Can people outside of the US own T/S in California?

[jhm40cu]

Hello.

I am seriously considering purchasing Marriott Desert Springs Villa II and having a question about the state property tax.

After reading lots of thread here, I found out that State of California, unlike other states, bills timeshare owners their property taxes directly. What would happen to timeshare owners who reside outside of the US? I doubt that the state government would pay for overseas postage just to send property bills to timeshare owners abroad.

I am planning to stay in overseas for the next several years and visit CA once a year. However, this property tax thing might become a headache for me. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[king1]

"Two sure things are death and taxes". You will have to pay them. Wrong address, lost mail, dog ate bill, stranded in Antarctica--you still have to pay your taxes or they will sell the week and take the taxes out of the proceeds(and that applies even if you are dead).

 

[Liz Wolf-Spada]

I would call the assessor's office in the county you want to buy a timeshare and ask them. Also, property taxes are due in November and April, but can be paid all at once in November (I think), so you could always call at the right time and arrange property taxes to be paid then. Point systems seem to cover the taxes as part of your maintenance fees. We owe Welk and paid taxes on a fixed week, but when we switched to the platinum points program, the taxes are paid by the HOA for the whole thing.
Liz

 

[JMAESD84]

"Two sure things are death and taxes". You will have to pay them. Wrong address, lost mail, dog ate bill, stranded in Antarctica--you still have to pay your taxes or they will sell the week and take the taxes out of the proceeds(and that applies even if you are dead).

Some unique opportunities exist in the timeshare world exactly because they wont "sell the week and take the taxes out of the proceeds". When it comes to timeshares tax collectors are often unable to act since no buyers exist for the deliquent week.......why spend money on the collection process when there is no payoff at the end.

 

[sfsailors]

Some unique opportunities exist in the timeshare world exactly because they wont "sell the week and take the taxes out of the proceeds". When it comes to timeshares tax collectors are often unable to act since no buyers exist for the deliquent week.......why spend money on the collection process when there is no payoff at the end.

There are Timeshare Taxsale auction all the time. And they sell very well !

 

[Mel]

jhm40cu,

the state doesn't pay the cost of the postage, the taxing authority does, which would be the county where the resort is located. And yes, they do pay the postage to send that bill.

JMAESD84,

California is one of the few places you will see timeshare tax sales, in fact they have tax sales specifically for timeshares not lumped in with the "regular" properties. It is cost effective, becausea tax-lein supercedes any other lein, including the mortgage (and many finance arrangements are not tied to an actual mortgage anyway).

For properties that are not paid in full, it is in the best interest of the developer to purchase at the tax sale. Otherwise, they will never recover the money still owed on the purchase. The same applies to an HOA that is owed annual fees from previous years - and may play a part in why so many resorts prefer to pay the taxes themselves, and bill the owners.

Here are just a couple of counties that have timeshare tax sales:

San Diego
San Diego Listings from Feb 2008 sale - a significant number!

San Luis Obspo - not very many listings

El Dorado - they use sealed bids from other owners at the same resort (considered contiguous owners)

 

[CatLovers]

I get my tax bill in the mail every year for Winners Circle Resort in Solana Beach CA. I live in Canada.

 

[JMAESD84]

San Diego[/URL]
San Diego Listings from Feb 2008 sale - a significant number!

San Luis Obspo - not very many listings

El Dorado - they use sealed bids from other owners at the same resort (considered contiguous owners)

The often touted RCI Points lease offer via Club Trinidad is a creative opportunity born out of an inability to profitably complete tax sales of the timeshares involved.

I'm sure that for many other timeshare weeks that are worthless or worth far less than the taxes due, tax sales are problematic for the tax collector.

 

[eal]

I own timeshares in California and yes the taxman manages to send me a bill each year (I pay yearly) even if the cost of postage and processing must come pretty close to the $20 or so that I send them!