Donating our timeshare

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Original Message:

Some additional thoughts... (by KC):

lancec13 wrote:
$3000 is about 3-4 years' maintenance fees. Why not pay those maintenance fees over the 3-4 years instead of everything right now? In the meantime, try giving it away, renting it out, or letting your children use them as an anniversary present?

Charging $3000 to take it off your hands is what the Post Card Companies (companies that, by the way, are not well thought of) do. DFAC just seems to be imitating these PCCs.

I'm not defending DFC (I never have and I certainly never will) but it is entirely possible (...perhaps likely, even) that in earlier conversation(s), an underinformed phone rep may have incorrectly believed (...and hopefully did not just deliberately misrepresent) that the timeshare at issue had more market value than further research subsequently revealed.

In this economy and weak resale market, it is indeed common for any such "recipient" organization to require the financial equivalent of 4 (or more) years worth of maintenance fees for a low / no market value timeshare. DFC never USED TO do this, but DFC may well now find it a necessity to do so in this rock bottom resale market (yes, just like the PCC's do, as you correctly note). Needless to say, if it then takes the recipient (charity, PCC or anyone esle)several years to "unload" it, then the recipient is making sure in advance that annual fees to the facility can be paid with money on hand, previously collected (and NOT tax deductible for the donor) money. They aren't going to pay those fees with THEIR OWN money. A charity or any other organization does not want a stinky albatross indefinitely hanging around its' neck any more than an individual owner does. If the organization CAN manage to sell it (or give it away) sooner, then they are well "ahead", financially.

Your suggestions and observations are certainly valid regarding other options (such as keeping the ownership and renting it, gifting it, etc.) but some people just plain want to be DONE with the whole business --- NOW! Since alfredc indicated having lost his wife earlier this year, perhaps he just wants to put this whole timeshare matter and memory behind him, asap. To each his / her own...