... what are the consequences then of defaulting ? Will debt collectors come after me ?

I live in Europe not the States..............
Thanks

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

I have a fully paid TS at Westgate Palace that I want to sell/get rid of, I see on this thread at least 3 people saying offer it back to WG and if they refuse default.......

I have offered it back and they say they do not buy/take back properties....... what are the consequences then of defaulting ? Will debt collectors come after me ?

I live in Europe not the States..............
Thanks

No need to go down that road if you make the effort to give it away here on TUG. Place an ad and see what happens. Be sure to include all the details such as the week or season it's available for use, and how many bedrooms.




.

 

[pfletch]

No need to go down that road if you make the effort to give it away here on TUG. Place an ad and see what happens. Be sure to include all the details such as the week or season it's available for use, and how many bedrooms.




.

Ok that will involve legal fees though - right that I imagine will be quite a lot ?

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

Ok that will involve legal fees though - right that I imagine will be quite a lot ?

Legal fees won't exceed anything you're willing to pay, i.e. in your ad: "Seller will offer $500 toward transfer" or "Buyer pays all transfer costs" or "Title transfer is at Buyers expense".

Be careful not to make this too expensive for the buyer. If you do then the buyer may go elsewhere to obtain a free week.







.

 

[theo]

<snip> i.e. in your ad: "Seller will offer $500 toward transfer" or "Buyer pays all transfer costs" or "Title transfer is at Buyers expense".

Be careful not to make this too expensive for the buyer. If you do then the buyer may go elsewhere to obtain a free week.

Agreed --- but realistically (and respectfully), there likely won't exactly be a line forming to take over a Westgate ownership, even if the "grantor" offers to pay all closing costs for the "grantee" (likely about $250), any required resort transfer fee --- and maybe even the maintenance fee bill for the current usage year.
I respectfully suggest that OP should probably not seek any money from a new "grantee" or the response may be --- crickets. Let's be honest; it's Westgate.

Please don't shoot the messenger. I am simply telling it like it is, with no false encouragement or sugar coating.
On the other hand, the inquirer is apparently from Denmark, so if s/he chose to just walk away and pay not one more penny to Westgate, there is absloutely nothing that Westgate can or will ever do about it --- beyond foreclosure and retrieval of that ownership to just sell it all over again to another "lucky" person.

 

[Ty1on]

No, both are criminal. Transferring the TS with the sole purpose of abandoning it is called fraud, a criminal offense. As we have seen reported here, several of those "timeshare relief" companies are getting nailed for fraud for doing the same thing -- transferring TS titles to an LLC with the sole purpose of abandoning it. One can argue which is worse, but there is no doubt that both are illegal.

Kurt

I disagree that transferring it to grandma, paying the obligations, then refusing to inherit it is illegal. I'm no lawyer, though, so that's just an opinion.

 

[VacationForever]

I have a fully paid TS at Westgate Palace that I want to sell/get rid of, I see on this thread at least 3 people saying offer it back to WG and if they refuse default.......

I have offered it back and they say they do not buy/take back properties....... what are the consequences then of defaulting ? Will debt collectors come after me ?

I live in Europe not the States..............
Thanks

When you spoke with Westgate, did you ask them to buy back or did you ask them to take back for a fee? They don't buy back but many have reported that they do take the timeshare back for a fee, especially if it has been fully paid up. I don't know if it makes a difference that you are in Europe.

 

[pfletch]

Theo, I would never shoot you for an answer like that.......... It is music to my ears, as long as it is 100% correct

I said to them about 4 years ago, that I no longer wanted it, no asking for a fee or anything and they said they didn't deal with that in any way, up to me to sell or give away privately or through here or a broker.....

I have a week every other year, so maintenance is not due til Jan 2018.......

So if being in Europe, simply defaulting means no paying $150 transfer to WG or $250 legal fees to someone that might buy it off me for peanuts...... then that must be my best tactic - right ?

One worry if that is the case - I show up at for example O'Hare airport in a couple of years time for a US holiday and get stopped at immigration saying there is a $1500 bill plus costs outstanding on my name ?

Thanks for all your replies

 

[theo]

Theo, I would never shoot you for an answer like that.......... It is music to my ears, as long as it is 100% correct

I said to them about 4 years ago, that I no longer wanted it, no asking for a fee or anything and they said they didn't deal with that in any way, up to me to sell or give away privately or through here or a broker.....

I have a week every other year, so maintenance is not due til Jan 2018.......

So if being in Europe, simply defaulting means no paying $150 transfer to WG or $250 legal fees to someone that might buy it off me for peanuts...... then that must be my best tactic - right ?

