Perpetuity clauses pass timeshare maintenance fees to heirs who never agreed to them

Most timeshare contracts include a perpetuity clause that binds not just the buyer but their estate, meaning children inherit the obligation to pay $1,500+/year in maintenance fees for a property they never chose and may never visit. Heirs technically can file a Disclaimer of Interest within nine months of the owner's death, but most families learn about the obligation only after probate is underway and fees have already accrued. This persists because perpetuity clauses are buried in contracts signed under high-pressure sales conditions, no state requires the clause to be separately acknowledged or highlighted, and resorts profit from collecting fees on units regardless of whether the owner's descendants ever use them.