welcome to TUG! so happy you found the page when searching!
This is not a hoax. It is real. I had owned with my sister an ILX property that was bought by DRI. My sister died leaving me with many timeshares that I just can't use or rent fast enough. The reason they do it is they don't have to build a new property which isn't really how they operate. They mostly buy smaller groups up. Wyndham has also started a program they call Ovation. I am giving one back to them as well. Sales is a totally different group etc. than the corporate offices. Never in any of my conversations about how to deal with this after my sister's death did any timeshare company "offer" to tell me they had a deedback or give back program. I have shared this with 3 other people who just wanted out of their DRI property (fees got to high, person was in their 9o0s and third just didn't really use the timeshare) and they have all deeded them back for $250. You have to call Loss Mitigation which there is a posting with exactly what you need to do on the DRI listings page. It will take a few weeks to happen and you need to keep calling to follow up but the staff is always willing to answer questions.
An update. We did complete our FL say at a DRI property in early Dec. and once I checked in I found the closest FEDEX office and dropped all the notarized papers and check off. DRI provided the prepaid FEDEX return. I submitted it on 12/2, they got it in Las Vegas 12/5 and my check cleared the bank on 12/14. My online account is still active and I will keep monitoring and following up.DRI Deedback Almost Done
I have to give a huge THANK YOU to my fellow Tug posters and to Denise, a wonderful Moderator, who helped me navigate thru some of this.
I am a co-owner with my sister (now deceased) on a few timeshares (DRI and Sheraton/Vistana). For a few years I tried to use or rent everything we owned together but it was just too much. Thank heaven for DRI deedback. I started on 7/6 with my first email to them detailing my situation. I got a response very quickly thru the automated program but started calling on 7/14, 7/19, 8/19, and 10/10. I found out they had approved me for surrender toward the end of July and then it went to the title company. My property was Los Abrigados in Sedona, AZ.
Since I had married after the purchase and even though my husband's name isn't on anything, he still has to sign a form since AZ is a community property state. I have to provide a notarized copy of the death certificate with my check for $250.00.
We do plan to vacation and use up the last points before we surrender. I did ask and was told I need to return the forms (they provided a fedex envelope) by Dec. 15. I think that will make it process and close out the year properly.
Probably will still have to call II to close that account and follow up with more phone calls to verify all processing but this is such a welcome blessing.
For anyone else who may have a similar situation, do not believe what the TS companies tell you have to spend to correct deeds, etc. upon the death of one of your fellow owners or for any reason. Sheraton connected me to a lawyer's office that told me I would have to spend $4000 to probate a will in FL to remove my sister from the deed of that property. Through TUG I was connected to Ready Legal (Thanks Denise) and have found out that is not true and certainly won't cost me $4000 plus. I am keeping my Sheraton/Vistana properties but cleaning the deeds up and removing my sister from the ownership. Thanks
DRI does this because it's profitable. Think about it for a moment. To sell points to people they need to have actual inventory to back up the points being sold. If they acquire inventory by adding more resorts, that costs them money. Or they can acquire inventory for free from owners via deedback. There's much more money in the deedback.
Best bet is to call. Now that it is 2017 and fees are due, you may have to pay the fees and ask if they refund unused portion once deed processes. My process started in 2016, they have my $250 and I am still waiting to see that it has been filed with the county. DRI loss mitigation department told me not to pay 2017 fees. Processing should be done my mid-January. If you have a loan, all loans will have to be paid off. Loss Mitigation folks are easy to talk to and if you don't get thru, just keep calling back.
I hope your friend gets all that BUT I'd really doubt that they will. DRI seems to have a policy that any DRI reservation for after the date of closing the transfer of ownership are not honored.Yes, it is going to happen!!!!
I told a friend about this offer by DRI last month. She now has it in writing that they will accept her ownership back, that she will be refunded the 2017 maintenance fee that she has paid, and will be able to use the reservation that she has coming up in April since it is from a previous year's points.
I have a lot of complaints about DRI, but this "Transitions" program is a real positive for the owners that want out.
This 29-page thread alone is worth gold to many people and definitely worth the TUG membership fee.
