A Client Testimony
Dear Timeshare Recyclers Team,
About a year and a half ago, I found myself in a situation I never imagined I would be in.
My father had recently passed away. As I began settling his estate, bills started arriving in the mail from Wyndham. I knew he owned a timeshare, but I had no idea how extensive it was. When I started going through the paperwork, I discovered he had accumulated over one million Wyndham points over the years.
That sounds impressive.
What I didn’t know at the time was that he had likely spent close to $300,000 over his lifetime building that portfolio. And what shocked me even more were the maintenance fee bills — over $1,000 per month.
More than $12,000 per year.
While I was still grieving my father, I contacted Wyndham and sent them his death certificate. I asked them to take the timeshare back. I assumed that once an owner passes away, the contract would simply end.
That was not the case.
They told me I needed to attend a “meeting” to understand the program before anything could happen. I assumed this was an informational session about transferring or surrendering the points.
It was not.
It was a sales presentation.
My husband and I attended, still deep in grief. During that presentation, we learned just how much my father had invested. I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility. I believed this was something he wanted us to have — a legacy of travel and family memories.
We signed documents that day.
I believed I was signing paperwork to temporarily manage the account while I figured out what to do. I did not fully understand that we were assuming ownership of the entire contract — and the $12,000 per year obligation that came with it.
Within months, the financial pressure became overwhelming.
My father had been in a very different financial position than we were. We tried to make it work. I tried renting points. I tried using them. I tried convincing myself it was a blessing.
It wasn’t.
The maintenance fees alone were crushing us.
I contacted Wyndham again and asked them to take it back. They refused. They told me I had signed the documents and that I was now the owner. If I wanted out, I could try to sell it.
No one would buy it.
I even looked into breaking the points into smaller contracts to make them easier to sell, but that would have cost thousands more in fees. Every solution required more money.
After about a year of emotional and financial strain, I contacted Timeshare Recyclers.
From the beginning, your team explained what had actually happened and what my options were. You didn’t shame me. You didn’t pressure me. You simply laid out the facts.
You successfully cancelled the contract.
Not only that, but you were able to help recover resort credits based on what my father had paid over the years. Those credits were placed into my account with your travel agency — a program with no maintenance fees and no long-term obligations.
Today, I still travel.
But I travel without fear of another $1,000 bill showing up in the mail.
I now believe my father truly wanted us to enjoy vacations — not inherit a financial burden. Through your help, we can still travel, but in a way that makes sense for our family.
You gave us back peace.
Sincerely,
Savannah B
from Albuquerque, New Mexico
Editor’s Note from Timeshare Recyclers
There is an important lesson in this story.
A timeshare does not disappear when the owner passes away.
It does not evaporate.
It does not dissolve.
It does not automatically “go back” to the resort.
It is real.
And that word matters.
Timeshare ownership — even points-based programs like Wyndham — is backed by a deed. That deed represents an interest in real estate. It may be extremely small, but it is legally recognized property.
Because it is real property, it must be legally transferred, surrendered, or disposed of.
If a timeshare is included in a will, placed into a living trust, or captured under a general inheritance clause (“all remaining property to…”), heirs can unintentionally inherit not just the vacation rights — but the financial obligation.
And here is the hard truth:
A timeshare is not an asset. It is a liability.
It costs more than it produces. The resale market is virtually nonexistent. The deed is small enough to be worth little — but large enough for developers and HOAs to use real estate law to enforce ongoing obligations.
That is why exiting a timeshare is often so difficult. In many cases, the HOA has legal standing because of the deed structure.
Even in a best-case scenario — with a cooperative resort — someone settling the estate must still formally transfer or surrender the deed. There are documents. There are timelines. There are often fees.
In less cooperative situations, heirs can find themselves pressured into assuming ownership — especially when grieving and unfamiliar with the legal mechanics involved.
Inheritance should be a blessing.
It should not be a bill.
If you or someone you love is facing inherited timeshare obligations, do not assume it will resolve itself. Get clarity. Get counsel. And understand your options before signing anything.
Because once you sign, you own it.
And as this family learned — ownership means responsibility.
