Can You Deed Back Your Timeshare Week?

by Emma Martin
(USA)

It is that time of year again. The first quarter of the new year is when most timeshare maintenance fees come due. This also means that this is the time when owners who are having difficulties keeping up with the maintenance fees wonder what they can do about it.

Some owners may wonder if you can give back that timeshare week to the resort instead of paying the maintenance fees. This seems like it would be a likely option. After all, the timeshare is paid for so the resort would actually be getting something that they can profit on, right?

Unfortunately, this is usually not possible. The fact is, many timeshare resorts are operated by small homeowners' associations once the units are completely sold. At that point, the developer moves on and the HOA takes over day to day management. Most of these homeowners' associations are just not in the position to take on the burden of taking over ownership of abandoned timeshare weeks. They don't have a sales force that can sell them.

Also, these abandoned weeks are frequently the least desirable weeks so they would be difficult to sell anyway. After all, if you had a desirable week that someone would want, you could probably sell it yourself.

Even for bigger timeshare programs, like the larger hotel brands such as Starwood or Hilton, they really don't want to have to get into the resale industry. So they don't generally do "take backs" either. They make their profits on that first sale when the prices are at their highest.

That said, if you do find yourself in such straits, it cannot hurt to ask your resort managers or association if giving back the timeshare week would be allowed. If they do have a resale division set up, it may be a possibility. But you should be fully prepared for the answer to be "No".

In that case, you will likely have to find a new buyer for the timeshare yourself. This can be a time-consuming process so be sure to pay your current maintenance fees in order to avoid a negative entry on your credit report. If you do sell the timeshare, you can usually recoup the maintenance fee from your buyer.

For tips on how to find a buyer for your timeshare, my article on how to sell your timeshare should help. If you've only just purchased the timeshare, you may still be in the cancellation period. Find out what steps you need to take to cancel a timeshare.