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HomeStock Market'Ripped off' caravan house owners begin compensation struggle

‘Ripped off’ caravan house owners begin compensation struggle

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ORIONEWS Joanne Horner-Bloomfield, with short grey hair and wearing a white cardigan and green top, looks towards the cameraORIONEWS

Joanne Horner-Bloomfield says she is “devastated” to must depend on meals banks since dropping a lot cash from her caravan

About 1,200 caravan house owners throughout the UK, a lot of whom say they really feel “ripped off”, are to start authorized motion in opposition to the vacation parks that bought them.

Members of the Vacation Park Motion Group (HPAG) are searching for compensation for what they are saying are unfair will increase in annual pitch charges and deceptive claims concerning the worth of static caravans on the time of buy.

The authorized proceedings observe a ORIONEWS investigation that exposed how folks had misplaced their life financial savings, inheritance and pensions when the vacation houses that they had purchased misplaced worth.

One of many parks concerned stated it gave “complete info” to all potential consumers, whereas one other stated its gross sales contracts had been “clear and readily understood”.

Joanne Horner-Bloomfield, 65, is a type of becoming a member of the authorized motion.

She stated she “misplaced every thing” after shopping for a static caravan on Watermill Leisure Park in Lincolnshire and now depends on meals banks.

In summer time 2022, she used £29,995 from the sale of her late mom’s home to purchase the caravan, spending a further £7,500 for a decking and two storage sheds.

Mrs Horner-Bloomfield spent a lot of her time on the web site, which she stated was “an attractive place”.

The annual pitch price in 2022 was £2,795, but it surely elevated to £3,041 in 2023. When she was advised the 2024 price can be £4,100, she realised she couldn’t afford to maintain the caravan.

Mrs Horner-Bloomfield, who labored as a carer earlier than sick well being compelled her to cease, and doesn’t but obtain a pension, requested to promote the caravan again to the park house owners in September 2023.

Nevertheless, she was advised they now not bought caravans manufactured greater than 10 years in the past.

She stated the park additionally advised her that her caravan would solely fetch about £5,000 on the open market.

Mrs Horner-Bloomfield stated: “I used to be shocked. I stated why did you cost me £29,995 a 12 months in the past for one thing that was solely price £5,000? And he stated, ‘properly it is enterprise is not it?’ I used to be livid.”

Watermill Leisure Park stated its dealings with Mrs Horner-Bloomfield had been “truthful and clear” and it supplied consumers with a “clear and readily understood gross sales contract”.

It stated it was “beneath no obligation to purchase again a vacation caravan” however any presents it does make are “a good reflection of the worth to the park of that vacation residence at that specific second”, primarily based on components equivalent to time of 12 months and degree of demand.

A spokesperson stated gross sales employees additionally advise that vacation caravans are supposed as a long-term buy.

A blue sign at the entrance to Watermill Leisure Park, advertising luxury holiday homes, with trees in the background.

Joanne Horner-Bloomfield says she was advised her caravan at Watermill had misplaced £25,000 in worth in simply over a 12 months

Mrs Horner-Bloomfield stated she felt “betrayed and let down” as a result of she had not been knowledgeable how low the resale worth of her caravan can be when she bought it.

She ultimately bought her caravan for £5,500, of which £500 was paid to Watermill as a disconnection price.

She added: “It simply broke my coronary heart. I am devastated that at 65 years of age I am diminished to utilizing a meals financial institution.

“The cash that I hoped to stroll away with would have made life a lot simpler for me.”

Mrs Horner-Bloomfield stated she hoped the authorized motion would assist her.

“It could be good if we win and will get a few of our a reimbursement, however extra importantly can be to make a regulation to cease these unscrupulous web site house owners from taking folks’s life financial savings.”

‘Disgusting practices’

HPAG, which has organised the group motion, says most caravans had been bought by parks at a “considerably marked-up worth” which led to “substantial losses” if consumers later determined to promote.

HPAG has 70,000 members in a Fb group the place caravan house owners voice complaints.

Carole Keeble, the group’s founder, stated current laws had been failing to guard customers from “unfair business practices” on an “industrial scale”.

She hoped the group’s authorized motion would put an finish to such practices and referred to as on the federal government to handle the “vital points throughout the sector”.

The Excessive Court docket will give a ruling primarily based on a small variety of recognized take a look at instances. Hugh Preston KC, the group’s barrister, hopes it can pave the way in which for the remainder of the claimants to get compensation too. He’s representing about 1,200 folks.

James Richardson stands outside his home, looking at the camera. He is wearing a navy blue T-shirt. He is balding and has a grey-brown beard and blue eyes.

James Richardson and his spouse, Emma, stated they discovered themselves “haemorrhaging cash” after shopping for a vacation residence

The primary declare will ask the Excessive Court docket to declare whether or not or not the annual pitch price will increase written into the contract between park house owners and caravan consumers are truthful and enforceable – and if not, whether or not the consumers are entitled to a refund.

The second declare will ask a decide to determine whether or not the vacation parks promoting the caravans needs to be anticipated to clarify to consumers, earlier than buy, that caravans lose substantial worth if resold after just a few years – and if that’s the case, whether or not they are often compensated for the misplaced worth.

Mr Preston KC advised the ORIONEWS: “It is basically an unregulated sector, there is no statutory laws that inform parks what to do or how you can behave… and there are a variety of points that buyers really feel they’re simply not getting truthful worth from.”

A spokesperson for the Division for Enterprise and Commerce stated it was “conscious of the difficulties that some vacation residence house owners have skilled” and was dedicated to defending customers from “rogue practices”.

They added the federal government had plans to introduce robust monetary penalties for breaches of shopper regulation.

A few of these becoming a member of the authorized motion shared their tales with the ORIONEWS as a part of our investigation in October.

They embody James and Emma Richardson, from Cleethorpes, who misplaced greater than £50,000 over two years of proudly owning a caravan at Tattershall Lakes Nation Park in Lincolnshire. Mr Richardson hopes the case can “put an finish” to the “disgusting practices” by some vacation parks.

Sally Nicholls, from Sheffield, used her total pension pot and borrowed cash to purchase a £69,000 caravan on the identical park. She solely managed to get £15,000 for it when she bought it three years later. She says making an attempt to vary the regulation was “extra essential” to her than profitable compensation.

Away Resorts An aerial image of Tattershall Lakes Country Park shows a lakefront with several long, thin static caravans on the shore, and a couple of small boats moored up. There's also a large communal area and beach with sunloungers set out and a large white parasol offering some shade.Away Resorts

Tattershall Lakes Nation Park is run by Away Resorts Holidays

Sally Nicholls, a woman with short reddish hair, sits on a leather chair against a backdrop of yellow wallpaper

Sally Nicholls says she hopes the authorized motion will push the business to vary

Away Resorts, which runs Tattershall Lakes Nation Park, stated in October that it supplied all potential consumers with “complete info, together with detailed phrases and circumstances” to make sure they knew the potential dangers of caravan possession.

It stated it had no additional response so as to add concerning the launch of the authorized motion.

Business representatives, the British Vacation and Dwelling Park Affiliation, stated it was not applicable to remark.

The Nationwide Caravan Council stated it was conscious of the authorized motion however wouldn’t be commenting additional.

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