Last updated 2026-07-26
TL;DR
Diamond Resorts merged into Hilton Grand Vacations in 2021 and generally will not let you just walk away. Your fastest legal exit is rescission within your state's cancellation window, right after signing. After that, ask HGV about a deed-back or surrender program, expect resale value near zero, and never pay a big upfront fee to a company promising to cancel your contract for you.
Is Diamond Resorts still a company, or is it Hilton now?
Diamond Resorts International was bought by Hilton Grand Vacations in a deal that closed in August 2021 [1]. If you own a Diamond points package or a deed at a former Diamond property, your maintenance bill, your owner services line, and any exit conversation now runs through Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV), not the old Diamond corporate office. This matters for your exit strategy. HGV inherited Diamond's contracts and its member services infrastructure, and it has its own version of a deed-back program that it applies inconsistently across former Diamond resorts depending on the HOA and the state the property sits in. Some former Diamond owners report being told a resort accepts deed-backs; others are told the opposite for a property one state over. There's no single national Diamond/HGV policy you can quote back at them, so get whatever answer you receive from owner services in writing or a reference number, and don't treat a phone rep's promise as a signed agreement. If you're early in comparing your options generally, the broader guide on how to get out of a timeshare walks through every legal path in more depth than we can here.
How do you get out of a timeshare in the first place, legally?
There are really only four legitimate ways out: rescind during your state's cancellation window, negotiate a deed-back or surrender with the resort/developer, sell or give it away on the resale market, or stop paying and let the company foreclose (which wrecks your credit and can still leave you owing fees, so it's a last resort, not a strategy). Every other path you'll see advertised, like a company that promises to 'cancel your contract permanently' for a large upfront fee, is either a variation of one of those four things dressed up in marketing language, or it's a scam. The Federal Trade Commission's consumer guidance is blunt about this: timeshare resale and exit offers are one of the most complained-about categories it tracks, and the agency warns consumers to be skeptical of any company that promises to resell or exit your timeshare and asks for money up front [2]. For Diamond/HGV owners specifically, the order of operations should be: check if you're still inside rescission, then ask HGV directly about deed-back eligibility, then consider resale (with near-zero price expectations), and only look at a paid exit-help service, like our own how-to-get-out-of-a-timeshare resources, if you need help organizing the paperwork and comparing options.
How to get out of a Diamond Resorts timeshare during the rescission window
If you signed your Diamond/HGV contract recently, your best and cheapest exit is rescission, meaning you legally cancel the contract within a short window after signing, no reason needed, no penalty. This is the single fastest and cleanest way to get out of a timeshare, full stop. Every state sets its own rescission period, and the length varies a lot. California requires timeshare sellers to give buyers the right to cancel and get a full refund by midnight of the seventh calendar day after signing. Florida sets its window at 10 calendar days after execution of the contract or receipt of the public offering statement, whichever is later [3]. Some states allow as few as three days, others stretch to 15. Because Diamond/HGV resorts exist in states including California, Florida, Nevada, Missouri, Arizona, Virginia, and others, you cannot assume your window; you have to confirm your state's rescission window using the statute for the state where you signed, not where you live if those differ. To rescind, follow the cancellation instructions printed in your contract exactly: most states require written notice, often sent by certified mail with a return receipt, postmarked before the deadline. Do this yourself; don't pay a third party to rescind for you inside the window, since it costs nothing but a stamp and some certified mail fees, typically under $10. If HGV or Diamond gives you any pushback on a timely, properly documented rescission, that's a matter for your state attorney general's consumer protection division, not a paid exit company.
What if my rescission window already closed?
Then rescission is off the table, and you move to the next tier: asking HGV directly whether the property you own participates in a deed-back or surrender program. HGV's investor materials and owner communications reference exit and deed-back options in various forms, but availability depends on the specific resort's HOA rules and whether the property still has developer inventory value. Realistically, deed-back acceptance is more likely if your maintenance fees are current, you owe no outstanding loan balance on the contract, and the resort itself isn't deeply oversupplied with unsold or reclaimed weeks already. If you still owe money on a Diamond/HGV loan, expect them to require payoff or a negotiated settlement before they'll take the deed back; they're not going to erase debt you still owe as part of a free deed-back. Ask owner services directly: 'does this specific resort have a deed-back or surrender program, and what are the current eligibility requirements?' Get the answer in an email or reference number. If they say no, ask if a hardship or financial-difficulty exception exists; some developers, historically including Diamond, have offered case-by-case relief for owners in genuine financial distress, though none of this is promised in advance and terms change without notice.
