You've made a lot of sacrifices for your children. You've worked overtime, saved diligently, and done everything possible to give them a better life. But there's something lurking in the fine print of that timeshare contract you signed years ago—something that could undo decades of financial planning and burden your children with a debt they never asked for.
It's called a perpetuity clause, and it's the timeshare industry's dirty secret. This single provision in your contract means that when you die, your timeshare—along with its never-ending maintenance fees, special assessments, and legal obligations—doesn't disappear. It transfers directly to your estate, and ultimately, to your children.
The vacation property you thought was a gift could become your family's financial nightmare.
What Is a Perpetuity Clause—And Why Should It Terrify You?
A perpetuity clause is legal language buried in nearly every timeshare contract in America. In plain English, it means your timeshare ownership never expires. Not when you retire. Not when you can no longer travel. Not when you die.
The contract is designed to last forever—passed down through your estate to your children, then to their children, then to their children's children. Each generation inherits not just the property itself, but every financial obligation attached to it.
Timeshare companies frame this as a benefit: "Your grandchildren will enjoy vacations for generations to come!" But what they don't tell you is that they've created a revenue stream that never dies. Your family becomes a perpetual source of maintenance fees, special assessments, and unexpected charges—whether they want the timeshare or not.
The Staggering Financial Burden You're Leaving Behind
Let's talk numbers, because the reality is far worse than most timeshare owners realize.
According to the American Resort Development Association's own 2025 industry report, the average annual timeshare maintenance fee has reached $1,480 per interval—a jaw-dropping 17.5% increase from just the previous year. Over the past five years alone, maintenance fees have surged by 36%.
One Florida Resort Fee Increase
13.74% for 2025
Nearly six times projected inflation
20-Year Cost Projection
$44,000+ in fees alone
On top of $23,000 avg purchase price
But that's just the average. Some owners are paying far more. One Florida resort increased its maintenance fees by 13.74% for 2025—nearly six times the projected inflation rate. And here's the disturbing truth: 49% of resorts are planning fee increases of 10% or more in the near future.
Over a 20-year period, industry analysis estimates that the average timeshare owner will pay approximately $44,000 or more in maintenance fees alone—on top of the original purchase price that averages over $23,000. That's nearly $70,000 for a "vacation investment" that has virtually no resale value.
Now imagine your children inheriting this burden. They didn't sign the contract. They didn't sit through the high-pressure sales presentation. They didn't agree to pay escalating fees for the rest of their lives. But under the perpetuity clause, that's exactly what they'll face.
How Timeshare Debt Passes to Your Heirs
When you pass away, your timeshare doesn't simply disappear into thin air. Here's the grim reality of what happens next:
- Your timeshare becomes part of your estate. Just like your home, your car, and your savings, your timeshare is an asset that must be dealt with through probate—the legal process of distributing a deceased person's property.
- The perpetuity clause kicks in. That language you glossed over when signing the contract now forces ownership—and all its obligations—onto whoever inherits your estate.
- Maintenance fees keep accruing. While your estate is in probate, the timeshare company doesn't stop billing. Your executor must continue paying these fees from estate assets, draining money that could go to your children.
- Your children face an impossible choice. Accept the timeshare and its never-ending financial obligations, or go through a complicated legal process to disclaim it—often within a tight nine-month window after your death.
If your children miss that deadline—or if they don't know their rights—they could be legally bound to a contract they never wanted. And if the timeshare company has already added their names to the deed (a common tactic disguised as a "convenience feature"), declining the inheritance becomes even more complicated.
The Trap Gets Even Deeper: What Many Families Discover Too Late
Many timeshare owners believe their children can simply refuse the inheritance and walk away. While that's technically true, the process is far more complicated than it sounds—and the consequences can be severe.
The Disclaimer Process Is a Legal Minefield
To refuse a timeshare inheritance, your heirs must file what's called a "Disclaimer of Interest" with the probate court. This isn't as simple as writing a letter saying "no thanks." They'll need to:
- Act within strict time limits (typically nine months, sometimes less depending on the state)
- Never use, rent, or derive any benefit from the timeshare after your death
- File proper legal documentation with multiple parties
- Potentially navigate complex state-specific legal requirements
One wrong move—like using the timeshare "just once" to see what it's like—and your children may forfeit their right to disclaim entirely.
