Couple paid £36,600 for a caravan and regretted it after what happened

Wales Online

3 days ago

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A working couple are embroiled in a dispute with a holiday park company, alleging they are "stuck" and are unable to sell their £36,600 static caravan. Alicia Mearns and partner John Hayden claim to have been told it's now "basically not worth anything" because they fitted a new kitchen.
In response, Park Lane Holiday Homes, operators of the site in Meols, Wirral, contested their claims. A spokesperson for the company stated: "The couple have not engaged in any communications with the company regarding selling the caravan."
Alicia, 41, and John, 48, were originally looking to purchase a property in Spain. But Alicia, owner of Allure beauty salon in Birkenhead, and John, who runs J and J Joinery, decided a holiday park offered a better solution for a second home as it was closer to their places of work, provided they could access it throughout the year.
In early 2023 they spoke to a sales representative from Park Lane Holiday Homes in Meols. Although aiming for a £25,000 budget, they asserted they were told the only available caravan near this price was £36,600.
Moreover, the Merseyside couple claimed they were urged to commit instantly with a £500 deposit because another buyer was purportedly interested in the caravan. Alicia recounted: "We felt rushed. But the caravan seemed to be what we wanted, so we took the plunge," reports the Liverpool Echo.
John mentioned: "The rest of the money we had to pull together from bank loans and part-exchanging our 2013 touring caravan, pending the sale of our former property."
Alicia noted: "We were not given a contract. Not then and not later. All we ever received was a piece of paper in the office to confirm the sale." Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community
(Image: European Consumer Claims)
They allege the site fees amounted to £4,600 annually, which they had to pay in advance, plus an additional charge of £300 a few weeks later. Alicia said the couple spend much of the year at the site, claiming that flooding issues began on October 20, 2023.
She described the problem. "Whenever there are heavy rains, our pitch floods, which is often, due to the British weather," she said.
"The water depth can be such that we find it extremely difficult to get in and out of the caravan. I am a mum with two kids and the youngest is seven."
John elaborated: "They told us a new water pump was installed to keep water levels down in future. But the flooding is actually worse now. It has flooded badly - a total of seven times since we moved in."
The couple claimed they inquired about relocating their caravan to a higher position to dodge future floods and were told they could do so for a fee of £1,400. They arranged this while on a trip to Spain as part of efforts to move abroad.
Alicia recalled: "(The owner) told us outright that they would not be moving our caravan. He told us that the only way to move to a more flood-proof location was to upgrade to one in a more preferable location."
They were further disheartened when informed by a site manager that their caravan had become valueless due to a new kitchen fitted by John, a professional joiner, at a cost of £10,000.
Alicia explained her frustration, saying: "Apparently this had devalued the caravan", adding: "Plus the fact it was 20 years old (we had no idea about its age until this point) rendered it worthless."
Exasperated, she asserted: "We are probably biased, but we feel that the caravan looks objectively better after John's lovingly installed kitchen replacement."
John claimed they were given figures for an upgrade, with the lowest being around £75,000; a sum beyond what they were prepared to invest, compelling them to contemplate selling the caravan on their own.
A spokesperson from Park Lane Holiday Homes rejected their narrative, stating: "The couple have not engaged in any communications with the company regarding selling the caravan and therefore their comments are wholly refuted."
In response, Alicia said she had spoken with a manager about selling the caravan, saying: "Two friends expressed an interest in buying our caravan. He (the salesperson) told us that 'because of the caravan's age', the park would have to put the ground rent up from £4,600 to £10,500 for the new owners. Understandably our friends did not want to go through with the purchase after learning this."
Alicia and John looked into relocating the caravan but found its age was a barrier, as no other site would accept it.
Alicia commented: "This information is something they absolutely should have disclosed to us before we paid out £36,600. We never would have paid so much money for a caravan if we had known the limitations caused by its age. Not telling us this was a serious failure on their part in our opinion."
She continued: "We are now stuck living on a pitch that continues to flood, resulting in our electricity tripping out as our washing machine and dryer are located outside. The tumble dryer is now ruined due to water damage."
The couple feel trapped, Alicia explained: "Currently we are in limbo. The park keeps sending us a new lease to sign, and we daren't sign it because it states a caravan age limit of ten years.
"We have paid two years' site fees for a pitch that is unliveable, not fit for purpose and a danger." Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
Park Lane Holiday Homes acknowledged the issue, with a spokesperson stating: "We can confirm that over the past two years the park has, on occasion, experienced flash floods.
"However, we would like to emphasise that such events are not unique to the park itself. They are consistent with weather patterns affecting the wider local area of the Wirral and are reflective of the environmental conditions experienced across the region, where flooding commonly occurs.
"We wish to reassure all guests that we remain fully committed to ensuring that the holiday park continues to be managed safely and responsibly. All necessary measures have been taken to protect visitors and maintain the high standards our guests expect.
"In respect of the allegations made by the couple regarding their caravan, we must highlight that firstly this is a holiday site, and not a residential site. Further the couple have not engaged in any communications with the company regarding selling the caravan and therefore their comments are wholly refuted.
"The 19-page licence agreement in place with the couple (signed on each page) is for one year, and they are at liberty to move to another holiday site if they so desire."
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