How to sell a Diamond Resorts timeshare (and what it's actually worth)
You can legally sell or transfer a Diamond/HGV timeshare, but the honest answer on price is: expect close to nothing, and possibly negative value once you account for closing costs and transfer fees. Timeshare resale markets are famously weak; a widely cited industry stat from the American Resort Development Association's owner research puts average per-interval purchase prices in the thousands, but resale prices for the same intervals routinely run 80-90% below the original developer price on secondary marketplaces, and many listings sit for years unsold. If you want to try anyway: list on a licensed timeshare resale marketplace or through a licensed real estate broker in the state where the property sits (some states require a real estate license to broker timeshare resales; check your state's real estate commission). Price it to move, meaning at or near $1, plus let the buyer know they'll cover closing costs and the HGV transfer fee. Never pay an upfront 'listing fee' of hundreds or thousands of dollars to a company that cold-calls you promising a buyer is already lined up; that's one of the most common upfront-fee scam patterns the FTC and multiple state attorneys general warn about [2]. Gifting or deeding to a family member is legally simple but morally complicated: you're handing someone else the maintenance fee obligation forever, so be honest with them about the real annual cost before they say yes.
How to get rid of a timeshare you inherited from a Diamond Resorts owner
Inheriting a Diamond/HGV timeshare doesn't happen automatically just because you're an heir; the deed has to actually transfer to you through probate, or you have to formally accept the interest, before you're on the hook for fees. Some states allow an heir to disclaim (formally refuse) an inheritance, including a timeshare interest, within a set period after the decedent's death, which can keep you from ever becoming legally responsible for the maintenance fees at all. A qualified disclaimer under federal tax law generally must be made in writing within nine months of the death under Internal Revenue Code Section 2518 [4], and state probate law governs whether a disclaimed interest passes to someone else or reverts to the estate. If you've already accepted the interest or fees have started accumulating in your name, you're back to the same four options: check whether a fresh rescission window somehow applies (it usually doesn't for inherited interests), ask HGV about deed-back, try resale, or negotiate a release directly with owner services citing the inheritance circumstances. Talk to a probate attorney in the state where the estate is being handled before you sign anything accepting or rejecting the interest; this is genuinely one situation where paying for an hour of a local attorney's time is worth it, because disclaiming incorrectly or too late can lock you into fees for a property you never wanted.
Are timeshares scams?
The timeshare product itself is legal in all 50 states and regulated at the state level, so no, owning one isn't inherently a scam. But the sales process and the exit industry around it are both loaded with genuine scam risk, and it's fair to be suspicious on both ends. On the sales side, high-pressure presentations, understated lifetime costs, and vague resale promises ('you can always sell it later') are extremely common complaints to state attorneys general and the FTC, even though they don't always rise to the level of illegal fraud. On the exit side, the scam pattern is well documented: a company cold-calls or advertises that it can cancel your timeshare contract, charges $2,000 to $5,000 or more upfront, and then does little or nothing, sometimes disappearing entirely. The FTC's timeshare resale guidance specifically warns: 'Before you pay any money, get all promises in writing and confirm you're dealing with a legitimate company' [2], and multiple state attorneys general, including Florida's, have brought enforcement actions against timeshare exit companies for deceptive practices . So the honest framing is: the ownership is real and regulated, but any pitch built around a big upfront fee and a bold promise about your exit is the thing that should make you stop and check the company's name against your state AG's consumer complaint database before you send a dollar.
How much do timeshares cost, really?
| Average purchase price | ~$23,000 | ARDA 2023 owner survey |
|---|---|---|
| Average annual maintenance fee | ~$1,205 | ARDA 2023 owner survey |
| Typical resale price vs. original | 80-90% below original | Industry resale market data |
| Common exit-scam upfront fee | $2,000-$5,000+ | FTC consumer alerts [2] |
Two numbers matter: what you pay to buy it, and what you pay every year afterward, and the second number is the one that traps people. According to ARDA's 2023 owner survey data, the average timeshare purchase price was around $23,000, and the average annual maintenance fee was around $1,205 . Diamond/HGV points packages and deeded weeks generally fall in or above that range depending on resort location, unit size, and season, with maintenance fees that climb most years through special assessments and inflation adjustments written into the HOA governing documents. Here's the part sellers rarely emphasize at the presentation table: maintenance fees are not optional and they don't stop just because you stop using the property. They're owed to the resort HOA every year you own the interest, and they typically rise faster than general inflation, since resort HOAs pass through renovation costs, insurance increases (a real driver in hurricane-exposed states like Florida), and reserve fund contributions. A special assessment, a one-time extra bill for a big repair or renovation, can add hundreds or thousands of dollars in a single year on top of the regular fee. If your reason for wanting out is rising fees rather than pure buyer's remorse, that's the pattern this whole industry runs on, and it's why the exit conversation exists at all. | Cost item | Typical range | Source |
How do I avoid an exit scam while trying to get rid of my Diamond timeshare?
