Florida Veterans Assistance Association - Highly Recommended

[chariirose]

Florida Veterans Assistance Association got me out of my Timeshare with Diamond Resorts Daytona Beach Regency in less than two months. My cost was a total of $1725 paid to FL Veterans Assistance Assn, a 501 C3 charity, which I am able to take as a charitable contribution on my tax return, in addition to the donation of the timeshare itself, whatever amount that may be (max $5000 according to the tax code I believe). I am definitely out of my timeshare because I got a letter from Diamond Resorts saying that the timeshare ownership had been transferred. My Diamond Resorts account is no longer active, so I'm quite sure I no longer own it.

Another plus is that I still got to deposit my unit for 2015, and I don't have to pay maintenance fees for the upcoming year.

If you are interested in going this route rather than waiting to sell your timeshare privately, I highly recommend these people. They are easy to work with. Whenever I called, the same person was available to speak with. [contact info deleted]

Update: As Brian said, I could have given it back to Diamond for $250. I say if it were so easy giving back the timeshare, everyone who no longer wanted their timeshare would be doing just that. It's not that easy or simple. Let's say I paid for the convenience and the expertise of having it gone, that's certainly worth something.

 

[TUGBrian]

*sigh....

you could have given it back to diamond for $250 dollars.

the tax advice you were given was also incorrect.


never...ever...ever...pay a company huge upfront fees to do anything with your timeshare....we cannot stress this enough.

 

[DeniseM]

Since you have never posted here before, and you no longer own a timeshare - why are you posting a recommendation?

For newbies who may be reading this thread - a timeshare donation and the fees paid to get rid of it, are NOT allowable tax deductions, and if you deduct it, and get audited, you would have a big problem.

Also - this is one of those quasi-charities that make a minimal donation to charity, to qualify as a "charity." The vast majority of their fees go to "over head."

 

[rickandcindy23]

Sorry you fell for a scam. Or, sorry you are working for a company that scams people. Not sure which one it is, but it's one or the other. These folks didn't help you at all. And as stated above, you are not going to be able to deduct ANYTHING.

 

[LannyPC]

It's not that easy or simple. Let's say I paid for the convenience and the expertise of having it gone, that's certainly worth something.

One thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars versus $250. I'd say that's very expensive convenience and expertise.

 

[Ty1on]

If you happen to have any Club Wyndham Access contracts you want to get rid of, I would be delighted to assist you for the low cost of one thousand dollars.

 

[theo]

Florida Veterans Assistance: past history vs. current glowing recommendation...

Florida Veterans Assistance Association got me out of my Timeshare with Diamond Resorts Daytona Beach Regency in less than two months. My cost was a total of $1725 paid to FL Veterans Assistance Assn, a 501 C3 charity, which I am able to take as a charitable contribution on my tax return, in addition to the donation of the timeshare itself, whatever amount that may be (max $5000 according to the tax code I believe). I am definitely out of my timeshare because I got a letter from Diamond Resorts saying that the timeshare ownership had been transferred. My Diamond Resorts account is no longer active, so I'm quite sure I no longer own it.

Another plus is that I still got to deposit my unit for 2015, and I don't have to pay maintenance fees for the upcoming year.

If you are interested in going this route rather than waiting to sell your timeshare privately, I highly recommend these people. They are easy to work with. Whenever I called, the same person was available to speak with. [contact info deleted]

Update: As Brian said, I could have given it back to Diamond for $250. I say if it were so easy giving back the timeshare, everyone who no longer wanted their timeshare would be doing just that. It's not that easy or simple. Let's say I paid for the convenience and the expertise of having it gone, that's certainly worth something.

I clearly recall extensive TUG discussion in recent years in which this specific FVA organization had failed to successfully complete dozens and dozens of timeshare ownership transfers. A FVA rep (user name FVA Rep, oddly enough) actually weighed in here at that time on behalf of the organization with some lame and unconvincing explanations, basically pointing the finger elsewhere (i.e., at a closing entity they used) if I recall the discussion correctly. If further interested (...I'm not, personally) the TUG "search" function is your friend and all of that Florida Veterans Assistance related material can be very easily retrieved and evaluated at your convenience.

I don't claim to know if those numerous, well-documented ownership transfer problems were ever successfully resolved by FVA, but I would suggest to any and all readers viewing the ringing (...ahem) "endorsement" of FVA above (...from a one-time TUG poster ) to take the "highly recommended" input with a grain of salt and perform their own due diligence. As noted already by others, I also firmly believe the associated "tax deduction input" provided above to be just flat out wrong.

P.S. I fail to comprehend how paying $1,725 to a third party entity is more "convenient" than a simple, direct-deedback to DRI itself for $250, with no middleman involvement, to conclusively and permanently terminate a DRI ownership. Frankly, neither that math nor that "logic" works for me at all, but YMMV.

 

[RSWofford]

I would like more information on direct-deedback to DRI for $250. Who do I contact to do this?

 

[theo]

"Ratings" forum is the wrong place to ask this particular question...

I would like more information on direct-deedback to DRI for $250. Who do I contact to do this?

I would respectfully suggest asking this question in TUG's DRI-specific forum instead, where DRI-knowledgeable people will actually see and reply to your question.
The DRI forum is found listed as a sub-section of "All Other Timeshare Systems".

 

[RSWofford]

Thank you!

 

[pedro47]

I would like more information on direct-deedback to DRI for $250. Who do I contact to do this?

There is a thread already posted on this web site on this topic.