To be stern with holiday park owner?

[LadyoftheCheeses]

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!

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.

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.

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!

Still, the site is still theirs and not yours.

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.

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

This

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sadly, they are getting rarer and rarer these days.

Google Holiday Park Action Group on facebook. Static sites are run by charlatans only interested in screwing you over in my experience.

Before handing any money over for fees think it through. By the time you add up fees, electric at commercial rate, gas at commercial rate, standing charges levied at whatever the site says, you may well find you could get a number of holidays weekends away for the same amount.

Caravans on a site like this are never an investment. They are the same as cars, a depreciating asset that you get use out of til they die/are worth basically nothing.

You could buy it and move it to a different site that will accept older vans. Might be easier than fighting it.

I can’t understand how anyone who actually goes on holidays would think it’s a holiday to stay in a place like that. How.

No idea why you even said anything, if they ask just say your parents aren't selling, send your mum the rent for her to pay herself.

One of my colleagues bought a static caravan to retire in. Worst financial move she ever made. The only way it would work is to find a friendly farmer who will rent you a corner of his field. Caravan sites are just money spinners for the owners.

Honestly they're both pretty ugly. I don't get the problem at all. It's not like one is a thing of beauty!

Caravan sites are always eyesores. If you want to stay somewhere with a nice view go for a beachfront hotel or a swiss log cabin

OP is busy practising her stern face and voice in the mirror.

Simplest solution. But they still might insist on removal which is probably within their rights