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Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Caravan park homeowners warn of seller's remorse
When the Reverend Vic Ready bought his first static caravan he was looking for a holiday home on the Norfolk coast that his whole family could enjoy. But Mr Ready, of Sheringham, Norfolk, said his experience of caravan ownership soured as a result of what he claimed was an "unregulated" industry that has left many people "suffering". The caravan park involved rejected any "allegation of wrongdoing" and said it had had a "proud record of extremely satisfied customers". Mr Ready is one of hundreds of caravan owners who have contacted the BBC in the wake of its investigation into the holiday park industry. Mr Ready bought his first caravan in 2013 at Beeston Regis Holiday Park for £26,000 before trading it in, and paying an extra £25,000, for a "nicer caravan in a better position" seven years later. Mr Ready said he then saw his original caravan on sale for £29,000 - a figure that surprised him. Three years later, faced with what he claims were ever-rising ground rents of up to £6,000 per year, the family decided to sell up. He said he was initially offered £8,250 by the park for his caravan. A week later the park agreed to up its offer to £15,000, a sum Mr Ready accepted. But a couple of days later, Mr Ready said he was sent an advert showing the caravan listed for sale by the park at £47,950. "Until you eventually want to sell and leave the site, you don't appreciate how much it's going to cost you and how much you've actually lost," Mr Ready said. "This is a corrupt, unregulated business and it needs to stop," he said. "So many people are suffering." A spokesperson for Beeston Regis Holiday Park said Mr Ready had been a "valued customer" and claimed he was "happy with the deal" when he sold up. The company said the caravan - a Pemberton Abingdon model - eventually sold for £35,000, which included a new 10-year site licence. "Our business, like any other, is subject to constant cost increases, and our pitch fees have to rise to cover these costs," the spokesperson said, adding it strove to "minimise" such rises. "In all businesses which rely on buying and selling, there has to be a profit margin, and – when we buy a caravan, we have to estimate the likely selling price and commit to a purchase price ahead of that," the company said. It added Mr Ready had acquired his second caravan £8,000 below the asking price and said despite having "no obligation to buy the caravan from him" it had done so in "good faith" and had offered "than double the book value". Meet-and-greet users tell of car damage and mystery miles 'My partner can't cope with child abusers on his prison wing' 'Car cloning made me dread the morning post' In 2021, Ipswich-based Paul Burke bought a caravan at the Suffolk Sands site in Felixstowe for £75,000. The caravan was his wife's "happy place", Mr Burke said. But when site fees reached about £7,000 a year, the couple decided to sell up. At first, he tried to sell privately and spoke to an estate agent. "He told me he'd been in the business for 20 years," Mr Burke said. "In that time he'd not sold a single caravan." "Part of the process is the purchasers need to be interviewed by the caravan park," said Mr Burke. "During that process they are persuaded to buy an alternative caravan directly from the park, probably with incentives such as a free year's site fees, or a better location or a slight upgrade." Mr Burke said he felt he had no choice but to sell the caravan directly back to the park for £25,000. "That is a lot of depreciation in three years," he said. "There is pretty much zero protection. This really does need some industry-wide protection." Park Holidays, which owns Suffolk Sands, said it provided buyers with a licence agreement intended to help people make "informed purchasing" decisions. It said the £75,000 purchase price included two years of pitch fees and said those fees were reviewed yearly and "broadly" mirrored the consumer price index. The company said owners can sell privately as long as the prospective buyer passed its "vetting" procedures. It also said while it would seek to "assist" private sales, the park could offer "buying incentives such as favourable finance and free pitch fees" which private sellers could not. A government spokesperson said it was "aware of the difficulties some holiday home owners have experienced and we have strengthened consumer law". Caravan owners felt 'bullied' by holiday parks 'Ripped off' caravan owners start compensation bid Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
BBC News
14-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Holiday park caravan owners say industry needs regulation
