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[Q=carvana]"Hounding" by collectors is against the law. You can put a stop to it and possibly even turn the tables on the collectors if they have violated Title 15 USC Section 1692(Fair Debt Collection Practices Act - FDCA). This federal consumer protection act allows you (section 812) to collect $1,000 for each violation and "such additional damages as the court may allow".[/q] I definitely disagree with the above statement. When owners ignore a debt owed, then the resort has the right to hire a bill collecting agency to collect that debt. Failing to pay maintenance fees is a debt owed, no matter how you look at it, and the burden then falls to responsible owners who do pay their fees .... it's called 'personal responsibility' until the week can be given away or sold ..... sorry, that's just the way it is in the real world. [q] You should not have to suffer from constant harassment. If the debt collector’s actions are violating the law you may recover damages as well as attorney fees.[/q] If he had paid his debt, then he would not be forced to suffer constant harrassment. What if all owners did this? What would happen to a resort then? [q]suggest you, pursuant to the FDCPA, send a certified letter to the agencies telling them to stop sending collection letters and to stop calling you.You should check your credit reports and determine whether any negative reports have been made relative to the maintenance fees.[/q] Okay, I'll stop paying all my debts and do as you suggested above, relinquishing my personal responsibiltiy for debts I owe (I don't think so). [q] maintenance fee debt is not a personal obligation - that is, you never signed a contract promising to pay the annual maintenance fees when you purchased the time share.[/q] Of course he did when he signed on the dotted line, he signed to pay all obligations pertaining to that resort, same as a car payment, house payment, credit car payment .... try following the poster's advice above and see how far you get. [q]there is a ding on your credit report for the failure to pay, you should dispute the ding and demand that the resort provide proof to the credit reporting agencies that you personally signed a promise to pay the maintenance fees.[/q] Ballderdash .... are you a financial advisor that advises people to ignore they're owed debts. If would seem so .... again what if everyone did this? [q]supportive words are "personally liable".[/q] The supportive words are "personal responsibility". [q] resorts do not like to take the foreclosre action - it is expensive for them - but they will if you continue to ignore the maintenance fees.[/q] They do it all day, every day .... resorts retain an attorney for such purposes. [q] I suggest you send a certified letter to the resort telling them your circumstances. If your failure to pay is the result of the loss of a job, a reduction in pay, the death of a spouse, a divorce, or any valid reason tell them.[/q] They hear excuses like this on a daily basis from hundreds of deadbeats ..... in 99.9 percent of cases, it won't work. The overwhelming majority of resorts DO NOT take deedbacks in lieu of life's circumstances. [q]Tell them you do not plan to pay the past due or future maintenance fees and that you are willing to settle the matter by giving them a quit claim deed in lieu of a foreclosure.[/q] Maintenance fees are a resort's bread and butter. A quit claim deed won't work. [q] It would be helpful if this letter is signed by your attorney as that will usually get a quicker response. [/q] An attorney will have no influence whatsoever if a debt is owed, period. [q]A foreclosure on your record will be harmful and it will lower your credit score and result in higher interest rates on future home and auto loans as well as consumer debts in the future.[/q] Exactly, and that's what will happen if he quits paying his debt obligations. [q] The word timeshare has a negative connotation with many people and a future credit grantor may hear you out on why the foreclosure happened and extend grace to you because it was a timeshare you could not sell or give away.[/q] That doesn't have anything to do with the debt he owes, whether timeshare is a negative connotation or not. If this was the case, you would have millions and millions of timeshare owners doing the same to relinquish their 'personal responsibiltiy' to pay their timeshare debts. Used car salesmen also have a negative connotation, but that doesn't prevent a buyer from fulfilling his obligation to pay the loan taken out on a used car. [q]I think my recommendations are valid based on years of experience but these recommendations are not offered as legal advice and you should not take any action relating to your timeshare situation without the advice of your personal attorney.[/Q] I'd like to know years of experience in what? Telling your clients to ignore their financial responsibities? The matter of just quitting paying maintenance fees has been discussed adnausem on Tug and the overwhelming consensus is that maintenance fee debts are like any other debt (car, home, credit card) and the consequences are the exact same. Again, what if all owners did what you suggest and bail from their financial obligations? You give the impression that just because it's a timeshare debt that it can be dropped with absolutely no consequences just because it's a timeshare. Do you even own a timeshare?