Watch for a specific set of red flags that show up again and again in complaints filed with state attorneys general and the FTC: a cold call out of nowhere claiming they have 'a buyer already lined up' for your exact timeshare, pressure to pay a large fee (often $2,000 to $5,000+) by wire transfer or gift card before any work starts, refusal to put guarantees in writing, and claims that they're 'attorneys' or 'affiliated with' HGV/Diamond when they're not. Before paying anyone: search the company's name plus 'complaint' and check it against your state attorney general's consumer complaint portal, and check the Better Business Bureau profile for pattern complaints, more than the star rating. Ask for the company's refund policy in writing before you pay anything, and ask specifically what happens to your fee if they don't get you out within a stated timeframe. A legitimate company will answer that question clearly; a scam operation will get vague or defensive. We are not a law firm, we do not contact Diamond/HGV or any resort on your behalf, and we don't promise any exit or cancellation outcome, because nobody honestly can. Keep paying your maintenance fees and any loan payments you legally owe while you sort out your options; stopping payment doesn't cancel the contract, it just adds delinquency fees and credit damage on top of the problem you already have. For a structured look at the legitimate paid-help category, see timeshare exit companies, and cross-reference any company you're considering against timeshare cancellation guidance on what a real cancellation process looks like.
What does a $149 exit kit actually help with, versus a $3,000 exit company?
A paid exit company typically charges thousands of dollars to do things you can mostly do yourself: draft a cancellation or rescission letter, compile your contract documents, identify your state's specific rescission statute, and organize a timeline of correspondence with the resort. What you're really paying for in most of those packages is organization and templates, not legal magic, since no company can force HGV to release you from a contract you're not otherwise entitled to exit. Our $149 one-time Exit Kit Builder is built around that reality: it helps you assemble the right documents, generate a rescission or deed-back request letter matched to your state and situation, and gives you a checklist for what to send, to whom, and by when. It doesn't contact Diamond or HGV for you, and it doesn't promise any particular outcome, because nobody honestly can promise that. It's meant for owners who want the paperwork done right without paying a company thousands of dollars to send letters you could send yourself with the right template.
When does foreclosure or just walking away make sense, and what does it actually cost you?
It rarely 'makes sense' in the sense of being a good outcome, but sometimes it's the realistic end point after every legitimate exit path has failed and an owner genuinely cannot pay. If you stop paying maintenance fees or a loan on a Diamond/HGV interest, the HOA or lender can eventually foreclose on the deeded interest (or terminate a points membership), similar to how a mortgage lender forecloses on a house, though timeshare foreclosures are typically nonjudicial and faster than traditional home foreclosures in many states. The real cost isn't just losing the timeshare, which you wanted to lose anyway; it's the damage to your credit report, which can run for up to seven years under the Fair Credit Reporting Act's standard reporting period for most delinquent accounts , plus potential collections activity for any deficiency balance still owed after the foreclosure sale, depending on your state's law. Some states allow the lender to pursue you for the difference between what you owed and what the resort recovers; others don't. This is exactly why we don't advise anyone to simply stop paying as a strategy; it's a consequence you might end up living with, not a plan you should choose on purpose.
What should I actually do first, starting today?
Pull your contract and find the date you signed it. If that date is inside your state's rescission window (confirm the exact number of days using your state's statute or your state attorney general's consumer page), send written rescission notice today, by certified mail, following your contract's instructions exactly. If you're past rescission, call HGV owner services and ask, in writing if possible, whether the specific resort you own at has a deed-back or surrender program and what the current eligibility rules are. Get a reference number for the call. While you wait for an answer, start pricing your unit on one or two licensed resale marketplaces just to see the real market, and keep paying your fees on schedule so you don't create a new problem while solving the old one. Compare your full menu of options, including DIY paperwork, deed-back, resale, and paid help, using how to get out of timeshare and how do you get out of a timeshare before committing money to any single path.
Frequently asked questions
How to get out of a timeshare with Diamond Resorts specifically?
Diamond merged into Hilton Grand Vacations in 2021 [1]. Check if you're still inside your state's rescission window first; if not, contact HGV owner services in writing to ask about deed-back or surrender eligibility for your specific resort. Resale is a distant third option since values are low. Never pay a big upfront fee to a company that promises to cancel your contract.
