‘How can they ask for more money when it looks this shoddy?’
CARAVAN PARK RESIDENTS SAY 18% FEE HIKE CAN’T BE JUSTIFIED AT ‘RUN-DOWN’ SITE
CARAVAN owners at a Gwynedd holiday park may self-fund a legal challenge against eye-watering rental hikes.
They say site owner Haven cannot justify large increases on a “rundown” park with aging facilities.
Some 115 signatures protesting the rise have been collected by residents at the Cardigan View site at Morfa Bychan, near Porthmadog.
They claim the increase will put their ground fees on a par with luxury caravan parks despite having access to just one pool and a “broken” sauna.
Haven said the “cost of running our parks has increased significantly”.
It added that repairs identified would be fixed, and the site monitored through 2023.
Caravan owners have also hit out at the “impossible” choice many now face following site fee increases.
One complained he was being forced to accept a £1,840 rent rise or write off £26,000 after only 10 months at the adjacent Greenacres Holiday Park, which is also owned by Haven.
One Cardigan Bay owner said the proposed fee increase was disproportionate to the services provided.
“In recent years the park has become increasingly shoddy with few signs of maintenance,” said Victoria, who asked for her surname to be withheld.
“The sauna doesn’t work and a resident told me it hasn’t worked in the six years she’s been there.
“Two men are employed to go around the gardens on a tractor, but they don’t seem to do much.
“If we could see our increased fees going towards improved facilities, they would be easier to accept, but they’re not.”
Like its two Haven-owned sister sites, Greenacres and Garreg Wen, Cardigan View is currently closed for winter.
Angered by an apparent lack of maintenance, residents collected photos of the park’s appearance.
These showed broken doors and fences, overflowing bins and benches held together by gaffer tape.
That was last autumn, before this year’s rent increases. Last week, both Cardigan View and Greenacres were flooded, though any damage is thought to be minimal.
After moving to Cardigan View two years ago, Victoria’s family paid £10,000 for wrap-around decking at their caravan. She claimed it was fitted clumsily and is falling apart.
“It’s dark red and, when it was fitted, there were scratches everywhere,” she said.
“Every time we go there, another piece has fallen off. But when I complained to the general manager, I was handed a telephone number and told to sort it out with the contractors.”
In addition to their own facilities, Cardigan View residents can access pool and entertainment amenities at Greenacres. But few do, according to Victoria. “Many owners have been here many years and some are quite elderly,” she said.
“They like Cardigan View and are quite happy with its swimming pool – when it’s open.
“It used to be open 11 months a year, now it’s nine months, and even then you sometimes arrive to find it’s closed for various reasons.”
Haven said it takes park maintenance “very seriously” and all issues identified will be repaired.
The operator said it provides a “high level of service” and the fee increases were needed to “maintain the quality of our parks”.
Shocked to receive a demand for 18% fee increases – equating to around £2,000 per resident – a petition was raised by Victoria, a 32-year-old business owner from Worcestershire.
This collected 115 names – more than half of the park’s 200 owners.
The petition was rejected by Haven. Instead, the company said it would only accept complaints from individual owners.
It apologised, but said it “cannot deviate from our procedures”.
So a standard letter is now being drawn up and circulated to owners.
“Our petition had more than 50% of the site’s owners,” said Victoria.
“Hopefully we can generate a similar number of letters. I think we will, because there is a lot of upset amongst our owners.
“One couple has been here 26 years but they are having to sell up because they can’t afford the fee increase.
“They told me the company had ruined their holiday home through lack of maintenance, and now it has ruined their retirement with the high fees.
“We are now discussing whether to put money into a pot to pay for a solicitor to challenge these unfair price rises.
“We don’t really want to go down this road. I understand that costs and salaries are going up and that these must be passed on, but we are not getting value for money.
“Garreg Wen is in an even worse position. It has no facilities at all.
“They are literally paying thousands of pounds just for a piece of grass.
“Like us, it’s an owners-only site and they can’t off-set fee increases by renting out their caravans.”
Haven customers are not alone in facing steep rent rises.
Caravan parks across the UK have raised prices which, when combined with the reinstatement of 20% VAT, has created a double-whammy that has sent owners hurrying to the exit.
Many have found themselves “trapped” by a form of negative equity, especially those with newer and more expensive caravans.
An owner from Flintshire, who asked not to be named, contemplated leaving Greenacres after his site fee rocketed from £5,640 to £7,400.
Having paid £38,000 for a secondhand caravan, he splashed out a further £6,000 on composite decking.
The latter will be written off if he leaves, while the caravan is now only worth £18,000.
It left him staring at a £26,000 loss after only 10 months on the site.
“I have friends from Flintshire who have caravans at Greenacres and they love it,” he said, “so my wife and I decided to join them.
“We realise we are privileged to have a holiday home and lucky to have somewhere nice to go when we want.
“At the time, we were told by the salesperson that site fees normally go up a few hundred pounds a year, and that caravans depreciate in value like cars.
“Now, we can’t afford to leave without losing a huge amount of money.
“We have no option but to pay the exorbitant site fees that Haven are demanding.”
A petition at Greenacres raised 270 signatures, while another at Garrog Wen attracted support from 70% of its owners.
To help offset the higher fees, Greenacres owners have been advised to increase the number of rentals they offer. But the Flintshire owner said this is not without problems.
“If you increase your rentals, your maintenance and replacement costs increase due to extra wear and tear,” he said. “And if everyone starts offering more rentals, the prices go down.
“On top of that, Haven is offering super-cheap, £49-a-person holiday packages to attract more holidaymakers. In effect, Haven is our main competitor.
“It’s all very sad. There are owners who have had caravans at Greenacres for more than 20 years, but who have had to give them up this year. Many of these are elderly people.”
Haven said that, like many businesses, it is suffering rising energy costs and inflationary input prices.
These, said the company, are “impacting every aspect of our operations”.
The company also has holiday parks in Pwllheli and Prestatyn.
A spokesperson said: “While we have been working hard to offset these impacts, the cost of running our parks has increased significantly.
“This means to maintain the quality of our parks and a high level of service for our valued holiday homeowners, site fees have increased
We’re considering paying for a solicitor to challenge these unfair rises
in 2023.”
Haven said issues found at Cardigan Bay will be fixed and the park will be monitored during 2023.
It said the site’s pool, reception and gym are always open during the season “unless undergoing repairs”.
The spokesperson added: “We’re sorry to hear concerns about site fees and facilities.
“We take the maintenance and upkeep of our parks very seriously and all maintenance issues identified will be repaired.”
Haven has created a Q&A for owners affected by fee rises.
The company said the “wellbeing of homeowners is a priority” and it is helping customers through on-site support.
It is also offering alternative payment plans or letting options.