Park Home and Holiday Caravan News

Mobile home park review Shenley Park

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:15:00 GMT

Park home, mobile home, holiday caravan, static caravan, holiday lodge reviews -Shenley Park, Kent

Win a week in a Thistle holiday home worth up to £600

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:01:00 GMT

Your chance to win a week in a Thistle holiday home, plus free family entry to Historic Scotland’s attractions in Dumfries and Galloway

Mobile home essential facts... park home manufacture

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:46:00 GMT

Park homes have come on leaps and bounds over the past 50 years. Today, there is more choice than ever when it comes to mobile home manufacture and all new homes boast the luxury fixtures and fittings you would expect

Essential mobile home facts... mobile home law

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:24:00 GMT

For thousands of park home residents, life is stress-free. However it is always good to know your rights. Below is a basic guide on mobile home law

Mobile home essential facts...gardens

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:08:00 GMT

While mobile home plots can be smaller than some gardens, there are still plenty of things you can do to create your own personal haven as we show...

Essential advice... mobile home park living

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:59:00 GMT

To get the most out of mobile home park life, it is essential that you find a mobile home site that matches your requirements. We highlight the pros and cons of different types of mobile home parks

Mobile home essential info..Home refurb

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:38:00 GMT

Proper mobile home maintenance can extend the lifespan of your park home and ensure your unit continues to meet legal and contractual standards. Our run-down explains why…

Mobile home park review - Hartridge Park

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:18:00 GMT

Park Home & Holiday Caravan Magazine review Hartridge Park in Kent

Who is responsible for removing a meter in my shed?

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:01:00 GMT

I informed my site owner of my intention to remove my old wooden shed. I did not want to replace it and asked him to remove his coin operated electric meter, which was attached to the frame of the shed to avoid any possible damage. After 30 days had elapsed I was told the responsibility of returning, removing and relocating the meter was down to me. His solicitor said it was ‘a point of law’ and that the site owner was not liable and I would have to pay all charges related. They stated that the Mobile Homes Act and New Implied Terms do not mention an owner’s responsibility housing a meter. The shed in question was a separate base approximately 3ft away from the mobile home therefore the cables come from the meter to the home. Can you tell me where it states in writing that I am responsible for the housing and safety and the cost of this meter. Also, our site owner has never produced an electricity bill or worked out each individual’s cost per unit. He also refuses to tell us the provider. There is no certificate to show electrical safety on the noticeboard. Finally, I reported a water leak which has appeared to lead to a huge rise in water going through the meter. The site owner’s wife suddenly saw a huge leak above the ground and the owner has attempted to ‘mend’ this. The water puddle had been visible for over a year. We have been told we still have to pay for this water. Who is actually responsible? Can we ask for a refund? Can we force the site owner to maintain the site? Nobody on the local council listens. Our bills are around £140 each, every six months, for 14 residents.

If management do not repair site, can we sue?

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:59:08 GMT

My wife and I are both in our 70s and are not as sure footed as we were. The management here supplied grit boxes around the park, which it seems down to us to put on the roads and drives. We do not have a car so we do walk about a lot. What I am asking you is, if at any time we have an accident do we stand a chance of suing the park site’s management team?

Who is responsible for our bathroom?

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:57:00 GMT

Q We bought our new park home 18 months ago. However, we have had no end of problems with our bathroom, including leaks. It now needs to be dismantled and we need another one installed. This whole matter has caused no end of worry and upset. When we purchased and moved into our park home we thought that everything was new and we would not be facing any replacements for many years. Both my husband and I have ongoing health issues and really do not want all this hassle. I do feel however, that there is a principle at stake here.

Whose responsibility it is to pay for/have a faulty unit replaced?

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:51:25 GMT

We have a problem with a faulty exchange heater/water system. The problem was notified to the site owners and lodge manufacturers shortly after taking occupation of the unit, but it took them six months before they reacted, despite reminders. However, what seems to be muddying the water now is that it was an insurance replacement unit. Our original unit was destroyed in the floods of 2007 (there was never any problem with the exchange heater in the original unit). Nobody wants to accept responsibility for the cost of replacing the exchange heater, which has malfunctioned intermittently and despite many visits by the boilermakers we still have a problem, over 12 months after the first notification. We are being told that as it is now out of warranty, we will have to pay £120 per service visit. Can you tell me whose responsibility it is to pay for/have the faulty unit replaced? I have been to Citizen Advice Bureau but they are uncertain who I should be pressing to deal with the matter. I have held back some money from the site owners, relating to the cost of ‘extras’ we ordered. If you indicate it is they who should be rectifying this, can I deduct the cost of replacing the system from what I owe them (having given notice of my intention to do so)? Finally, when we come to sell the unit, if we go through the site owners, do we have to pay VAT to them? If so, why? If we sell it ourselves, I am assuming we would not have to charge any VAT to any purchaser?

