TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Giving timeshare back to resort

There was a thread on giving back your timeshare when you can't sell it, but I can't find it.Some help anyone ?

I can't seem to find it either. What resort is it, as someone hopefully will have experience with that particular resort.

I think the tread was mainly about flamingo. Mostly explained how they quit paying maint. fees and gave unit back to resort. I own @ belair though. ANyone want a week 1 ?

OK, I finally found this thread, which I guess is mostly about Sapphire?

Thanks !

ronwald,

While I don't know what timeshare resort you're talking about, I'm guessing they're all pretty much the same so if it helps at all, the following is what the management at the Towers recently told me.

You have to let them know via telephone and follow up with a fax BEFORE the next years AMFs come out, assuming your return will be effective for next years usage. They will send some kind of a letter which should be signed and witnessed by a notary and returned to them ASAP.

If you wait until after they levy next years assessment, they say they will hold you responsible for the newly assessed fees.

I've paid for and plan on using my November 2015 week so my return will be effective for the year 2016.

pat

Pat--wow, you're returning a unit to the Towers?? Surprising.

And Ron said it was Belair, in another note.

Carol,

Yes, we're giving back our late November week and keeping our three consecutive April weeks. One side of me is unsure as to whether this is a good move or not, but we weren't planning on using it in 2016 as you know, and if we still want to come down twice a year in the future, we can use an April week as an internal trade and rent an extra week somewhere.

I did make a half-hearted effort to sell the week since it's a really nice one bedroom unit, high up and with a great view, but I'm not into making the effort to list and sell, and it's pretty easy to just give it back so I'm taking the lazy way out. And in all honesty, much as we've enjoyed all our weeks over all the years we've had them, the two trips a year thing is starting to get to be an effort. Who knows, maybe I'll be sorry. Or not....... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

OK, that will give you the opportunity, if you want, to be able to come down a totally different time of year also, if you like. We have never been interested in timeshare, for many reasons, but one of them was being locked into a specific week or time period.

Carol,

That's the really nice thing about timeshare - or at least timeshare at the Towers - you really aren't locked in at all.

We bought the April time having been visiting that time of the year for fifteen years already but with occasional trips done at other times of the year, too.

We picked November up much later because that is our second most favorite island time. But I can trade those three weeks in April for any time of the year I'd prefer to use them, if I want to come during the holidays or whenever, and the November week is tradable for roughly forty out of fifty two possible trade weeks.

Without getting into another timeshare debate, I've had no regrets owning any of my weeks and I have had them almost 29 years and used them every year as I chose. Perfect for us, but we knew what we wanted when we bought and to this day, we have no regrets. And at the same time, I fully respect its not a good option for everyone. Tomato, tomahto?! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Sounds like Pat could have been doing internal exchanges for different weeks moving her November week and one of he consecutive weeks to back to backs already.
We do that with our July week by moving it internally to add on to our three consecutive may weeks. But we would also sell that week too.

Don't know from personal experience, but all I see is people whining that they can't get the weeks they want, etc. Regardless I know it's not for us..

WHAT? You may not be sorry, but we sure will be! Even though we usually only see you and John once or twice during our overlapping time, it's still nice to see you there.

TY, Georgia, and we will be there this year and will look forward to seeing you, too. We have been thinking of other plans for Fall, 2016. And we can always do internal exchanges if we're of a mind to.......

I just purchased our tickets for April, 2016 and I'm psyched!! We're bringing our Granddaughter and we are really excited about that trip.

Aloha Pat,
Completely understand, we stopped our spring trips to try other places and are just going with our three November/December weeks.

See you two on island in November, and possibly again some year in April. Who knows, with Katie moving to New Zealand that adds another location that we plan on visiting and we still only get so many weeks away from work.

My only suggestion to people purchasing, watch the AMF amounts going in and don't pay much for the purchase, at least no more than you can walk away from with a smile.

Cheers,
Todd

In my opinion, all resorts should allow timeshare owners to give back their timeshares without any kind of hassle.

Hi, Todd and aloha to you, too.

Too bad you already own a week 48 - you would have loved our 706 one bedroom.....

John and I will miss the camaraderie of all of you in the Nov/Dec timespan but there are only so many vacation weeks in the year and there's so much we still want to see and do so limiting the island to April seems like a good thing at this point. Down the road - who knows?

New Zealand is a long time in the air but I'm betting you will be heading that way sooner as opposed to later. Enjoy it when you do....and as with GaK - we'll look forward to seeing you at some point in the Fall, I'm sure.

No question. I had five weeks... have gotten rid of four of them and the fifth is going on sale now. Never had to give back any...

Belair won't agree to a quit-claim deed give back, so put unit up for sale. What would be the hit on my credit if I just walk away in Jan. when my yearly fees are due ? Or is there another option? I also have unit up for rent if it doesn't sell.

Just a thought.
Since we already own weeks 52 and 1 @ Belair, we are not prospects for this but perhaps before you return your week 1 to Belair, we will get the word out to some of our family and friends that might be interested but are not on this board.
We will PM you if anyone wants to follow up with you.

