TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin timeshare

My wife and I have enjoyed vacations in St Martin every year since 1989. We are interested in ridding ourselves of Flamingo Resort. Any suggestions in having Diamond just take it back?

have you tried using http://sxm-timesharenews.com/

to get rid of it? It is for Flaming/Royal Palm/SBR properties.

Just out of curiosity, why do you want to get rid of it?

it's rare timeshares take their property back, once my company offered a deed in lieu, but did not last long.

Depends on the particular timeshare. There are many people here who have just surrendered theirs and walked away. Not sure about Diamond's policy, in particular.

If I'm not mistaken I believe you have to have your MF up to date and then pay 250.00 to sign it over to Diamond. It was like that a couple of years ago but may have changed.

We had a unit we no longer wanted and I just signed a letter surrendering it back to the Towers. But you had to do it before the AMFs for the next year came out and if you missed that date you were held responsible for the fees for the up-coming year. We used our November week in Nov. 2015 and while we were there we signed off on the unit effective at the end of our week and commencing in January of 2016 without any problems.

Carol, how do you surrender your timeshare. When i tried to get out of my timeshare in Beaver Creek, CO, they basically told me they would report me to collections if I did not pay my maintenance fees. We still use it, traded for Simpson Bay a few years ago, but the fees are exceeding the price of a vacation, not quite, but you get the gist. If anyone has any ideas, I would walk away.

Thanks for responding. We own at Flamingo week 19, 7440. It is no longer affordable and (I may add) we let ourselves get talked in to points. We just want out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DRI is accepting deedbacks. It takes some paperwork and $250 fee. Call 877-497-7521. My deedback of Colorado resort took about five months.

Oh No not points. We own fixed Flamingo weeks 19, 20 21 and 26 and internally trade 26 for 22. Fixed are the way to go so you can book air early at best rates knowing you have a place at a given time. Points are good for some but you're at the mercy of the resort for room placement and weeks. They have been trying to convert me to points but I just smile and walk away. Like the fixed weeks we have in the units we have.
Pay the MF and $250.00 and move on.

I called Diamond Resorts and they will take your deed back with a $250 fee. I haven't done it just yet but probably will since it is much cheaper to rent elsewhere. Their maintenance fees are ridiculous. I am going in May and got a week through Expedia for $900 much better than the $1700 I am giving them. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

As I said, it depends on the t/s. A couple of other people here in the thread have said in this instance of Diamond Resorts, it's just a $250 fee. When you have a t/s that is actually IN the States, you have a lot of legal advantages, but if you want to surrender, they might actually come after you for collection if you want to surrender. Many people here have reported that they have just walked away from SXM t/s and never heard another word about it. That would make me personally very nervous to do that, but I have never bought t/s, so don't have to worry about it.

if I only knew 20 years ago to buy a timeshare where you want to vacation, not right by your home, too late now. It's the perpetuity that makes us nervous. I don't want my son to be burdened with this responsibility

"I don't want my son to be burdened with this responsibility"
Why would he have to be. You die. It's over. Just don't will it to him.

Your heirs don't have a personal responsibility for your debts, no. However, if there is a debt remaining on the timeshare contract after you pass away, it is a debt of your ESTATE, so if your estate has any assets, that debt would need to be satisfied from your assets, before your heirs receive anything.

This topic appears from time to time on TTOL. First thing to do is to discuss your timeshare agreement with an attorney. Most likely you will be able to either sell or give it to someone, or walk away by notifying whomever you purchased it from. If it is a SXM timeshare even if the resort is owned by a firm in the US, SXM laws prevail. If you purchased a timeshare that you bought in US for a US property that you trade for SXM TS you are bound by US laws that are different and again the attorney will provide valid advice.
My timeshares are SXM owned by New York company. Let me assure you that if I decide to discontinue mine I will not be paying anyone a fee to sell or rent my units to others.
Even if they enter it on your credit report, anyone viewing your report will recognize it as a timeshare entry that has little significance if the rest of the report is healthy.
I've done some homework on this one and am confident that no amount of intimidation would affect my course of action.

"I will not be paying anyone a fee to sell or rent my units to others."
You would not be able to rent it out unless your MF's are up to date.

You misunderstand Scuba.
I am referring to whomever I return it to.
Not me.

Carol,
If Alegria can walk away from all its timeshare owners due to lack of any law protecting them, then walking away by one of us will certainly not make it to far in their court system.
I would just notify the resort that we won't be back.
Bob

Carol, thank you, the condo is paid in full. Starwood made us think that perpetuity will automatically transfer ownership to my son. I doubt he wants it willed to him. He does like to use our "getaways." I would advise him against it as the fees go up every year, soon exceeding the price of a resort, or close.

Again, ownership is a different question than liability for a debt.. It could be set up in survivorship, so that he would automatically inherit it, but liability for AMF is a different question. Suggest you talk to an attorney regarding your situation.

This is an international transaction. I do recall two people that walked away from timeshare, when the now simpson bay was pelican... That resort was killing them with maintenance fees... and constant threat of shutting down... Sad that it gets to that point, but timeshare can be very risky in S.M. I once asked a lawyer for advice on something that took place with a property we owned, and he told us, he could not get involved as these are not U.S. laws... With that in mind, what can a resort do if you just walk away? Anyway, there are people that took a huge loss due to rising fees...

I turned my week 45 into Flamingo last year for $250 if you have a contract there is a clause in it to give it back. Mine was purchased from another owner, so no contract. I just called Diamond told them I could not afford it due to health reasons, was told they would have to review it and to send a letter in why I wanted to give it back, it was approved within a matter of weeks. You must be current with this years maintenance. I used my Nov week and called them when I got home, was out from under it before end of year. Rod

If you bought from another owner you would still have the contract in effect the original owner had. When I bought from other owners at the Flamingo I was also given copies of their original contract

I agree Tom. For me it goes back to Rule #1 - Do not give your ss# when purchasing a TS on SXM. They do not need it.

Which then goes to Rule #2 - Only buy if you are able to at a cost that you are willing to walk away at any moment.

Cheers,