Short answer
The best timeshare exit companies review the contract before taking any money, use licensed attorneys for the negotiation, tell owners plainly that missing payments has consequences, and put their refund terms in writing. One service meets that bar on this page: Stonegate Firm, which assigns a case manager, documents the owner's grievance to the resort and negotiates a release through affiliated attorneys.
- Owners still inside the rescission window do not need any company, because a written cancellation letter sent on time ends the contract.
- Owners whose resort runs a take-back or deed-back program should ask about it first, since that route is usually cheaper than any exit service.
- An exit company makes sense when the resort has refused, the contract was misrepresented, or the owner cannot manage a long negotiation alone.
- No company can promise a result, and any service that says otherwise, or that tells owners to stop paying, is a warning sign.
The HomeownerPedia standard: We check every timeshare exit service on the same five points: how the process works, what it costs and when you pay, whether attorneys are involved, how long it takes and how complaints are handled. This list grows as more services pass. The companies listed pay us when you use their link; that never changes the order. How we're paid.
Our pick
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Best for a case-managed exit
Stonegate Firmstonegatefirm.com- Eligibility check
- Free
- Legal work
- Affiliated attorneys
- Attorney cost
- None extra
Good for: Owners past the rescission window who want a case manager, a documented grievance to the resort and attorney negotiation, rather than handling the resort alone.
Whether an exit is possible depends on your contract, your resort and your state. If nothing here fits, the guide below covers every route, including the resort's own take-back program and resale.
Your options at a glance
There are four ways out of a timeshare once the rescission window has closed. Only one of them is an exit company. The table compares them on the points that decide which fits.
| Route | Best for | Cost to you | Typical time | Who does the work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stonegate Firm | Owners the resort has refused, or who were misled at the sale | Eligibility check is free; service fees are quoted after review | Months; the company gives no fixed timeline | A case manager plus affiliated attorneys |
| Resort deed-back | Paid-off contracts with fees current | Often a processing fee or the current year's dues | Weeks to a few months | You, with the resort's owner services desk |
| Resale or transfer | In-demand resorts and point programs | Listing or closing costs; the sale price is often close to zero | Months to over a year | You, or a licensed resale broker |
| Private lawyer | Clear misrepresentation or fraud with documents to prove it | Hourly or flat fee, paid by you | Months | A lawyer licensed in the resort's state |
The figures for Stonegate Firm are what the company states on its own site or in its own materials. We have not verified them independently. Read our partner standards for how companies get on this list and what removes them, and the extra rules we apply to timeshare and solar companies.
Stonegate Firm review
What it is. Stonegate Firm describes itself as a timeshare cancellation and consumer protection company. It states that it is not a law firm; clients receive legal representation through an affiliated firm, Stonegate Law, at what the company says is no additional cost. Details in this section come from the company's own website, stonegatefirm.com, and its press materials.
How it works. The company describes a case-managed process: an intake that asks about the mortgage, how the timeshare was sold and which resort is involved; a case manager assigned to the file; documentation of the owner's valid issues; an initial grievance letter to the resort with a response window; and then negotiation by attorneys toward what the company calls an amicable release. It says it does not encourage owners to miss payments, and describes that approach as a strategic default with real risks.
- Fees: the eligibility check is free. The company does not publish its service fees; they are quoted after the review. Ask for the full fee, the payment schedule and the refund terms in writing before you sign anything.
- Refund terms: the company states that if it fails to deliver the exit strategy set out in its service agreement, the client receives a full refund. It also states that every case is different and past results do not guarantee future results. We read that the same way: the refund promise covers the company's work, not the outcome with the resort.
- Legal oversight: negotiation is handled by attorneys through Stonegate Law, which the company describes as a separate entity.
- Scale: the company says it has served tens of thousands of owners and ranked No. 18 on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list, a ranking based on revenue growth rather than customer outcomes.
Best for: owners outside the rescission window whose resort has refused a take-back, or who believe the sale was misrepresented, and who want someone else to run the process end to end.
What to watch. Get the fee in writing before paying anything. Ask what the company will do in the first 30 days and what you will see from it. Keep paying your maintenance fees and any loan while the case runs unless a lawyer representing you tells you otherwise in writing; the company says the same. And compare the quoted fee with what the resort's own program would cost, which the next section covers.
Check your eligibility with Stonegate Firm
The other routes: deed-back, resale and a lawyer
Resort deed-back or take-back. Many large resort groups run a program that accepts a timeshare back from an owner whose loan is paid off and whose fees are current. Terms vary: some charge a processing fee, some ask for the current year's dues, some decline certain resorts or seasons. It is the cheapest exit when it is available, so call owner services and ask before you contact anyone else. Our guide on how timeshare cancellation works explains what to ask.
Resale or transfer. A timeshare in a well-known resort or a large points program can sometimes be sold or transferred, usually for little or nothing. Use a licensed broker who charges only at closing, and never pay an upfront marketing fee to anyone who says a buyer is already waiting. Expect it to take months, and expect to keep paying fees until the transfer records.
