Give away timeshare to charity

I am from Canada and would like to know if there is any charities that would like to have timeshares. I have two timeshares by Celebrity in Kissimmee Florida. I am not worried about taxes.

caroll93 wrote:

I am from Canada and would like to know if there is any charities that would like to have timeshares. I have two timeshares by Celebrity in Kissimmee Florida. I am not worried about taxes.

All properties offered for donation will undergo a four week market analysis whereby the value of the property will be estimated. No property will be accepted for donation if the market analysis concludes that the property can not be sold for a profit within a three week period. Donate For A Cause reserves the right to reject any property offered for donation for the above stated or any other reason it deems appropriate.

The bottom line is if you can't sell it or give it away, then a charity probably will not accept it. Keep in mind that you are liable for all MFs while the charity is trying to sell your TS and you cannot use it, rent it, or exchange it once you start the donation process.

All that being said, you have nothing to lose by trying.

Good Luck

I am just starting the process of donating my timeshare. Am dealing with a company called HMS.Email me personally for info.

Thank you for the information. I am not sure that my timeshare would fall into the category of marketable, but I guess we should try. Thanks again. Carol

caroll93 wrote:

I am not sure that my timeshare would fall into the category of marketable, but I guess we should try.

Unfortunately, you have two factors working against you here:

1. There is such an overabundance of timeshares in Orlando / Kissimmee that the supply by far exceeds the demand. This does not help make your timeshare marketable and no charity wants anything to do with a timeshare they cannot quickly turn into a little cash.

2. Celebrity has a truly terrible reputation and many people (and charities) want nothing whatsoever to do with them under any circumstances. Celebrity is currently involved in foreclosure proceedings in Palm Coast, FL, as well as legal actions in Hanalei Bay, HI. There are assorted Internet sites on which Celebrity owners are continually (and justifiably, it would appear) complaining about heavy handed tactics, "stacked" BOD's at resorts, and outrageous mainenenace fees and assessments. Also, Celebrity charges an unusually high $200 transfer fee to record ownership changes.

Regrettably, you likely have a very steeply uphill climb ahead of you to even be able to GIVE a Celebrity timeshare away. You may actually even have to go a step further and offer to pay the closing costs and transfer fees yourself in order to find anyone willing to take it.

Please don't shoot the messenger --- I'm merely reporting the honest and unvarnished truth of the matter.

You think 200.00 is high to transfer membership? We are being charged 1100.00! That's right- this is not a typo! 100.00 transfer fee and 500.00 per person to transfer the names for golf privileges. Talk about being taken advantage of! This is for the Los Cabos Golf Resort in Cabo San Lucas? Is anybody out there who has encountered anything like this? We are not even selling this- we are donating to charity-

carlynb wrote:

You think 200.00 is high to transfer membership? We are being charged 1100.00! That's right- this is not a typo! 100.00 transfer fee and 500.00 per person to transfer the names for golf privileges. Talk about being taken advantage of! This is for the Los Cabos Golf Resort in Cabo San Lucas? Is anybody out there who has encountered anything like this? We are not even selling this- we are donating to charity-

With due respect, yours is really an entirely different situation, since what YOU have is not actually an ownership at all in the first place. What you (or anyone else) have in Mexico is a time defined "right to use" contract, with no actual ownership. The Celebrity ownership which was under discussion here is instead an actual, deeded, lifetime ownership. In most U.S. timeshare ownerships, "transfer fees" range from zero to $200, with a representative common fee being $75. What you have is a very different animal entirely, being essentially a "golf membership" associated with a RTU contract.

Nonetheless, I certainly agree that your Cabo situation is truly a ripoff --- as is so very much of what goes on in Mexico with timeshares...

I am also looking to donate a time share - would you mind sharing the contact info of this organization and your experience with them?

Company I dealt with is HMS(Home Mortgage Services). I checked with the BBB and they were ok. Also called reference my contact gave me. His name is Shon Holloway. Phone # is 687-608-5613. They do charge a fee.(500.00) My transfer is just in the starting process. Good luck.

Thanks!

Hi, Since you want to give the timeshare to charity, I suggest try selling the timeshare on Redweek or Ebay for a very low price. At least that way if the charity can't sell, you are not stuck with the loss of use and still have to pay the maintenance fee. When sold, you can then give the money to charity. If the charity can sell the timeshare then you can also. I see charities selling weeks on ebay all the time. I have purchased a decent timeshare with low maintenance fees for $151.00 total cost, obviously that does not include the maintenance fees. Stan.

I think that the stanleyf5 post above is good advice.

If a timeshare has any market value at all, it can be most likely sold by its' current owner, albeit perhaps only at a very low price. If the timeshare has no market value at all, charities generally won't accept such a "donation" anyhow --- unless you also pay them the monetary equivalent of one or more years of maintenance fees as well (which obviously helps them to financially "carry" that albatross while they attempt to sell it). Any given timeshare is only of use to a charity if the charity can then convert it into some cash to support whatever their particular cause might be. A charity, quite understandably, has no interest in taking ownership of a completely worthless timeshare and /or its' associated annual maintenance fee (and maybe special assessment) obligations. A charity obviously doesn't need or want that unwelcome financial liability any more than a prospective "donor" does.