Is there a presumption that the RPI is not applicable when negative?

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:49:40 GMT

By law we understand the site owner can maintain the pitch fee until the Retail Prices Index (RPI) becomes positive, but this means a loss to residents as it has not been reduced. It also means that the site owner starts from a false base figure later on. Can the residents initiate the pitch fee review and reduce it by negative RPI? Or later when the site owner proposes a new pitch fee, can we disagree and reduce it by the negative percentage backdated to previous review date? Are there any examples of the large site owners proposing new pitch fee reviews reduced by negative RPI? If so, it would give a strong indication that they believe a reduction should be given. Is there a presumption that the RPI is not applicable when negative? If so, could this be argued under ‘relevant matters’?

How can we make the site owner obey his own rules?

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:43:39 GMT

We live on a park with a strict age policy of residents being 50 or over. The owner of the park does, however, have a park home on site with a partner and their children. As clearly stated in the park rules, the owner’s family should not be resident on the site as they do not fulfil the criteria. By doing so they are preventing residents from ‘quiet enjoyment’ of their homes. It was never directly mentioned to residents when buying their home and one couple were actually told the family did not live there. We are ruled with a ‘rod of iron’ and our every move is watched. The owner’s partner leaves equipment scattered all over the site, although site rules state that this is not allowed. Is this something we simply have to put up with? When purchasing our homes we were all told that there would be electric gates and a brick wall at the front of the park but these have not transpired and the entrance floods in heavy rain. One resident is also still awaiting a block drive. The site owner has stated this will only be done when further homes are installed. Is the resident obliged to wait even longer or can the owner be forced to provide this? Residents have reported sewage smells in their homes, which were present when they moved in, but the owner has done nothing. Does this constitute as a health hazard? We feel absolutely powerless and the site owner and family are rude and aggresive. We have all paid a great deal of money for our homes and feel grossly misled by false promises. Can anything be done to alleviate our intolerable situation?

Do I have to sign the amended written agreement?

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:40:00 GMT

My park owner sent me a written statement plus a couple of documents with amendments to it. Are these documents legally binding and can I assign these to a new buyer? For about a year my park owner has made it quite clear that I should sign his version. In the last letter I received from his solicitors they stated that they believe my written statement does not contain any of these updates. I have tried many times to sell my property without success and of course I want any sale to go smoothly and quickly. Do I really have to make these changes?

What council tax banding should my home fall under?

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:33:44 GMT

Why do the majority of councils charge council tax band A for residential park homes across the country, and yet some others charge council tax B? I am aware that although a residential park home is a chattel, council tax still has to be paid but I would have thought that they would all be banded at the same level – band A. Is there a chance of changing a banding level? Is there a template letter or a way of wording a letter to be clear about the reasons for the change?

Can we live in our holiday home?

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:40:22 GMT

Would it be unlawful to purchase a holiday lodge with a 10 month licence and, in compliance with the terms of the licence, occupy it for only the stipulated term? We are considering buying a superb lodge manufacturered to BS 3632 as our main residence and living elsewhere for the six week closure period. We will, of course, pay council tax and the site owners have guaranteed that the contract they draw up will offer the same legal safeguards as one drawn up in accordance with the Mobile Homes Act 1983. The show lodges we have seen are certainly of good quality construction. It’s just the legal position vis-a-vis the site licence we’re concerned about.

Should we pay for sewage maintenance?

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:38:11 GMT

Should we pay for sewage maintenance? Our park owner has been charging us, since late 2007, £13 a quarter for sewage maintenance as beside the pipe-work we have a pump which pumps the sewage from the park up to the main sewer. Some residents, who were new to the park have just paid this extra fee, without question but other residents have refused to pay as there was no negotiation between the owner and the resident’s and also they consider that this is already paid in the pitch fee. Can the park owner insure the pump against breakdown? And if so, why should every household on the park pay this amount each year?

How can I make the park owner carry out repairs?

