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About 1,200 caravan owners across the UK, many of whom say they feel “ripped off”, are to begin legal action against the holiday parks that sold them. Members of the Holiday Park Action Group (HPAG) are seeking compensation for what they say are unfair increases in annual pitch fees and misleading claims about the value of static caravans at the time of purchase.
Joanne Horner-Bloomfield, 65, is one of those joining the legal action. She said she “lost everything” after buying a static caravan on Watermill Leisure Park in Lincolnshire and now relies on food banks.
The first claim will ask the High Court to declare whether or not the annual pitch fee increases written into the contract between park owners and caravan buyers are fair and enforceable – and if not, whether the buyers are entitled to a refund. The second claim will ask a judge to decide whether the holiday parks selling the caravans should be expected to explain to buyers, before purchase, that caravans lose substantial value if resold after only a few years – and if so, whether they can be compensated for the lost value.
Some of those joining the legal action shared their stories with the BBC as part of our investigation in October. They include James and Emma Richardson, from Cleethorpes, who lost more than £50,000 over two years of owning a caravan at Tattershall Lakes Country Park in Lincolnshire. Sally Nicholls, from Sheffield, used her entire pension pot and borrowed money to buy a £69,000 caravan at the same park. She only managed to get £15,000 for it when she sold it three years later.
Away Resorts, which runs Tattershall Lakes Country Park, said in October that it provided all prospective buyers with “comprehensive information, including detailed terms and conditions” to ensure they knew the potential risks of caravan ownership.
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