There are several reasons a person would want to learn how to find out if someone owns a timeshare. Why, you might ask? Well, for starters, children of deceased older parents will want to know whether they own a timeshare and how it affects them. When you deal with someone’s estate after they pass away, you need to iron out all of that person’s assets as well as obligations.
People also want to learn if someone they know owns a timeshare. Perhaps they are going into a transaction with them, and want to know whether they own what they say they do. Verifying financial assets and liabilities is a normal procedure in a lot of business deals.
If you’re an investor or lender, you’ll want to know if someone owns a timeshare because you need to factor that into their ability to repay. It’s part of someone’s overall credit profile.
Finally, if you want to rent a timeshare that’s listed online, how can you certify that the person who posted the ad holds the deed? The last thing you want is to rent a timeshare and show up only to be told by the resort that you’ve violated some policy or that the “owner” wasn’t actually the owner.
Luckily, no matter what your purpose, learning how to find out if someone owns a timeshare is possible. You can leave the anxiety of not knowing behind and find out what’s really going on.
Read on to learn more about how you can get to the bottom of timeshare ownership.
Three Options for How to Find Out If Someone Owns a Timeshare
Option 1 – Verify with the Resort
This part’s the easy step. In many cases, all you have to do to verify ownership is call the resort and ask. A lot of timeshare companies will let you know if someone owns a particular timeshare.
No, you probably won’t have a lot of luck if you just call them up and say, “Who owns this unit?” They won’t be that free with client and owner information. But if you cite their name and other details, they’ll probably give you a simple yes or a no.
Sometimes they’ll offer up a corporate phone number you can call to ask or tell you if a formal process exists for verifying ownership.
A Helpful Hint: You’re more likely to have success finding out if someone owns a certain timeshare if you approach the situation politely and butter whoever you’re talking to up a bit. Even if they don’t have the information you’re looking for, they can point you in the right direction.
Option 2- Call Corporate to Ask About Ownership
If you’re renting a timeshare from someone else or are involved in some sort of transaction where you need to verify, you could have some luck with calling the corporate office.
Timeshare companies, of course, keep a record of who their owners are. They may be able to tell you who owns a timeshare.
Don’t have high expectations though. A lot of these companies have strict privacy protections in place and won’t give out personal information to someone on the phone asking questions about an owner.
If you’re trying to establish whether your deceased parent or someone else who has passed away owned a timeshare, there is often a process in place that will help you verify.
Typically, you’ll have to send in a copy of the death certificate and proof of your relationship with the owner for them to verify. This process can be a huge hassle, so you’ll need to build up some patience before you start trying to find out if someone owns a timeshare.
Here’s what you need to ask:
- What do I need to provide to verify ownership?
- Where do I send it?
- When will I hear back?
- How will you let me know?
- Are there any fees for this service?
Get someone’s name so you have a reference in case you need to call again.
Option 3 – Searching for a Timeshare Deed
In many timeshare transactions, the timeshare company issues a deed to owners. That’s not always the case, but it happens when there is shared deeded ownership. Every buyer gets a percentage of the property.
This is in contrast to some timeshare agreements where you buy points that can be used at resorts around the country or the world. With deeded timeshare agreements, it’s generally involving a single property or resort.
In deals where there is a deed issued, it has to be recorded in the county where the property is located. This is a public record that will appear in county databases either online or with the city clerk.
If you want to know how to find out if someone owns a timeshare, this is a great place to start. You can check to see if a county where the timeshare is located has a website that lets you search recorded deeds and other information. All you have to do is enter information like name, date of birth, etc. to find out if someone owns a timeshare.
The deed should lay out when the owner is allowed to use the property, which is a bit different than a deed on a single-owner house or commercial property.
Insider Advice-Some services specialize in searching city records that can help you track down a deed and find out who owns a timeshare. They’re a great service for people who don’t want to deal with the red tape or who don’t have the time.
Getting a Certified Copy of the Deed
If you need to show a copy of the deed to an estate planner, an attorney, or a representative at a timeshare exit company, then you’ll need a certified copy.
The government keeps original deeds for safekeeping or they are with the original owner. It’s not like anyone who asks can get their hands on an actual deed. Instead, they provide what are called certified copies. These serve as a legal document.
To get a certified copy, you will need to talk to the city clerk. Sometimes you’ll have to pay a minimal fee, and then they will mail you a copy. Other times you can go in and pick one up from their office in person.
Whenever a timeshare is sold or transferred, a certified copy of the deed comes in handy.
How to Find Out If Someone Owns a Timeshare? – Count on the Deed
Deeded timeshares make finding out who the owner is much simpler. Anytime there is a purchase or transfer, the timeshare owner records the transaction and the name changes on the original deed. This is a living record of ownership that needs to be updated each time there is a change in ownership.
Confirming Ownership Is Important When Buying or Selling
There are already enough shenanigans going on in the timeshare industry. For starters, you’ve got aggressive sales tactics that manipulate emotions. They put people in contracts they live to regret.
Resorts in the brochure don’t always turn out to be what was promised, and those pesky fees have a way of going up every year no matter what. The product you get is the same, but you have to pay more for it.
However, one way to take the mystery out of timeshare ownership is to verify ownership before you rent, buy, or transfer a timeshare.
This is especially important when involved in a private transaction between two parties, and not dealing with the timeshare company. The best thing to do is get an objective third-party to facilitate the deal and make sure everything is clear and easy to understand.
It’s a lot of money we’re talking about here. Thousands of dollars are on the line, so don’t take any chances when you don’t have to.
How Timeshare Exit and Resale Experts Can Help
Most people who own timeshares will eventually want out. Either it no longer fits their vacation priorities, or they’ve had enough dealing with the ever-increasing fees and simply don’t want to think about it anymore.
Whatever the case may be, finding someone to buy a timeshare and facilitating the sale will make the process that much easier.
With a timeshare exit company, you finally find a way out of your timeshare and will be free of all of the hassle that comes with it in the form of annual fees and other costs.
Many people who own timeshares want to learn how to find out if someone owns a timeshare because they want to make sure their name is off the deed once they sell! They want confirmation that they are free of the contract for good.
At PMG, we have years of experience fighting for clients against timeshare companies and getting them out of their contracts. We can help you sort your situation related to timeshare ownership and will get your name off the contract and deed (where applicable). Our team knows the ins and outs of the industry, and we know what it takes to get you results.
We cover all of our work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We won’t call any job complete until you’ve got the resolution you deserve. Talk to us today about how we can help you confirm whether someone owns a timeshare and help you get out of yours!