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:33:00 GMT

Our park owner promised to have both the main road and the rear footpath repaired to a safe standard. Despite our patience, nothing has transpired and consequently one of the senior residents tripped and badly hurt an ankle. I felt that the rear path and main road was a health and safety issue and contacted our area’s health and safety officer who agreed. However, six months passed and still nothing had been resolved, so I wrote a strong letter to the chief health and safety officer. A letter was then sent to the park’s management giving them two weeks to begin maintenance. The park’s sales manager then contacted me to confirm this was the case and I used this opportunity to explain that alongside this, one of the residents had complained about a bad smell of sewage. When I lifted the drain I saw that raw sewage had blocked up the pipe and I used a high jet hose to clear it. The sales manager said that one of the park’s maintenance team was a plumber and that he would check it out when they came to fix the roads. When the team arrived, I showed them the pipe and they said they believed it was fractured but without an order number from the park management he would not be able to repair it. When I called the sales manager he told me it was not a health and safety issue and hung up the phone. I have since received a message from the park’s management team saying they believe I broke the sewage pipe in retaliation for the previous road issues.

Do we need to insure our residents' association against public liability?

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:03:00 GMT

Do we need to insure our residents’ association against public liability? We have formed an association with a legal constitution and committee and at this stage everything is running OK. How do we stand with regards to insurance? Our site is owned by the local council and the council has asked us to look into insuring ourselves against public liability as they are not entirely happy with the present situation.

Do we need to insure our residents' association against public liability?

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:56:00 GMT

Are we legally liable for sewage costs?

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:37:00 GMT

Our park owners demand that existing residents pay the costs of the sites sewage plant, these include legal and servicing costs plus electricity. While the residents’ association feels that we should pay these ‘running’ costs my query is:‘Are we legally liable or responsible for such costs?’ Incidentally, the residents’ association and its members have refused to pay for the plant and its construction costs. Finally, are residents allowed to erect a ‘for sale’ notice in their gardens?

How do we find out how our water bill is calculated?

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:35:00 GMT

How do we find out how our water bill is calculated? Our water is supplied via a single meter and the bill is then divided between the residents (charge of one person to single occupancy homes and two persons for double occupancy). Despite repeated requests, we do not get a copy of the bill to check our charges against, nor do we get our bills at regular quarterly presentation. It is sometimes three, four or even six months. However the cost has escalated to the point where we contacted the water board to query for leaks and charges. We were told the average local domestic charging for our area and paid this amount. The water company has also inspected for leaks and the possibility of installing water meters, although that will depend on the park owners. We then received a letter from the park owner stating that the outstanding amount be paid within 21 days plus interest for any extension on this time. This deficit is caused by the difference in what he was billing on the initial disputed bills and what the water board said the average was for this area. On checking the bills we then saw that he had actually been credited for leak adjustment, which was not passed on to us. The second query is on his demand for interest on what he claims is the outstanding amount. Could this - because it is a disputed amount without any attempt on his part to resolve - be considered as him making interest on the water charging, which we understand to be illegal?

Can my site owner deny me the right to TV reception

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:33:00 GMT

My site owner provides a normal terrestrial TV aerial for the dozen homes on our park but this is not sufficient for digital reception. The owner recently wrote to home owners saying he would upgrade the aerial for a payment of £65 per home. Only one other resident and I agreed; the others declined arguing that they already had Sky TV and did not need another aerial. The site owner forbids residents from erecting their own terrestrial aerials so, if I want Sky or Freeserve, I will need to get a dish. The only suitable spot for a dish on my plot that gets good reception is at the front of my home, slightly to one side and this would be visible from the site road. Anywhere else around my home is blocked by trees. The site owner says that such a dish needs to be concealed by bushes. This would block reception. I would also need to get the green light from other residents for the dish. Can my site owner deny me the right to TV reception?

Can the site owner change the rules regarding pets?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:06:00 GMT

Q I would be obliged if you could clarify an issue in respect of changes to site rules. When we first took up residence at our park it was made clear to us, and indeed it was one of the reasons we selected the park, that pets were allowed: both cats and dogs. Specifically, we were informed that one small dog per property was perfectly acceptable under the site rules. Subsequently, the site owner has stated that when dogs die they cannot be replaced and he is no longer allowing new residents on the site to have dogs. In respect to the Written Statement under the Mobile Homes Act 1983 provided to us it makes reference to ‘site rules’ as annexed to the statement – no such ruled have ever been provided in writing, but it was made clear at the start of our residency that we could keep one small dog (this was understood by all residents at the time to be one of the site rules and the site was advertised as such). At no time has the site owner given us a copy of any new site rules or advised that he intended to change the current rules.