One worry if that is the case - I show up at for example O'Hare airport in a couple of years time for a US holiday and get stopped at immigration saying there is a $1500 bill plus costs outstanding on my name ?

Thanks for all your replies

Was there a more recent declination of a "deeback acceptance" request than the one you got four years ago? There is a very recent report here (see post #30 above in this thread) of success. Post #30 above makes very specific reference to a successful Westgate deedback (for a $700 fee). I'd recommend that you make another inquiry to Westgate. The answer you received four years ago might very well be entirely different today. If Westgate declines deedback acceptance again now, just let them go right ahead and foreclose; there would certainly be no consequences for you in Denmark.

In any event, you certainly need not worry about a timeshare foreclosure being of any interest whatsoever to U.S. Customs in the future upon entry to the U.S.

 

[pfletch]

Ok so it seems paying $700 to deedback is possible, but if I am in another country and defaulting presents no problem, surely I should do that and save the fee........

It seems a too easy way out that makes me a bit uneasy of repercussions........

Not to disbelieve you Theo, but can anyone else agree that I would have no problem defaulting please - just for a bit more peace of mind
Thanks

 

[theo]

Ok so it seems paying $700 to deedback is possible, but if I am in another country and defaulting presents no problem, surely I should do that and save the fee........

It seems a too easy way out that makes me a bit uneasy of repercussions........

Not to disbelieve you Theo, but can anyone else agree that I would have no problem defaulting please - just for a bit more peace of mind
Thanks

I respectfully suggest that you don't just assume that a recent U.S. resident experience is also exactly what you would encounter as a Denmark resident.
You might consider first contacting Westgate directly, to very specifically ask if they will accept a "deedback" without any fee, making it quite clear that you will simply choose to default if they decline. Accepting a deedback would avoid their having to undertake the time, effort and expense of foreclosure. They know this.

Deedback would certainly be a prompt and clean "exit" for you if they agree --- which they very well might since they certainly know full well that they have absolutely no "leverage" whatsoever over someone living in Denmark. You won't know the answer unless you at least ask the question, but that's your decision.

 

[pfletch]

Ok so I have contacted Westgate........ they still say they do not buy back or take back properties, they do a name change for family members at $150 but its down to me to find another buyer/take over person myself, but as said by many WG must have first refusal.

I didn't say I would default, but I asked what if I did being a resident overseas and she said then they pass on to a debt collecting agency for them to do what is needed to get the money plus costs......... But you maintain this would be no chance of them getting to me ? What if they have an associate collection company in Europe ?

 

[theo]

Ok so I have contacted Westgate........ they still say they do not buy back or take back properties, they do a name change for family members at $150 but its down to me to find another buyer/take over person myself, but as said by many WG must have first refusal.

I didn't say I would default, but I asked what if I did being a resident overseas and she said then they pass on to a debt collecting agency for them to do what is needed to get the money plus costs......... But you maintain this would be no chance of them getting to me ? What if they have an associate collection company in Europe ?

I am frankly quite puzzled by the Westgate response that you report having received, since numerous others have openly reported (and quite recently; see post #30 in this very thread as just one specific example, among others) that they have in fact succeeded in "deeding back" their ownerships to Westgate with Westgate's full cooperation. You can find other reports by reading through this and other forums on this (TUG) site. Was the response you received a written response to a written deedback request, or was it perhaps just a canned, well rehearsed phone statement made by a desk clerk possessing no actual decision-making authority in the first place?

In any event, Westgate certainly is not going to undertake the effort or expense to initiate collection efforts on the European continent for a (already fully paid off) timeshare of no resale market value. Westgate knows full well that they have absolutely no legal jurisdiction anywhere in Europe (or anywhere else outside of the U.S.). Why would they even bother anyhow over annual maintenance fees? They can (and they will) simply just foreclose --- and turn right around and sell that very same ownership all over again to someone else.

I personally wouldn't send those thieves any more money in any imaginable scenario if you have no further interest in the Westgate timeshare, but that is your own personal choice and decision to make. I wish you luck and success in whatever course of action you pursue.

 

[pfletch]

Thanks you have been most helpful

It was over the phone...... I was transferred from the standard customer service call centre person to "The Deed office" so she could have offered that deedback, but as you say could be a rehearsed speech, only offering that facility as a last resort......

I did find this online relating to US debts in Europe:
Even if you are living abroad, they can still come after you for a debt especially in the EU.

The EU has agreed a procedure known as an EPO -European Payment Order which came into force in January 2009 and can be used to enforce collection of a debt. The European Payment Order is only available for cross-border cases. It allows for citizens and businesses to use a simple method to enforce uncontested payments.

But I do feel inclined to what you are saying No offence, but I think if your opinion was seconded by someone else on here, I would be happier to simply call it a day.........