patandchickens
Crazy Cat Lady
Sorry guys, I just gotta complain for a minute.
My husband has this timeshare week (off-season) at a local ski "resort" that he bought like 20 years ago. (So does his mother. They got sucked into this business of 'complimentary 1-night stay and dinner, just listen to our sales pitch' thing.) He has AFAIK never in 20 years used it. It costs him about $400-500 per year in maintenance/admin fees, even without using it.
So when we were getting married, 8 years ago, and reorganizing his finances, I asked him 'is there any reason you are keeping that? Are you ever going to *use* it, or does it have some sentimental value or something?"
He said that no, he did not want it but had in the past listed it on (for-pay) 'timeshares for sale' websites and got no interest. I said, well if it's costing you $400-500 per year and you'll never use it, why not see if you can renounce ownership or give it back or give it to someone who *does* want it, or something like that. He said, no, he paid like $10,000 for it and he was darned if he was going to lose all that money. I said, do you REALLY think you can possibly ever sell it for anything like what you paid (or really for anything at all?) He said no, of course not. But he'd be darned if he was going to give it away and lose the money he paid.
P)
So we have kept paying the annual fees. Most years, when the bill comes, I say "are you SURE you don't want to just get rid of it?" Last five yeras or so, he's said "of course I do, but I don't know how. It would be too complicated." So I would say "well have you called them to ASK what your options are, or even just asked around at work or put an ad on kijiji in case someone happens to *want* it?" Answer: no.
So last week we apparently got a "special" bill from them... not only are they changing their billing schedule so that this bill is for two years at once, it also includes $300 worth of special maintenance fees. So they want like $1200 from us. Which, particularly at the moment, we PROFOUNDLY do not have, for one reason and another. (I don't think I can even buy all my winter's hay at once this year)
(And I say "apparently" got the bill, because I only know about it b/c he left it lying on the sofa in a pile of the kids' books and I found it three days after it came. "Oh," says husband, "It slipped my mind. I was *going* to mention it.")
:/
Anyhow the upshot is that I had somewhat of a hissy-fit over it, and said he could darn well call the resort the next morning and find out how to stop owning the thing.
Five days later he actually did that.
And you know what?
They faxed him a form, he is going to send it back signed, and then we will no longer own an utterly useless $500-a-year timeshare.
IF HE HAD JUST DONE THIS EIGHT YEARS AGO, we would be ahead by almost $4000 plus interest.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
(Although, on the bright side, at least he has finally done it NOW. Well actually he hasn't sent the forms back yet, but, you know.)
Thank you for letting me whine
,
Pat
My husband has this timeshare week (off-season) at a local ski "resort" that he bought like 20 years ago. (So does his mother. They got sucked into this business of 'complimentary 1-night stay and dinner, just listen to our sales pitch' thing.) He has AFAIK never in 20 years used it. It costs him about $400-500 per year in maintenance/admin fees, even without using it.
So when we were getting married, 8 years ago, and reorganizing his finances, I asked him 'is there any reason you are keeping that? Are you ever going to *use* it, or does it have some sentimental value or something?"
He said that no, he did not want it but had in the past listed it on (for-pay) 'timeshares for sale' websites and got no interest. I said, well if it's costing you $400-500 per year and you'll never use it, why not see if you can renounce ownership or give it back or give it to someone who *does* want it, or something like that. He said, no, he paid like $10,000 for it and he was darned if he was going to lose all that money. I said, do you REALLY think you can possibly ever sell it for anything like what you paid (or really for anything at all?) He said no, of course not. But he'd be darned if he was going to give it away and lose the money he paid.
P)So we have kept paying the annual fees. Most years, when the bill comes, I say "are you SURE you don't want to just get rid of it?" Last five yeras or so, he's said "of course I do, but I don't know how. It would be too complicated." So I would say "well have you called them to ASK what your options are, or even just asked around at work or put an ad on kijiji in case someone happens to *want* it?" Answer: no.
So last week we apparently got a "special" bill from them... not only are they changing their billing schedule so that this bill is for two years at once, it also includes $300 worth of special maintenance fees. So they want like $1200 from us. Which, particularly at the moment, we PROFOUNDLY do not have, for one reason and another. (I don't think I can even buy all my winter's hay at once this year)
(And I say "apparently" got the bill, because I only know about it b/c he left it lying on the sofa in a pile of the kids' books and I found it three days after it came. "Oh," says husband, "It slipped my mind. I was *going* to mention it.")
:/
Anyhow the upshot is that I had somewhat of a hissy-fit over it, and said he could darn well call the resort the next morning and find out how to stop owning the thing.
Five days later he actually did that.
And you know what?
They faxed him a form, he is going to send it back signed, and then we will no longer own an utterly useless $500-a-year timeshare.
IF HE HAD JUST DONE THIS EIGHT YEARS AGO, we would be ahead by almost $4000 plus interest.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
(Although, on the bright side, at least he has finally done it NOW. Well actually he hasn't sent the forms back yet, but, you know.)
Thank you for letting me whine
,Pat