A private lawyer. If you have documents showing the sales presentation promised something the contract does not deliver, a lawyer licensed in the resort's state can send a demand and, if needed, sue or arbitrate. You pay the lawyer directly, hourly or flat fee. This route gives you the most control and the clearest accountability, and it costs the most up front.
How timeshare exit companies work
An exit company is a middle layer between you and the resort. The good ones gather your paperwork, build a written case that the contract should be released (misrepresentation at the sale, unmet promises, hardship), present it to the resort and negotiate. Where a law license is needed to negotiate or litigate, they work with or refer to attorneys. The bad ones collect a fee, tell you to stop paying so the resort forecloses, and call the foreclosure an exit. The difference shows up in three places: whether they review before charging, whether attorneys are named, and what they say about payments.
Our sister site Timeshare Exit Path covers the industry in more depth, including how exit companies operate and the common scams.
Who qualifies for an exit company
Exit companies accept cases where there is something to work with. You are a stronger candidate when:
- You are past the rescission window. Inside it, you do not need anyone; send the cancellation letter the way the contract requires.
- The resort has already said no to a take-back, or does not run a program.
- The sale was misrepresented and you can describe what was promised: resale value, rental income, easy exit, specific availability, a fee cap.
- You are current, or nearly current, on fees and any loan. Accounts deep in default are harder, not easier, because the resort holds the leverage.
- Your circumstances changed: health, age, finances or a death in the family. Resorts and their lawyers do weigh this.
Have ready: the purchase contract and any upgrade contracts, the public offering statement if you received one, recent fee and loan statements, and notes or emails about what was said at the presentation.
Red flags with any exit company
- Advice to stop paying before anything has been negotiated. Missed payments lead to collections, credit damage and foreclosure on a deeded timeshare.
- A large fee before any review, or a fee that is due in full today.
- A promised outcome or timeline. No one controls the resort's decision.
- A buyer who is "already waiting" if you pay a marketing or transfer fee first.
- No named attorneys when the company says lawyers are involved.
- Pressure to decide on the call. A legitimate service will send the agreement and let you read it.
The Federal Trade Commission's page on timeshares, vacation clubs and related scams covers resale and exit scams in detail, and most state attorneys general take complaints about them.
How we're paid: HomeownerPedia publishes free guides for homeowners. If you use the next step on this page, you continue on the website of our partner, Stonegate Firm, a timeshare exit company that reviews your contract and handles the exit process. It pays us for referrals, and what you enter there goes directly to it, not to us. You decide whether to move forward. HomeownerPedia is an independent guide, not a law firm. What you can do about a timeshare depends on your contract and your state.
Questions owners ask
How much do timeshare exit companies charge?
Fees vary widely and are usually quoted after a review of your contract. Stonegate Firm does not publish its fees; its eligibility check is free and the fee is quoted afterward. Get the full fee, payment schedule and refund terms in writing before you pay anything.
Can a timeshare exit company guarantee I get out?
No. The resort decides whether to release you. Some companies, including Stonegate Firm, state a refund if they fail to deliver the service they agreed to, which is different from promising the outcome. Treat any company that promises a result as a warning sign.
Should I stop paying my maintenance fees while the company works?
Keep paying unless a lawyer representing you tells you otherwise in writing. Missed payments can lead to collections, credit damage and foreclosure, and they weaken your position with the resort. Stonegate Firm says it does not encourage missed payments.
Is it better to use the resort's deed-back program?
If your resort offers one and you qualify, it is usually the cheapest and fastest exit. Ask owner services first. An exit company is for cases where the resort refuses or the sale was misrepresented.
How long does a timeshare exit take?
Months in most cases. A resort take-back can be quicker; a negotiated release or a legal case takes longer. Stonegate Firm gives no fixed timeline, and no honest company can.
How we picked these services
We don't take a fee to be listed, and placement is not for sale. Every service here was checked on the same five points, using what each company publishes and what readers tell us. Partners do pay us when you use their link, and that never changes the order.
- Process: what the company actually does, from the first review to the resolution, in its own description.
- Fees and timing: whether you pay before anything happens, and what the company says it refunds and when.
- Legal oversight: whether licensed attorneys handle the negotiation, and through which entity.
- Honesty about risk: whether the company tells owners that missing payments has consequences, or quietly encourages it.
- Complaint record: public reviews and regulator records, and how the company responds to them.
Every company here also passed our partner standards: registration and licensing, complaint history, fees, marketing promises and what you see before you sign. If a service stops meeting the bar, it comes off the list. Tell us at hello@homeownerpedia.com if your experience with any of them didn't match what you read here.
Recap: timeshare exit help we've checked
-
Best for a case-managed exit
Stonegate Firmstonegatefirm.com
- Eligibility check
- Free
- Legal work
- Affiliated attorneys
- Attorney cost
- None extra
Good for: Owners past the rescission window who want a case manager, a documented grievance to the resort and attorney negotiation, rather than handling the resort alone.
