Transferring your Timeshare

Transfer your Timeshare

Buying or selling a timeshare is one thing, getting it transferred to the new owner properly is another matter.  In today's world of complicated timeshare programs, there are some major pitfalls to watch out for when transferring ownership.  You can do it yourself, but we don't recommend it for a variety of reasons. 

Depending on the type of program you're buying or selling  a variety of different rules apply.

The simplest type of transfer is a deeded week in the good ole USA and even these can be complicated.  When buying, you must verify the deed to make sure you are getting what you're paying for.  It has been our experience that in many cases sellers don't always know exactly what they are selling.  Different resorts different types of units, seasons, use periods etc. and sellers don't always remember all the details about what they purchased perhaps years ago. When selling you should make sure the funds or proceeds of the sale are protected prior to executing transfer documents.  This is accomplished through third party escrow whereby both sides of the transaction are "protected" until all transaction details are completed.

Once the deed is verified, then a title report should be ordered to insure there are no outstanding liens, not only against the property, but against the owner whom is selling it.  A lien of any type could affect the validity of the transfer now or sometime in the future. Then a new deed reflecting the chain of title must be prepared by an attorney.  Most states require recordable legal documents to be drafted by an attorney.  Once the new deed is drafted, signed and notarized it must be sent to the State or County Bureau of Conveyances in the state or county where the property is located. This is where the document is recorded to affect a record of ownership and chain of title from one person to another.  You might guess that's it, but  its just the begriming.  Once the new deed is recorded it must then be sent to the managing agent of the resort to register the new owner with the resort.  Most resorts charge a transfer fee to do this and it helps to know what the fee is in advance, because it can range from fifty to as much as five thousand dollars.  It could be a real shocker to get what seems to be a bargain on a great timeshare and then find out that it wasn't such a good deal after having to pay a handsome registration fee.  Once the new owner is registered with the resort your home free to start enjoying the benefits of ownership, unless the new owner is also getting a membership in an exchange organization such as RCI or II.  If so, then more forms must be filled out and provided to these organizations along with the proper fees. Navigating this maze of of legal documents, membership forms and registration certificates and understanding which must be done when can be a daunting task.

There are some other details to transferring a timeshare like filing an estoppel with the resort to determine the status of maintenance fees, assessments, use periods etc. and you can believe the devil is definitely in the details. 

If the program involves points or is originated outside of the United States it can get even more complicated.  Points programs all have special rules that must be followed to ensure a successful transfer.  In some programs such as Shell Vacations Club anniversary dates come into play which can affect when the transfer can take place. Depending on the sale date, this could be up to twelve months.   Some companies like Shell Vacations have imposed questionable practices in transferring ownership where they impose their own rules, in an attempt to restrict resales of their program, outside of any official bureau of conveyance. This can be tricky and troubling waters for the inexperienced.  This is why it should be left to a professional to handle the transfer of your timeshare.  The service fee for most transfers is nominal and well worth every penny.

Our advice is to deal with a reputable and EXPERIENCED resale organization such as Red Time Realty, when buying or selling a timeshare. 

If your a diehard do it yourself er though, we have assembled a collection of forms you will need to affect your sale, purchase, rental, exchange or transfer.  Just go to your forms page and you can download every document you will need. These are simple fill in the blank forms that are in an easy to use pdf format.      

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