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Original poster

To be stern with holiday park owner?

90 replies

LadyoftheCheeses · 30/01/2025 17:12

My parents own a static caravan on a relatively small but well looked after site. They are due to pay for next seasons ground rent soon but are thinking about selling as they're not getting enough use to warrant the rent.

My partner and I would like the buy the caravan from them and pay the ground fee to the site.

Here's the issue - the site have said the van is too old and they'd rather not have it if my parents don't want the caravan anymore. My parents have no contract, nothing written and there are no rules regarding age of the caravan - this would not have been raised as an issue had we not have discussed us buying it, it was only when we called to explain that they said all of this.

I've spoken to the owners wife and politely explained that although the van is old, we'll be doing small renovations and plan to spend a good few seasons on site and then upgrade to a newer caravan. She has essentially said they don't want the van on site so that's that.

Where do we stand?! My parents are happy to sell the van to us, and we have the funds to purchase that and the ground rent for the season immediately. I have a call with the owner in a few hours, but I need to know where both me and my parents stand in terms of selling the caravan whether that be to us or someone else - baring in mind there is no contract at present.

Thanks!

OP posts:
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AccordionedWhileMallBurned · 30/01/2025 19:17

BatchCookBabe · 30/01/2025 18:41

This. ^ I actually prefer the caravan on the left - of the 2 photographs that poster put on. (@UndermyShoeJoe at 18.07.) The one on the right isn't even a caravan! It's a static home.

A proper caravan for a caravan holiday is the one in Pic 1.

Pic 2 is not a caravan IMO. I would much rather have a caravan holiday in the caravan in pic 1. I would much rather see caravans like the one in Pic 1 on the caravan holiday parks too!

Edited
Show quote history

Sadly, they are getting rarer and rarer these days.

BobbyBiscuits · 30/01/2025 18:49

You can be as stern as you like but unfortunately they are often pretty unscrupulous. They own the land and can make all sorts of demands about the caravan. They can also bar you from selling it to anyone off site. They can block sewage removal, extort you on maintenance fees.
Park homes are a massively risky 'investment' that you will almost certainly lose money on.

N0sferatu · 30/01/2025 18:48

Might be worth seeing if they'll compromise. A relative of mine had a static that was 20 years old. The site rule was 15 years max but she'd been on the site so long she was almost part of the family so they made an exception. When she died and left the static to us we persuaded them to let us keep it for another year while we sorted out buying a new one. You might be able to buy some time if you can get them to agree to something similar.

Curtainqueen · 30/01/2025 18:47

So your parents just rocked up on site one day, told the owners they wanted to have a caravan there and that's that. No paperwork, no agreement, nothing. I'm struggling with that one OP. It just isn't feasible. There must have been some sort of exchange of details or agreement at the time.

TimeForATerf · 30/01/2025 18:47

I have miserable memories of holidays staying in the older looking caravans above, rain beating on the corrugated roof, freezing cold, a shower that you can’t get wet in, tiny beds, the smell of damp.

The newer ones above and log cabin types are glorious in comparison.

HarlanPepper · 30/01/2025 18:45

Those are both static caravans and will have similar dimensions. The only difference is that the one on the right has a pitched roof, is clearly newer, and has been fitted with a balcony.

BatchCookBabe · 30/01/2025 18:41

AccordionedWhileMallBurned · 30/01/2025 18:18

I much prefer the older ones, both to look at and to stay in. I want a caravan that looks and feels like a caravan, not one that's a pathetic attempt to look like a house.

Show quote history

This. ^ I actually prefer the caravan on the left - of the 2 photographs that poster put on. (@UndermyShoeJoe at 18.07.) The one on the right isn't even a caravan! It's a static home.

A proper caravan for a caravan holiday is the one in Pic 1.

Pic 2 is not a caravan IMO. I would much rather have a caravan holiday in the caravan in pic 1. I would much rather see caravans like the one in Pic 1 on the caravan holiday parks too!

To be stern with holiday park owner?
To be stern with holiday park owner?
Oioisavaloy27 · 30/01/2025 18:39

A lot of caravan parks don't have older caravans so either buy a new one now or move the caravan to somewhere that accepts them.

Lefthanddownnumberone · 30/01/2025 18:39

Ilovethewild · 30/01/2025 17:19

just keep it in yr parents name! You use it. You pay the costs associated with it.
when you want to upgrade, then buy it.
As stated above, it’s fairly standard that they don’t allow old caravans to remain and force people to buy newer vans.

This

TwigletsAndRadishes · 30/01/2025 18:24

If it's in your parents original contract then it won't make a difference how stern you are.