When the Reverend Vic Ready bought his first static caravan he was looking for a holiday home on the Norfolk coast that his whole family could Mr Ready, of Sheringham, Norfolk, said his experience of caravan ownership soured as a result of what he claimed was an "unregulated" industry that has left many people "suffering".The caravan park involved rejected any "allegation of wrongdoing" and said it had had a "proud record of extremely satisfied customers".Mr Ready is one of hundreds of caravan owners who have contacted the BBC in the wake of its investigation into the holiday park Ready bought his first caravan in 2013 at Beeston Regis Holiday Park for £26,000 before trading it in, and paying an extra £25,000, for a "nicer caravan in a better position" seven years Ready said he then saw his original caravan on sale for £29,000 - a figure that surprised him. Three years later, faced with what he claims were ever-rising ground rents of up to £6,000 per year, the family decided to sell said he was initially offered £8,250 by the park for his caravan.A week later the park agreed to up its offer to £15,000, a sum Mr Ready a couple of days later, Mr Ready said he was sent an advert showing the caravan listed for sale by the park at £47,950."Until you eventually want to sell and leave the site, you don't appreciate how much it's going to cost you and how much you've actually lost," Mr Ready said."This is a corrupt, unregulated business and it needs to stop," he said. "So many people are suffering." A spokesperson for Beeston Regis Holiday Park said Mr Ready had been a "valued customer" and claimed he was "happy with the deal" when he sold company said the caravan - a Pemberton Abingdon model - eventually sold for £35,000, which included a new 10-year site licence."Our business, like any other, is subject to constant cost increases, and our pitch fees have to rise to cover these costs," the spokesperson said, adding it strove to "minimise" such rises."In all businesses which rely on buying and selling, there has to be a profit margin, and – when we buy a caravan, we have to estimate the likely selling price and commit to a purchase price ahead of that," the company added Mr Ready had acquired his second caravan £8,000 below the asking price and said despite having "no obligation to buy the caravan from him" it had done so in "good faith" and had offered "than double the book value". In 2021, Ipswich-based Paul Burke bought a caravan at the Suffolk Sands site in Felixstowe for £75, caravan was his wife's "happy place", Mr Burke said. But when site fees reached about £7,000 a year, the couple decided to sell first, he tried to sell privately and spoke to an estate agent."He told me he'd been in the business for 20 years," Mr Burke said. "In that time he'd not sold a single caravan.""Part of the process is the purchasers need to be interviewed by the caravan park," said Mr Burke. "During that process they are persuaded to buy an alternative caravan directly from the park, probably with incentives such as a free year's site fees, or a better location or a slight upgrade." Mr Burke said he felt he had no choice but to sell the caravan directly back to the park for £25,000."That is a lot of depreciation in three years," he said. "There is pretty much zero protection. This really does need some industry-wide protection."Park Holidays, which owns Suffolk Sands, said it provided buyers with a licence agreement intended to help people make "informed purchasing" said the £75,000 purchase price included two years of pitch fees and said those fees were reviewed yearly and "broadly" mirrored the consumer price company said owners can sell privately as long as the prospective buyer passed its "vetting" procedures. It also said while it would seek to "assist" private sales, the park could offer "buying incentives such as favourable finance and free pitch fees" which private sellers could not.A government spokesperson said it was "aware of the difficulties some holiday home owners have experienced and we have strengthened consumer law".
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
FCT administration get power to seal foreign missions for Nigeria sake of ground rent?
Di publication of names of property owners for Abuja wey dey owe ground rent, according to di Federal Capital Territory, don cause plenty tok-tok for Nigeria, especially becos many embassy of foreign kontris appear for di list. Minister of di FCT, Nyesom Wike bin don threaten plenty times say goment go take over di property of pipo or companies wey dey owe ground rent. On 26 May, 2025, officials of di FCTA start to dey seal buildings of pipo wey dem tok say dey owe ground rent for as long as 20 years. Dem seal di headquarters of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and di Abuja office of di Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), among odas. Pipo bin condemn di action as dem say Wike dey use im power as FCT Minister to dey carry out vendetta attack on im party as e dey quarrel wit di party leadership. However, President Bola Tinubu later intervene for di matter and give a 14-day grace period to allow pipo wey dey owe to pay up. Dat grace period expire on Monday, 9 June 2025. Di list of debtors wey di BBC Pidgin see get 3,383 names inside am, including some popular pipo, top religious organisations and more dan 35 foreign missions. Tori don dey go round say di FCT authority fit carry out dia threat to revoke di ownership of property owners wey dey owe ground rent, but many dey ask weda dem get such power? Wetin di law tok? Popular human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, advise di FCT Minister, Wike, make e no go cause diplomatic wahala between Nigeria and foreign kontris wey get dia embassy for Abuja. "You no fit invade embassies sake of say dem neva pay ground rent, wey no