How do you get out of a timeshare after the rescission period ends?
After rescission closes, your main options are a developer deed-back or surrender program (if the resort offers one), reselling for little to no money on a licensed marketplace, or, as a last resort, defaulting and accepting foreclosure and credit damage. There's no fifth secret legal path; every exit company offering is a variation of these.
How to sell a timeshare from Diamond Resorts or HGV?
List it on a licensed timeshare resale marketplace or through a real-estate-licensed broker in the property's state, price it near $1 given weak resale demand, and disclose that the buyer covers closing and transfer fees. Never pay a large upfront listing fee to a company that claims it already has a buyer lined up; that's a common scam pattern the FTC warns about [2].
How to get rid of a timeshare you no longer want or use?
Start with rescission if you're still in the window, then ask the resort about a deed-back program, then try resale with realistic (near-zero) price expectations. Keep paying fees while you sort options out. Avoid any company demanding thousands of dollars upfront in exchange for a promised exit.
Are timeshares scams?
The ownership product itself is legal and state-regulated, not inherently a scam. But high-pressure sales tactics and, separately, upfront-fee exit companies making bold promises are widely documented problem areas the FTC and state attorneys general actively warn consumers about and pursue enforcement against [2][7].
How much is a timeshare, on average?
ARDA's 2023 owner survey put the average purchase price around $23,000 and the average annual maintenance fee around $1,205 [8]. Diamond/HGV points packages can run higher depending on unit size, season, and resort location, and fees typically rise most years.
How much do timeshares cost per year in maintenance fees?
Around $1,205 a year on average per ARDA's 2023 owner data [8], though this varies widely by resort and unit size, and special assessments for repairs or renovations can add hundreds or thousands more in a given year on top of the regular fee.
How much are timeshares worth on the resale market?
Typically 80-90% below the original purchase price, and many listings sit unsold for years. It's common for a Diamond/HGV interest bought for $20,000+ to resell for $1 or less, with the seller often paying closing costs just to transfer it off their name.
Can I just stop paying my Diamond Resorts maintenance fees to get out?
You legally owe fees you agreed to pay, and stopping doesn't cancel the contract. It typically leads to delinquency fees, potential foreclosure on the interest, and credit report damage lasting up to seven years under standard Fair Credit Reporting Act timelines [9]. It's a consequence, not an exit strategy.
What is the rescission period for a Diamond Resorts or HGV contract?
It depends entirely on the state where you signed. Florida requires 10 calendar days [4]; California requires cancellation rights through midnight of the seventh calendar day after signing [3]. Always confirm your specific state's rescission window using the statute, since it is not the same nationwide.
Does Hilton Grand Vacations offer a deed-back program for former Diamond owners?
HGV has offered deed-back or surrender options at some former Diamond resorts, but availability depends on the specific property, its HOA, and your account status (fees current, no outstanding loan balance). There's no single uniform nationwide policy, so ask owner services directly and get the answer in writing.
What happens if I inherit a Diamond Resorts timeshare I don't want?
You may be able to disclaim (formally refuse) the inheritance; a qualified disclaimer under federal tax law generally must be made in writing within nine months of the decedent's death under IRC Section 2518 [6]. Talk to a probate attorney in the estate's state before accepting or rejecting, since timing and state probate rules both matter.
How do I know if a timeshare exit company is a scam?
Red flags include cold calls claiming a buyer is 'already lined up,' pressure to pay $2,000-$5,000+ upfront by wire or gift card, refusal to put guarantees in writing, and false claims of being affiliated with the resort. Check the company against your state attorney general's complaint database before paying anything.
Sources
- California Civil Code Section 11238 (Vacation Ownership and Time-Share Act): California requires a timeshare buyer's right to cancel through midnight of the seventh calendar day after signing
- Florida Statutes Section 721.10, Timeshare Act cancellation rights: Florida's timeshare rescission period is 10 calendar days after contract execution or receipt of the public offering statement, whichever is later
- 26 U.S.C. Section 2518, Internal Revenue Code, disclaimers: A qualified disclaimer of an inherited interest generally must be made in writing within nine months of the decedent's death
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Fair Credit Reporting Act reporting periods: Most negative credit information, including delinquent accounts, can generally be reported for up to seven years
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Explanation of what foreclosure is and how it can affect a timeshare owner who stops paying
- Internal Revenue Service: Tax implications of debt cancellation or foreclosure that may apply when walking away from a timeshare
- Cornell Legal Information Institute (Truth in Lending Act): Federal disclosure requirements relevant to timeshare financing contracts
- Nolo: State-by-state summary of timeshare rescission periods used to compare Florida and California rules