Unfortunately, in the current economic conditions, charities have (understandably) become much more selective about which timeshares they will accept as a donation. Only an obviously marketable and desirable timeshare week will be accepted as a donation without additional fees having to also be paid by the donor, along with the timeshare itself. Some timeshares won't be accepted at all, period --- with or without additional fees --- usually because of ongoing financial or legal problems with particular facilities or "chains".

Timeshare donation is really only a "gift" when the "donation" actually has some value. Charities, whoever and wherever they may be, cannot afford to (and will generally decline to) just be a "dumping ground" for timeshares with no inherent value or marketability in the first place.

carlynb wrote:

Company I dealt with is HMS(Home Mortgage Services). I checked with the BBB and they were ok. Also called reference my contact gave me. His name is Shon Holloway. Phone # is 687-608-5613. They do charge a fee.(500.00) My transfer is just in the starting process. Good luck.

I've never heard of HMS, but be sure the ownership of your timeshare is transferred out of your name or you will be billed for future maintenance fees ... this sounds like just another postcard company.

I've found that these charities don't really want the timeshares. They only want the money that the timeshares will bring. That's why they won't take title until and unless they find a buyer and have money up front from them (the new buyers) before they will accept your unit. So you will continue to own and pay taxes and fees until it is sold.

So it can hardly be said that they are accepting a "donation" from you. Actually, all they do is act as a broker, and try to sell your unit for you. For that, they take 100% commission. Cute. You may as well sell it yourself. But the truth is, the units really can't be sold. No one wants it. I tried to give mine away, and I offer it to any person who calls me and wants to market my timeshare. No one will touch it.

If the units had value, they would be accepted as donations. But they are NOT accepted until they are carefully evaluated, if at all. Timeshares are WORTHLESS, in terms of value on the open market. They must be aggressively SOLD by a pro, in an intense selling session. That's my opinion, anyway.

josephb172 wrote:

I've found that these charities don't really want the timeshares. They only want the money that the timeshares will bring. That's why they won't take title until and unless they find a buyer and have money up front from them (the new buyers) before they will accept your unit. So you will continue to own and pay taxes and fees until it is sold.

So it can hardly be said that they are accepting a "donation" from you. Actually, all they do is act as a broker, and try to sell your unit for you. For that, they take 100% commission. Cute. You may as well sell it yourself. But the truth is, the units really can't be sold. No one wants it. I tried to give mine away, and I offer it to any person who calls me and wants to market my timeshare. No one will touch it.

If the units had value, they would be accepted as donations. But they are NOT accepted until they are carefully evaluated, if at all. Timeshares are WORTHLESS, in terms of value on the open market. They must be aggressively SOLD by a pro, in an intense selling session. That's my opinion, anyway.

I don't disagree with much of anything you've stated above, except that not ALL timeshare weeks are worthless. That said, I don't understand why ANYONE would ever expect a charity to willingly accept something that has no value?

Any and every charity, whatever their particular cause might be, needs MONEY to support it. Accepting the legal obligations of a timeshare ownership "donation" that has no value would be financial suicide for a charity. Charities don't want to accept that liability any more than the owner trying desperately to give away his / her timeshare wants it.

Let's be honest and realistic about this. If a timeshare has no market value, it's NOT truly a "donation" in the first place. Instead, it's just an effort to "dump" something that is worthless, with all of its' inherent and ongoing legal and financial obligations, onto someone else. Why on earth would they even CONSIDER accepting such a thing?

Most charities WILL, however, readily accept a timeshare week of value (i.e., one which can actually be sold). I easily donated one such week myself last year. However, the truthful bottom line is that if YOU can't sell it, THEY likely can't do so either. So, accordingly and understandably, their response to any such attempt to dump a worthless timeshare week on them will always be "No thank you"...

What you say is true. I wouldn't expect a legitimate charity to accept a worthless timeshare. What I guess I meant to convey was that some of these "charities" may not be charities at all, but are actually people trying to make money off desperate timeshare owners.

I could set myself up as XYZ Corp., become a non-profit charitable institution, and accept timeshares. If I (the charity) sell one unit for $1,500, and give $500 to the United Way, and keep $1,000 for expenses, I believe this would all be quite legal. Or maybe I'd give $50. to United Way. This is all risk-free to the charity, of course, since they pay nothing but sales costs, which can vary.

BTW, my unit is at Vistana Resort in Orlando, owned by Sheraton. Supposedly one of the better resorts. But I can't give it away, not to a charity, and not even to Vistana.

x

I recently ran into a charity which was looking for timeshare weeks to offer as part of their money raising auction. They were not taking ownership, just taking a reserved week. They were working for a good cause, but I decided that what would actually be the amount of our annual MF would be a pretty big donation for us to make! (And I'm not sure they would have earned much from a February week in Branson!) MD

I realize that I gave wrong # for HMS and Shon # should be 678-608-5613. Sorry!

carlynb wrote:

Company I dealt with is HMS(Home Mortgage Services). I checked with the BBB and they were ok. Also called reference my contact gave me. His name is Shon Holloway. Phone # is 687-608-5613. They do charge a fee.(500.00) My transfer is just in the starting process. Good luck.

I am just starting the process with HMS. Does anyone have recent experience dealing with this company? Thanks!