dey applicable for all of dem," Falana tok for TV interview. E say foreign missions dey protected by di Vienna convention wey Nigeria be signatory to, and article 22 of dis convention tok say embassies and even vehicles of foreign diplomats get immunity, so nobody fit violate am. "If we embark on invading di embassy of any kontri, e go lead to serious diplomatic wahala for Nigeria. E no dey allowed," Falana tok. Also, a civil society group for Nigeria, Serap, ask President Tinubu to caution Minister Wike and direct am make e no carry out im threat. Article 22 of di Vienna convention say: "Di premises of di mission go dey inviolable. Di agents of di receiving State no fit enta dem, except wit di consent of di head of di mission. "Di receiving State dey under special duty to take all appropriate steps to ... prevent any disturbance of di peace of di mission or impairment of its dignity. "Di premises of di mission, dia furnishings and oda property and di means of transport of di mission go dey immune from search, requisition, attachment or execution." However, some oda lawyers tok say foreign missions suppose to dey pay all di money wey di law require for di kontri wia dem dey, even though dem get immunity. Abdul Mahmud wey be legal practitioner and founder of di Public Interest Lawyers League (Pill) explain say na "common misconception" to think say di premises of embassies go be sovereign territory of di embassy. "Embassy no be di sovereign territory of di sending state. Rather, e be di premises of a diplomatic mission under Article 22 of di Vienna Convention," oga Mahmud explain on X. "Di land wia di Embassy dey still belong to di Host State. Di idea say embassy na extraterritorial or sovereign soil of di sending state na legal fiction, no be legal fact. According to di legal expert, article 23 of di Vienna Convention exempt embassies and heads of missions from paying some direct taxes for di premises wia dem dey stay. "However, dem still fit dey pay for services, like ground rent, utility charges, or lease obligations, bicos dis na contractual or customary obligations, no be taxes," e tok. Wike go really seal di embassies? E neva dey clear wetin go be di next step of di FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for dis matter. Di expected drive by FCTA workers wey suppose resume dis Tuesday, afta di 14 days grace period wey President Tinubu give expire, no go ahead. Also, BBC Pidgin notice say di amount wey some of di embassies dey owe - according to di list wey di FCTA bin publish - na small money. For instance, di Mauritania embassy dey owe 8,150 naira ($5.17); di Thai embassy owe just 500 naira; di Malian embassy dey owe 8,600 naira; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia embassies dey naira 10,800 ($6) each, while di embassy of di UAE dey owe approximately over 6,000 naira. E dey highly unlikely say di Federal Capital Territory Authority go seal any of di embassies sake of dis shikini moni.
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
I've been forced to sell my beloved caravan at a holiday park after Haven Holidays increased our rent by £5,000 - we only used it for ten weekends and I'm now £36,000 out of pocket
A grandfather has been left £36,000 out of pocket and forced to sell his holiday home in Somerset after the ground rent was increased by £5,000. Christopher Jeff and his wife, Ida, thought snapping up a caravan using a chunk of their pension would provide a lifetime of happy memories. But the couple were faced with a tough ultimatum; sell at a loss or continue drowning in mounting annual fees. The first year's ground rent was £3,127 - which they didn't realise was only a partial payment - and it has since increased to £8,161 which is more than half the cost of the entire caravan. It's left the retired couple at least £36,000 out of pocket. 'Being unable to pay the ground rent this year, we are in the position of needing to sell the caravan,' Christopher, from Bedworth, told Luxury Travel Daily. 'It's just too expensive to own one of these units. We have only holidayed in it for ten long weekends.' The former lorry driver first visited Haven Holidays' beachfront park, Doniford Bay, 13 years ago. They then returned with their grandson and out of curiosity, Christopher asked how much it'd be to own a caravan at the site before spending £14,859 on the secondhand holiday home. The grandad said: 'We knew we couldn't afford a brand new caravan, but we found what we thought was a nice one that was a bit older. 'I had to cash in a good chunk of my pension to pay for the caravan. I thought it would be worth it for some family holidays away from the rat race. 'We were told that we would be able to resell it back to the park, or we could resell it privately but pay the park 15 per cent. 'We had no intentions of reselling at that point, we wanted the holidays. What we didn't realise was how much all the other costs were going to be.' The couple forked out on a new microwave, fridge freezer and bedding, totalling £5,000. They claim to have been 'encouraged' to also pay out for new decking, costing £4,500, as well as a storage box, £300, and a bench for £120. A MailOnline graphic detailing the hidden costs of owning a static home (pictured) To cover the mounting annual costs, the Haven salesperson allegedly told the couple that they could rent out the holiday home privately. But to do so, they'd need to have someone staying in it every single week of the season for £450, including passes. He said: 'If we were using it some weeks ourselves, we would have to charge even more than that. 