Thanks Tom,
I appreciate that. Will Rent it for our Maint fee or sell for $1500

Unless Belair has your social security number, which I doubt they do, they cannot report your default to any US credit bureau.

Read your contract thoroughly. Pelican told me we could not give it back, then I found the paragraph that allowed me to give written notice ,with up to date paid AMF. We invoked our contractual rights under the appropriate paragraph and notified them in writing that we would NOT be continuing our written agreement.....We paid very little for our studio and the aggravation under the management at the time was too much! Never looked back and we go now in November, we owned in April. We rent and have found nicer places for about the same amount or less! Without the drama! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />

If you have thoughts of giving back your timeshare do it now. Many timeshares are charging $5000 to do this. We gave back Pelican and Sapphire a few years ago with no regrets.

Who is charging $5000 to do this?

They may try to charge you $5,000 to give it back, but hopefully no one would be foolish enough to pay. If they don't want to take it back, just send them a letter and stop paying the maintenance fees.

Think I might send them notarized letter relinquishing any and all rights to the timeshare. By the way ours is a lease til 2091. Don' think I'll be be around then. Maint. fees arent due til Jan.

Having your letter notarized really accomplishes nothing, other than the notary certifies that your signature is indeed yours. Perhaps a registered letter so that you have proof that they've received it is a good idea.

Have you contacted them? At least with the Towers at Mullet Bay, I contacted the accounting department and they just asked for a letter signed by us stating we were turning it in. Very simple, it may needed to be notarized or if you were at the resort it was ok if it was on their letterhead. Not sure why that was, but a very simple process.

We had two timeshares, one at Oyster Bay Beach Resort and the other at Simpson Bay Resort in the Marina Building. We literally tried to give them away with no luck, much less sell them. We stopped paying the AMFs. We were only contacted by SBR, and when we told them we were giving it up they just said something like, "OK, as long as you understand you can't use it without paying the AMF". It's been two years now, as we did not pay in 2014. I haven't run a credit report but otherwise, we have not received any letters or contact from the resorts. My husband looked back at our paperwork when we purchased the timeshares ( second hand off of Ebay) and no social security numbers were involved, so we felt safe just letting them go. Love SXM, but don't want timeshares anymore!

Thanks for the info. Will call them soon and see what they say.

Has anyone walked away from their timeshare at Royal Palm or Flamingo ? any repercussions from Diamond Resorts if you have ? Contacted Diamond Resorts they will not take it back.

I'm no attorney and you may want to speak to one about your timeshares, but having read many threads and spoken to folks that have done it, timeshare resorts are bluffing when they claim you have no choice. Unless you purchased timeshare in the US (regardless who owns the company), it was a SXM buy. I've never heard of any ts buyer being prosecuted for timeshare termination by SXM courts.

Just got an email from Belair that they would let us out of our lease if we paid them $1500. That's not going to happen.It would be cheaper if we paid our 2016 maint. fee, used the unit in Jan., then would have another year to get rid of the lease or just walk away now and let them try to sue us. Anybody have any thoughts on what we should do ?

ron,

Just my humble opinion, but I'm thinking I'd tell Belair to kiss my big toe (or something?) and exercise either of your option choices as mentioned.

Assuming your Belair time/unit is yours outright, I doubt they'd pursue you in the States in the first place, but even if they did, for that minimal amount I think they'd just rather be done with you and after a dunning letter or two, they would probably write it off and save their legal costs. The only caveat to that statement might be 'unless Belair is actually a US based corporation' but I'm thinking that's probably unlikely and for the amount involved......I'd personally be willing to take a shot.

Good luck and, if you don't mind sharing, let us know what you decide to do and how you make out with them. Its a point of interest to so many....<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

What really gets my goat is that we paid our unit off at least 20 years ago and have never been late with a maint. fee payment , or been demanding of anything when we used our unit. We will not be sending them any cash, that's for sure.All we want is to let them have the unit back.

Were I a timeshare owner there I would not be happy with that offer at all. Our experience so far regarding selling timeshare weeks has been positive. Although we lost money on all of them [we had bought them from the resorts, which I would never advise anyone to do] we did sell them directly and the transfer process was smooth. I would not "give it back." I'd rent it out until you sell it. Lately more for-sale units are moving but it's still a buyer's market, even for Simpson Bay which is almost completely renovated. [N. B., my comments are based on what we're seeing on the sales/rentals page of my site... whether that is statistically significant I have no idea. Rentals are moving faster now than in the prior 10 years. I'm wondering whether others are seeing that as well? If so it is a huge positive indicator for future SXM tourism, for this coming winter anyway.]

Got updated email today and Belair dropped their payment demand from $1500 to $1000. Big whoop. Don't think they'll get anything.

redweek.com has units listed for sale or rent at Belair Beach Hotel SXM.

They have a button to click if you want to sell or rent.

Just found out that Belair charges $575 to transfer a lease if you can find someone to assume it.