I live with my GF. I just bought at the Grand Floridian. I put the contract in my name. Should I put hers on it as well? Is there something she would lose as far as benefits go?
As a "girlfriend", she would not be eligible for the Annual Pass discount or any other membership perks. Most perks could be enjoyed by both of you when you (as the member) are present. But the AP perk is more rigidly structured to allow for only legal / blood relatives living at the same address as the member. That said, if you put her on the contract and later part ways, she retains full legal ownership of the DVC property. Doesn't matter if you actually paid for the points and/or dues. DVC contracts cannot be split up, nor could you remove her as an owner without her consent. You would be stuck with her as a joint owner until she agrees to relinquish her rights. If she files for bankruptcy, the contract could be seized. If you die, she has full ownership of the contract. If you make a reservation, she could cancel it. If you want to sell, she has to sign the paperwork and likewise agree to sell. (And could dictate her own terms, like wanting half of the proceeds.) If she later marries someone else, the contract could be considered part of their community property. You may be inclined to dismiss any/all of these possibilities, but any of them could make life VERY difficult for you down the road if something happens to the relationship.
Buying a DVC membership isn't joining a club; it's buying a timeshare. It's a real estate purchase; the two of you would share ownership of the contract, and her name would be on the deed. If you're planning to marry her, then it's something to consider. If not, I would not put her name on the contract. If you do end up marrying somewhere down the road, you can always add her to the deed later.
Other than these little details, adding her to your ownership is a good idea! Seriously...Tim's advice is very sound. Don't do it. Don't even think about doing it. If everything goes well, it could be okay -- but no real benefit you can't get other ways. If things don't go well, it could be a nightmare. If you just want her to be able to make reservations, etc, you could add her as an "associate" member. That gives her some access to your account/points, but does not give her any ownership rights. She would not get the major benefits like AP and other discounts, but she would be able to make and cancel reservations, use the points, etc. If you part ways, you simply remove her as an associate.
As stated earlier, I wouldn't put her on the deed, but add her as an Associate. There is a difference. As an owner, it costs money to add her to the deed. They need to do a title search on her and in some cases there are additional fees as well. On top of that, it is now real estate. If you two break up, it is now in jeopardy and you can be sued by her to dissolve your membership and pay her half of it as a co-owner. If she is listed as an Associate, she has no ownership rights at all. She just has permission to be someone who can make reservations and transactions on your behalf. She owns nothing, but has privlidges. Once you both marry (if you do), you can always have her added to the deed at that point. But I would never, ever do that, no matter how "in love" you are now, and how much you think "Oh, that will never happen". It will. If you part ways one day, it will be a nightmare to divy it up and you could lose it. Wait until you are married.
I was an associate on my now EX fiance's membership. Thank God we weren't on the deed together, it would have been one more knot to untangle
If you two live together, she can buy a DVC AP. as long as you're at the same address, they'll sell it to you. We had no problems getting my then-BF, now-fiancé a discounted AP, our addresses are the same on our drivers licenses.
Probably...but not definitely. Boyfriend / girlfriend are not eligible according to the terms of the offer. It all depends upon how diligent the Cast Member wishes to be in verifying eligibility. The CM could assume that a BF/GF couple are actually spouses with a different last name, siblings or some other eligible relation who would qualify. But they could also directly ask the nature of the relationship. Answering honestly would disqualify a BF/GF from the discount.