Rosscameasdoody · 30/01/2025 18:23

LadyoftheCheeses · 30/01/2025 17:23

To those saying that it belongs to my parents so we could just pay and keep it in their name - they've said they won't allow this. I'm unsure how they would police this - especially with no written contract.

We've no intention of abandoning it on site, but without a contract we're struggling to see how they can 'disallow' us to sell the caravan.

To clarify, we want to sort this properly but we don't want to be forced off site unfairly, as ideally we want to take over the caravan from my parents.

I would imagine they would cite the insurance - caravan parks require a copy of annual insurance certificates for the van using them. Presumably this would be in your parents name still. I don’t think you’ll win this OP - if they want it off site they’ll find a way to do it.

gangstasquirrel · 30/01/2025 18:21

LadyoftheCheeses · 30/01/2025 17:25

Also, the site are incredibly 'old school'. All verbal, no written contracts or agreements, essentially a case of pay your dues, be respectable owners and go about your day sort of vibe. The site is run by a chap in his 80's and his wife, no admin staff or anything like that.

Still, the site is still theirs and not yours.

JoyousPinkPeer · 30/01/2025 18:19

You have no rights whatsoever. Why not say your parents have decided to keep it afterall... you just pay the fees and whatever else you agree.
If they insist it goes there's nothing you can do. You'll have to pay for removal too!

AccordionedWhileMallBurned · 30/01/2025 18:18

UndermyShoeJoe · 30/01/2025 18:07

I mean let’s face it which one would you want to look at.

I much prefer the older ones, both to look at and to stay in. I want a caravan that looks and feels like a caravan, not one that's a pathetic attempt to look like a house.

boulevardofbrokendreamss · 30/01/2025 18:16

Being stern won't achieve anything.

My mum had a static they had to be less than 8 years old on the prime sites and moved to the back until they were ten and then needed to upgrade.

It's totally normal.

Op you mentioned an investment, they are very much NOT an investment.

UndermyShoeJoe · 30/01/2025 18:15

This would be considered a cheap starter caravan on most sites if purchased when new.

Still looks a hell of a nicer than the old one.

To be stern with holiday park owner?
Boomer55 · 30/01/2025 18:15

Most sites have this rule. It’s not a fight you can win. 🤷‍♀️

RitaFromTheRanch · 30/01/2025 18:15

Just tell them your parents have decided to keep it when they call.

Then you just pay your parents and they can pass it on.

UndermyShoeJoe · 30/01/2025 18:14

BatchCookBabe · 30/01/2025 18:12

@UndermyShoeJoe Those 2 are not remotely comparable. One would be about triple the price of the other for a start! (Maybe more!)

But that’s the ones caravan site owners are pushing the sale on. The older ones didn’t have patio doors so I can’t compare.

BatchCookBabe · 30/01/2025 18:12

@UndermyShoeJoe Those 2 are not remotely comparable. One would be about triple the price of the other for a start! (Maybe more!)

weatherissweetenough · 30/01/2025 18:12

I'd just do as others have suggested and tell them your parents have changed their minds and want to keep it a couple more years. You and your parents sort out the finances between you.

BatchCookBabe · 30/01/2025 18:11

ChonkyRabbit · 30/01/2025 18:00

I'm not a caravan person so this is a genuine question - what is so bad about having an older caravan on their property?

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I don't get his either.

My great aunt had a caravan on a site in mid Wales in the mid 1980s, and it was around 15-17 years old - a late 1960s one, and it was soooooo basic! 😆 Paraffin lights, no integral heating (just one calor gas fire,) no loo or shower (had to go to the ablutions hut,) and just one double electric plug socket for the TV, and maybe a hairdryer, and there was a camping stove to enable us to cook, and boil the kettle on. We pretty much lived on stuff from the chippy, and a local cafe! (Sausage rolls, crisps, sandwiches etc...) Ahhhhhhhh, good times! Grin

But yeah tl;dr, my great aunt's caravan was at least 15-17 years old! Some caravans were even older! Like from the 1950s!

UndermyShoeJoe · 30/01/2025 18:07

I mean let’s face it which one would you want to look at.

To be stern with holiday park owner?
To be stern with holiday park owner?
Factchecking7 · 30/01/2025 18:06

Agree, you won't win this even if you are stern

madaboutpurple · 30/01/2025 18:04

Private Eye cover the subject of one site owner in particular who makes up any rule and regulation when it suits him to the people who have homes on sites. I can only imagine that it is the same for owners of holiday sites.