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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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UndermyShoeJoe · 30/01/2025 18:03

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?

Show quote history

Basically and I don’t want to sound as bad as this is about to. But old caravans end up looking more like shanty shacks next to brand new lovely 2024 caravans.

So you go form this lovey modern pristine image to the run down part of town. Because they changed the exterior looks so much.

rainythursdayontheavenue · 30/01/2025 18:02

We too looked at a "lodge" aka static van site and the location/facilities were amazing - but when we read the small print, we were horrified. Basically they had you completely over a barrel regarding the age of the vans and when we looked at resale values we'd have been having to pay at least another £50k every 10 years on top of the site fees and original purchase. The whole industry is unregulated and I can only begin to imagine how many people get trapped by unread small print.

L0bstersLass · 30/01/2025 18:01

@LadyoftheCheeses this is going to be a nightmare situation and could end costing your parents a lot of money get themselves out of this situation.
I recommend you read this group and take advice from them...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1488700298019076

ChonkyRabbit · 30/01/2025 18:00

PizzaPunk · 30/01/2025 17:37

Which as I said, is really unfair on the owners.

The caravan is too old NOW and yet you expect them to put up with it on their property for a few more years?

Show quote history

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

Greyish2025 · 30/01/2025 17:57

LadyoftheCheeses · 30/01/2025 17:41

@PizzaPunk yes I suppose so, however they had no issue with my parents keeping it, they've only said it's too now now because we want to take it over.

@Rainingalldayonmyhead I never assumed we had any 'rights', I was simply looking at where we stood in terms of ownership/selling and so on

they had no issue with my parents keeping it there

They were probably being more lenient to long term renters like your parents and also because your parents may be fairly elderly, now is a good opportunity for them to make the change and request that it be removed

Greyish2025 · 30/01/2025 17:54

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!

Unfortunately if the look of the caravan isn’t in line with the rest of the caravans on the site and is shedding the park in a bad light I understand their position

Can you seek it off and upgrade

Pushmepullu · 30/01/2025 17:51

We looked at buying a lodge, really a large static caravan, a few years ago. We did loads of research and realised that once we paid for it we basically had no rights. The management of theses sites can just make up rules as they go along. OP, you can ask, but don’t be surprised when they say no.
Have a look on fb, there are lots of groups on there.

BatchCookBabe · 30/01/2025 17:45

UndermyShoeJoe · 30/01/2025 17:32

Why not just buy the new caravan now? Genuine question.

Yeah I wondered this too. ^

I know a woman who sold her house to pay off a bunch of debts around 7 years ago, as she was drowning in debt, and she bought a caravan to live in, from a park owner who was selling them. She can live there all year round but has to leave the caravan/the site for 3 weeks every February so they can do 'essential maintenance.' She bought a caravan for £25,000 that was 8 years old. What they didn't tell her (when she signed the contract,( is that she will have to buy a new/newer one when the caravan was 10 years old. It was there - but in the 'smallprint!'

So just 2 years later, she had to sell the old one privately, which she did - for £15,000. £10,000 LESS than she bought if for! And then she had to buy another one (five years old this time) that cost her £37,000. So she had to take out a loan of £22,000 for the newer caravan. This second caravan is nearly 10 years old now too, and she will be losing another 10 or 15 grand on that I reckon, as she has to buy a third one soon! They have her over a barrel. She also has to pay around £250 a month to stay at the park, and use its facilities.

As has been said @LadyoftheCheeses be as stern as you like, you don't have a leg to stand on.

TheRedDuck · 30/01/2025 17:44

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TheRedDuck · 30/01/2025 17:43

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Original poster
LadyoftheCheeses · 30/01/2025 17:42

Thanks for all of your replies, it's been really insightful. I'll be leaving the thread now, I appreciate everyone's times!

OP posts:
Original poster
LadyoftheCheeses · 30/01/2025 17:41

@PizzaPunk yes I suppose so, however they had no issue with my parents keeping it, they've only said it's too now now because we want to take it over.

@Rainingalldayonmyhead I never assumed we had any 'rights', I was simply looking at where we stood in terms of ownership/selling and so on

OP posts:
MinnieBalloon · 30/01/2025 17:41

YABU. It’s their site and they’ve said no. Buying a caravan really is just throwing your money away. It does nothing but depreciate in value.

TheRedDuck · 30/01/2025 17:40

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

UndermyShoeJoe · 30/01/2025 17:40

Ah that’s a shame then tho tbh I’d never buy one again after owning and learning all the ways they will prince every penny off you.

Honestly you might find they won’t even sell you a new one. They may of decided your too much hassle now when they could just get someone new in.

How old is old? We talking the ones with the old slightly curved roofs, dodgy brown, single glazed no heating types.

Rainingalldayonmyhead · 30/01/2025 17:38

You don’t stand anywhere. There is no formal agreement in place and it’s their site. Unfortunately whether you like it or not they can do what they like.

Why would you think you would have any rights?

PizzaPunk · 30/01/2025 17:37

LadyoftheCheeses · 30/01/2025 17:36

@PizzaPunk we would stay on site, when we buy a newer caravan we would pay for the removal and disposal of the old and the siting of the new on the same plot.

Which as I said, is really unfair on the owners.

The caravan is too old NOW and yet you expect them to put up with it on their property for a few more years?

Original poster
LadyoftheCheeses · 30/01/2025 17:36

@PizzaPunk we would stay on site, when we buy a newer caravan we would pay for the removal and disposal of the old and the siting of the new on the same plot.

OP posts:
Original poster
LadyoftheCheeses · 30/01/2025 17:35

@UndermyShoeJoe lack of savings! We were planning to just buy when we have enough savings in a few years but now that the opportunity has arisen for us to buy from my parents very cheaply to get out foot in the door, per se, then we'd like to do so rather than them having to get rid of it.

OP posts:
PizzaPunk · 30/01/2025 17:35

LadyoftheCheeses · 30/01/2025 17:32

Thanks everyone - I suppose we will just have to negotiate and see where we get.

Seems such a shame as we see this as a long term investment with the intention of buying a far newer caravan in a few years time!

That's really unfair on the owners though.

They think the caravan is too old now and yet you want to make them wait a few more years, till it's off their site?

UndermyShoeJoe · 30/01/2025 17:32

Why not just buy the new caravan now? Genuine question.

Original poster
LadyoftheCheeses · 30/01/2025 17:32

Thanks everyone - I suppose we will just have to negotiate and see where we get.

Seems such a shame as we see this as a long term investment with the intention of buying a far newer caravan in a few years time!

OP posts:
UndermyShoeJoe · 30/01/2025 17:31

Fedupmumofadultsons · 30/01/2025 17:30

Unfortunately they do not have to renew your lease for any reason .they like don't like your hair colour is a good enough reason . Being stern will just get you evicted with no grace ie they can pull your caravan off site and dump it in a space ie carpark or wherever of there choosing you have no written contract so legally nothing you can do .

And they can charge for the pleasure to boot. Disconnection fee, removal fee and storage on their carpark.

It’s crazy but as we all know unregulated.

PizzaPunk · 30/01/2025 17:31

SpringBunnyHopHop · 30/01/2025 17:19

I thought most, if not all, sites had a rule about the age of caravans.

Me too.

I'd be very surprised if they didn't.

Fedupmumofadultsons · 30/01/2025 17:30

Unfortunately they do not have to renew your lease for any reason .they like don't like your hair colour is a good enough reason . Being stern will just get you evicted with no grace ie they can pull your caravan off site and dump it in a space ie carpark or wherever of there choosing you have no written contract so legally nothing you can do .