Couple's second home nightmare as they claim 'it's basically worth nothing'

Edinburgh Live

11-07-2025

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A couple are lamenting their inability to sell their caravan, which they purchased for over £36,000, as they find themselves "stuck living on a pitch that continues to flood".
Alicia Mearns and her partner John Hayden invested £36,600 in a caravan at a holiday park, only to become embroiled in a dispute with the park operators, claiming they've been informed the caravan is "basically not worth anything" following a kitchen installation by John. However, Park Lane Holiday Homes, who run the site in Meols, Wirral, have contested their claims.
A spokesperson from the company stated: "The couple have not engaged in any communications with the company regarding selling the caravan."
At 41, Alicia, who runs Allure beauty salon in Birkenhead, Merseyside, and John, 48, owner of JandJ Joinery, were looking to purchase a property in Spain but needed a base near their work. They thought a holiday park would be ideal for a second home, provided it was accessible throughout the year.
In early 2023, they discussed options with a salesman at Park Lane Holiday Homes in Meols, with an initial budget of £25,000. According to the couple, they were pressured into buying the only available caravan near their budget at £36,600 because another buyer was allegedly interested, necessitating an immediate £500 deposit, reports the Mirror.
Alicia recounted: "We felt rushed. But the caravan seemed to be what we wanted, so we took the plunge."
John explained: "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 revealed: "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."
The couple allege that site fees totalled £4,600 annually, which required payment in advance. They also claim an additional £300 was demanded several weeks afterwards.
Alicia mentioned they spend the majority of the year at the site but insisted that difficulties began on October 20, 2023, when flooding struck.
She explained: "Whenever there are heavy rains, our pitch floods, which is often, due to the British weather. 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 continued: "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 pair claim they enquired about relocating their caravan to higher ground to prevent future flooding. They allege they were informed this was possible, but would cost £1,400.
They stated they organised for the work to be completed whilst they were in Spain attempting to arrange a move overseas. Alicia recounted a disheartening conversation with the owner, saying: "(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."
The couple felt further dismayed when a site manager allegedly told them their caravan had plummeted in value, with Alicia explaining: "Apparently this had devalued the caravan... plus the fact it was 20 years old (we had no idea about its age until this point) rendered it worthless."
Despite the setback, Alicia expressed pride in the improvements made: "We are probably biased, but we feel that the caravan looks objectively better after John's lovingly installed kitchen replacement."
John also mentioned the steep price for an upgrade, stating they were quoted around £75,000, which exceeded their budget, prompting them to consider selling the caravan privately.
Contradicting the couple's claims, a spokesperson from Park Lane Holiday Homes asserted: "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 recounted her attempt to sell the caravan, explaining: "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 lamented: "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, detailing their current predicament: "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."
Alicia added, "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."
A representative for Park Lane Holiday Homes acknowledged: "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.
(Image: European Consumer Claims)
"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."