inheriting mother's timeshare

[RJoy]

My mother owned a timeshare in SC, which we deposited yearly and exchanged for other vacations elsewhere. She passed away in July, and my husband and I decided that we would like to keep it. Also, she was an RCI member, and I did all the navigating of the RCI network. I would like some advice about transferring both the time share and the RCI membership to my name. How do I make sure that the points that are in her RCI account do not get lost in the transfer? And how can I be sure that the original agreement(incl maintenance fee) does not get changed in the deed transfer. I live in PA, so I need to find a lawyer in SC to do the deed transfer. My attorney in PA did contact the general counsel for the resort group, who has recommended a local SC lawyer who can do this for us, and gave us the link for the probate court. I just wanted to know if anyone has gone through this, and request advice to help me navigate without making any wrong turns. Thank you.

 

[Patri]

Just leave it as is and keep using. May make it easier to get rid of it when you no longer want it.

 

[andre10056]

I cannot tell you the answers to all your questions.

But first I thought I'd discuss some issues that might be worth thinking about.

As for your question about wanting to make sure that your mother's contractual maintenance fees won't go up after you assume ownership, I'm not sure what you mean. Timeshares usually prepare an annual budget whereby they charge whatever maintenance fees will allow them to pay all their bills, Since employees, contractors, building materials, bathtubs, stoves, equipment and tools, etc., etc., etc. cost more and more each year, there's no way that they would charge only that maintenance fee that may have been set in, say, 1985. So I think the maintenance fees can reasonably be expected to increase every year by some greater or lesser percentage. I don't think a change in the owner's name has anything to do with it.

Also, I would assume that your mother's RCI balance would transfer to you upon your inheriting her timeshare, but I don't know that. I would suggest you call RCI and ask. Better yet, do an online chat in which you would be your mother and ask prospectively, "If I were to die.....". That way, you don't inform RCI about her death in the event (who knows?) that all points go Poof! and disappear upon someone's death.

Finally, if you went down the "don't inform anyone about my mother's death" route, I think the only way that YOU would be able to take occupancy at any resort to which you exchange (and this may likely apply to your South Carolina home resort as well) is if "your mother" would get a guest certificate for you. And those cost money. But that might be a good way of getting her balance down to zero.

Oh. One other thing. I'm assuming that you already own your own timeshare in the Poconos in Pennsylvania. If you're an RCI member, "your mother" could transfer her entire RCI balance to you for, I think, $90. I'm not sure if that can be done online or if an RCI rep would have to do it.