Reviewing Deed/HOA Docs When Buying Timeshare Resale

Do you have any information on how to obtain a copy of a time share deed as well as a copy of the hoa bylaws etc.

In researching buying a timeshare, it seems everyone wants to sell a timeshare without providing these documents up front. While a copy of a deed or an example deed may not be reasonable. It would seem that the sellers should be willing to provide the hoa bylaws and other details in advance.

Any information you may be able to provide will be greatly appreciated.

First off, great questions! It sounds like you're doing your due diligence & making yourself an informed timeshare buyer.

A properly informed seller should be willing to provide you a copy of the deed to review. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation on the internet... After reading various forums and discussion boards, some timeshare owners become confused - mistakenly believing there is some sort of risk in providing you a copy of the deed. A reputable timeshare resale company will be able advise the seller to comply with your request. Otherwise, the unwillingness to provide the deed for review would be a red flag for me.

As for the HOA docs, many owners either inadvertently discard these, or are given a disk or link to the condo docs rather than a paper copy. Also, timeshare HOA covenants are subject to change from time to time, and the seller may not have the most updated version. My advice would be to first review the deed and negotiate the sale price. (You could even enter into a contract with the timeshare seller, subject to your review of the HOA docs.) Then, contact the resort and request a copy. You'll likely end up either having to pay the resort for a copy of the current docs, or you'll be referred to the relevant municipality where the docs are filed, and you'll have to buy a copy from them.

Happy hunting, and enjoy your timeshare purchase!
-Timeshare Guru