Can owners come together

If there are soo many owners who are having just about the same problems with their timeshares,is there anyway we as owners can put pressure on the resorts or developers to address our issues in a fair manner by potentially picketing the resorts or entrances to the resorts and give potential buyers the heads up of the scam before they buy. "I mean if we can prevent potential owners from purchasing,wouldn't that hurt the timeshare industry. There should be a way out for owners who cannot afford the pay their mortgages and fees due to financial hardship.

Have you tried running for the board of directors at your resort? Generally, all owners who are paid up on their maintenance fees have that legal right.

Also, don't the resorts have annual general meetings for owners where they can address concerns?

fazirm wrote:

There should be a way out for owners who cannot afford the pay their mortgages and fees due to financial hardship.

In an ideal world, there would be a yellow brick road leading to an easy exit.

In the REAL world however, timeshare developers sell a product to people who CHOOSE to come to them and then voluntarily CHOOSE to buy an overpriced timeshare. Just like for a home mortgage or for a car loan, the only "way out" is to either pay off the (mutually, voluntarily agreed) loan contract terms or face default and foreclosure. No developer has to (or ever will) take responsibility for the personal choices that people make to choose to come to them and then voluntarily CHOOSE to buy an overpriced timeshare product.

So what do owners suggest when maintenance fees keep going up every year and want to sell and we have loan paid?

Yeah it is true maintenance fees go up....but at the same time doesn't property taxes go up on your home as well?

jennye15 wrote:

So what do owners suggest when maintenance fees keep going up every year and want to sell and we have loan paid?

Try listing your unit for sale or giveaway here on RedWeek. Also try other reputable timeshare web sites such as My Resort Network, E-Bay, Craigslist, or Timeshare Users Group (aka "TUG"). Have a realistic idea what your unit is worth. It might be worth zero (or even less) so be prepared for that. If you are serious about unloading it and want to just give it away for free to a willing taker, then say that in your ad. You might even want to offer to pay closing costs and the next maintenance fee.

Another option is to ask the resort to take the unit back. Be firm in saying that you are not paying another penny in maintenance fees and that it would be in the resort's best interests to take it back rather than go through the cost of foreclosure. They might ask you to pay closing costs and possibly even the next maintenance fee but at least you will not be dealing with a questionable third party.

But whatever you do, never pay anyone a large, upfront fee to sell, rent out, market, or "cancel" your timeshare as that is almost always a scam.

Inadvertent duplicate of same post directly below has been deleted here.

Any timeshare owner should fully EXPECT maintenance fees to go up every year, probably by an average of about 5% annually. Electricity, heating and cooling equipment and its' maintenance, pool, pumps and maintenance, periodic interior furniture (and appliances) replacement, property insurance, grounds upkeep --- these are all things that go UP in cost for everyone, everywhere --- never mind just at timeshare properties. Why on earth would anyone believe or expect that timeshare maintenance fees would somehow magically just stay the same when the costs for all those things listed (and others) increase every year? That math doesn't work. What in your life ever goes DOWN in cost?

No one can do anything about rising costs or rising maintenance fees. All a timeshare owner looking to get rid of a timeshare can do is advertise everyplace they can think of --- or attempt to deed it back (there must be resort cooperation and acceptance to do this). Unfortunately, sometimes a timeshare is worthless in the resale market and has to be given away for free if it has no demand or resale value. Sometimes the owner will even have to offer to pay the closing and transfer costs themselves, even if giving it away for free. Some timeshares simply have no demand or value whatsoever, sad to say.

jennye15 wrote:

So what do owners suggest when maintenance fees keep going up every year and want to sell and we have loan paid?