If One Child Disclaims, the Nightmare Passes to the Next
Here's something most families don't realize: when one heir refuses a timeshare inheritance, it doesn't vanish. It simply passes to the next person in line. That could be another child, a sibling, a niece or nephew—someone who may not even know they're about to inherit a financial albatross.
This means every single family member who might inherit needs to file their own disclaimer. Miss one person, and the timeshare company has found their next victim.
Your Estate Can Be Drained by Unpaid Fees
If maintenance fees go unpaid during probate—or if the timeshare company decides to foreclose—they can make claims against your estate's assets. That inheritance you wanted to leave your children? Part of it could go straight to the timeshare company instead.
The Statistics Don't Lie: Most Owners Regret Their Purchase
You're not alone in feeling trapped by your timeshare. According to a widely-cited study by the University of Central Florida, up to 85% of timeshare buyers regret their purchase. The reasons are consistent across thousands of owners:
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Maintenance fees that rise relentlessly year after year
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The near-impossibility of selling or renting the property
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Booking systems that make it difficult to actually use what you own
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Special assessments that add thousands in unexpected costs
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The dawning realization that their children will inherit this burden
The timeshare industry is valued at over $10 billion—and much of that value comes from the perpetuity clauses that keep money flowing from generation to generation. When timeshare companies tell you that you're buying a "legacy" for your family, they mean it. Just not in the way you hoped.
Why Selling Your Timeshare Won't Solve the Problem
If you're thinking, "I'll just sell my timeshare before I pass away," we understand the impulse. But here's the brutal truth: the resale market for timeshares is essentially non-existent.
Industry data consistently shows that most timeshares sell for between 0% and 10% of their original purchase price—and the vast majority fall closer to the 0% end of that range.
The moment you signed that contract, your timeshare began depreciating. Today, it's likely worth nothing on the open market. There are more people desperately trying to give away their timeshares than there are buyers willing to take them—even for free.
And the resale market is infested with scammers who prey on desperate owners, charging thousands of dollars in upfront fees for "guaranteed sales" that never materialize. We've seen countless families lose even more money chasing false promises of a quick sale.
The Real Solution: Cancel Your Timeshare and Give Your Children True Freedom
There is a way out—and it doesn't involve hoping your children will navigate the disclaimer process correctly after you're gone.
At Bridge Transfers, we specialize in helping timeshare owners like you permanently exit their contracts. We work with families across the nation who are tired of watching their hard-earned money disappear into maintenance fees—and who refuse to pass that burden to the people they love most.
Our approach is different. Bridge Transfers partners with an affiliate law firm that specializes in timeshare contract cancellation. This means your exit is handled through proper legal channels—not through questionable tactics that could leave you exposed.
Why Families Trust Bridge Transfers
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Over 13 years of industry experience: We've seen every type of timeshare contract, every resort's tactics, and every roadblock the industry throws at owners trying to exit. We know what works.
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Attorney-backed cancellation process: Your case isn't handled by call center workers reading from scripts. Our affiliate law firm reviews your contract and handles the cancellation process.
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Our proprietary 3-1-2 System: This proven process has helped thousands of families escape their timeshare obligations permanently and legally.
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$1,000 guarantee: We stand behind our work. If we can't cancel your timeshare, you receive $1,000 back. That's how confident we are in our process.
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Nationwide service: Whether your timeshare is in Florida, California, Mexico, or the Caribbean, we can help.
The Gift of Freedom: What Cancellation Means for Your Family
Imagine the relief of knowing your children won't inherit your timeshare debt. No perpetuity clause hanging over their heads. No maintenance fees eating into their budgets. No nine-month countdown to file legal documents while grieving your loss.
That's what timeshare cancellation provides: true freedom—for you and for the people you love.
Every year you wait is another year of maintenance fees you won't get back. Every month you delay is another month that perpetuity clause remains in force. And every day your children get closer to inheriting a problem they didn't create.
Take Action Now—Before It's Too Late
The best time to cancel your timeshare was the day after you bought it. The second-best time is today.
Don't leave your children with the burden of navigating timeshare inheritance after you're gone. Don't make them hire lawyers, file disclaimers, and hope they don't miss a deadline. Don't let the timeshare company add one more generation to their revenue stream.
Take control now. Protect your family. End the cycle.
Contact Bridge Transfers today for a free consultation.
Call us or visit our website to learn how we can help you escape your timeshare contract—and give your children the gift of financial freedom.
Your family's future is worth more than a timeshare contract. Let's end this nightmare together.