'Haven were undercutting us by renting their own caravans cheaper all season long - sometimes £150 for a week in the off-season. 'We managed to rent out for a few weeks [last year] - five in total - but my wife, Ida, is still working in sales and all of her commission was used up covering the shortfall in rent. 'Also the park is closed for three months. 'That's a quarter of the year we can't even advertise it for rent.' Christopher and Ida have tried to sell the caravan back to Haven, though they claim to have been told they have 'too much stock already and couldn't make an offer' unless they upgraded to a more expensive unit. The best offer they've had so far privately is £3,000 and with the added 15 per cent commission to pay the park on any private sales, they're looking at a gut-wrenching £12,450 loss. He added: 'Even that offer fell through due to the costs involved. 'Nobody wants to buy a caravan and take on the commitment of paying over £8,000 for nine months of caravan access. 'Especially when you can't rent it out and break even because it's cheaper for guests to go directly through Haven.' European Consumer Claims has been called in to help get the couple's money back. Greg Wilson, CEO, said: 'When we first started looking into holiday park consumer abuse, we were aware that there were issues. 'However, the sheer scale of wrongdoing was shocking, even to us.'
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Beach hut owners at war with 'greedy' council after rent rockets by £200 despite being flooded HALF the year, the sea being too dirty to swim in... and a seawall blocking their view
With its sandy beach and fantastic views of sunsets across the Wash, it's long been a popular place for people to relax and forget about the cares of the world. But the seaside village of Heacham in west Norfolk is now the scene of rising tensions between its beach hut owners and the local council. The owners claim their huts are furious at 'outrageous' annual ground rents that have soared 37 per cent in three years to £730. This is despite them being advised not to swim in the sea because of the appalling water quality, according to the Environment Agency, while flooding means the huts also can't be used for six months of the year. The increases have left many deciding to sell up with 11 of the village's 100 huts on the market, priced from £8,950 to £25,000, according to Rightmove. But West Norfolk Council's policy of charging a £2,000 transfer fee on each beach hut sale to fund the drawing up of a new lease - in addition to the soaring costs and limitations on use - is also putting off buyers. This, the owners say, left them stuck in a 'vicious circle' of having to pay the high rents or give up their plot and hut entirely, with little chance of selling. Some plots, including those that have been passed down by families for generations, are even said to have been returned to the council due to people being unable to afford them and also failing to find a new owner. The huts are a popular spot to sit and watch the view across the Wash - but they can only be used for six months of the year due to flooding and people are advised against swimming because of pollution in the sea Wine bar owner Steve Scott, 57, from Leicestershire who bought his hut for £6,500 in 2019 described the ground rent as 'extortionate'. He said: 'I have just paid the rent this year and it is outrageous. The only thing we get for our money is a couple of water taps either end of the beach. 'You never see anyone from the council turn up with a strimmer to cut back the vegetation. 'All the beach huts are beneath the sea wall so we do not even get to look at the beach unless we set up some chairs at the top. 'As far as I am concerned it is money for old rope for the council because they do absolutely bugger all. 'There are about 100 huts so that is more than £70,000 that they are raking in for doing sweet FA. 'We are not even allowed to use out huts between October and March and we certainly are not allowed to spend the night in them. 'It is nothing short of scandalous that they are also fleecing new owners for £2,000 just to draw up new bog-standard leases for what are basically glorified garden sheds. 'I did try and suggest that they could spread out the cost of ground rent over a whole year and pay once a month but before they responded they deducted the whole amount by direct debit as usual.' Mr Scott admitted that he and his wife had bought their hut at the right time for 'a decent amount' before prices rocketed over Covid due to the increased demand for staycation holidays. He added: 'It is certainly the case that there are loads of them on the market. It could be that prices will come down which will leave some owners disappointed.' Mr Scott's anger at the council has been further exacerbated by their new policy of doubling council tax on holiday homes - including his two-bedroom bolthole in the nearby village of Snettisham, meaning he now pays £4,000 in council tax instead of £2,000. 