Consumer Focus is asking people who live in park homes to tell them of any issues they face.
The consumer watchdog is interviewing individual park homes residents about their experiences for a major report, which it will launch in autumn 2012, and want more residents to get in touch to discuss their experiences – both good and bad – of living on a park home site.
Some residents have reported blocking of sales by site operators which causes great financial loss to the park home owner and an easy profit for some rogue site operators. Other residents have spoken to Consumer Focus about their experience of buying a park home, their electricity, gas and water supplies, their written agreement and pitch fees and the quality of life on their park home site.
Consumer Focus is gathering evidence to influence and directly input in to the upcoming UK park homes consultation.
Lisa Hawkins, Senior Investigator at Consumer Focus, said:
‘We are asking residents get in touch so we can help combat issues residents face and protect older people from financial abuse. We want to talk to as many residents as possible, whether they’ve had good experiences or bad.
‘We know that difficulties are caused because park home residents own their home, while a site operator owns the land. Site operators can withhold consent to park home residents reselling their home, although this consent should not be withheld unreasonably. There is evidence that some site owners do this for their own financial gain, which means that home owners can be hit massively in the pocket.’
If you know of anyone who would like to take part in this project, please ask them to contact Lowri Jackson at Consumer Focus, by phoning 029 2078 7108 or emailing ParkHomes@ConsumerFocus.org.uk