'It is a lovely area here – but they are taking advantage,' he said. 'They just see second home owners as cash cows and beach hut owners are treated the same way.' Jan Wildman, 64, who has owned a hut for six years, complained: 'We are the only beach in Norfolk with a brown flag award. 'The other thing about being in Heacham is we are further into the estuary area, so for half the day we have no water at all because it's over at Skegness. 'We are considered at risk of flooding for six months each year but in Old Hunstanton they pay £288 [annual ground rent] and can use them for 12 months.' The retired teacher added the council treated hut owners as 'cash cows', saying: 'If you walk from the village to the beach you can access the public loos, just like we can, and you can get cold water from the stand pipe, just like we can. 'We are not getting anything for that huge sum of money that people can just get for nothing. So it's just greed and intransigence [by the council]. They've realised they can get the money, so why should they back down?' Miss Wildman also pointed out transfer fees have increase from £1,500 when she bought hers in 2019 to £2,000 now – an increase of 33 per cent. Gary Hall, who has visited his family's hut in Heacham since the 1980s, said: 'They [the council] have destroyed something special through their greed.' Turning to sluggish sales, he added: People I have spoken to have said they would not touch them with a barge pole due to the high costs.' Pam Slote, a retiree from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, with a hut in the town, added: 'We feel incandescent and very cross.' David French, 78, revealed he was considering giving up his hut. He said: 'They are killing the goose that laid the golden egg.' Heacham's huts could still be viewed as a bargain compared to others in Norfolk, particularly at Wells-next-the-Sea a short distance away around the coast where they are priced at around £100,000 each. And North Norfolk District Council charges more than £900 a year for a five-year lease for its huts in Sheringham, Cromer, Overstrand and Mundesley, while in Great Yarmouth and nearby Gorleston-on-Sea, the annual rent demanded is between £2,260 and £2,690. But Heacham's hut owners argue that they are still not getting value for money as they can only use them for half the year due to the flooding risks. The water pollution problems mean it is one of about 40 beaches in England where annual tests by the Environment Agency have rated the water quality as 'poor'. Warning signs dotted around what has been dubbed 'Norfolk's most noxious beach' warn people to avoid the temptation to swim because of the high levels of bacteria and other pollutants that can make people ill if sea water is ingested. Last week its beach was given a Brown Flag Award by UK travel website Holiday Park Guru, in a parody of the coveted Blue Flag Awards Signs awarded to the most coveted beaches. The problem has been blamed on sea birds feeding on the mudflats of the Wash - although many local people suspect overflowing human sewage is at least partly to blame. Hut owner Mr Hall added: 'The council has said the prices are competitive with North Norfolk District Council. 'But they have blue flag beaches, you can use them year-round and they have much better facilities, whereas we have to travel to Hunstanton to even go swimming. 'When I raised this with the council, they said "At least we have nice sunsets".' Retired care worker Barbara Jackson of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, who has a holiday mobile home in the village, said: 'I have got lots of sympathy with the beach hut owners. 'The huts add to the attraction of the place and are a lovely backdrop to the beach. If you buy a hut, you should be able to use the beach, yet people cannot go in the water.' A 65-year-old dog walker, who gave her name as Claire, said: 'The state of the sea is beyond a joke. I can understand why the hut owners get upset when they pay so much. 'The other day, the water was like a millpond and my friend was out kayaking and she saw sewage just bobbing up and down. 'When I see kids in the water, I think "Oh my God". At low tide, past the breakwaters, it is all dark sand. If you see people after they have been in the water, they are minging. It is such a shame. 'The huts are quite well used in the summer months and some of them are really smart. But others have got vandalised and are in a poor state of repair.' The frustrated hut owners have complained frequently to West Norfolk Council and have met up with officers and councillors. A council spokeswoman said there fees for huts might be reviewed in the future but nothing has been confirmed. She added: 'While it is important to note that these are the conditions that all parties signed up to, we acknowledge that, during the ten-year period of the leases, changing market circumstances mean that some of these conditions may not be as suitable as they were when agreed in 2016. 'We are sympathetic to the position of the owners and intend to address these issues during renewal discussions, in time for the leases to be renewed early next year.' In January, the council announced it had turned around a £4m forecast budget gap and now had a balanced financial position for 2025/26 – without using financial reserves.
