It was a retirement dream that turned into a nightmare.
After selling their house and buying a lodge next to their static caravan at Loch Awe Holiday Park, Sandy and Christine Nicol find themselves facing eviction.
Now they just want to get their money back and leave.
But finding a resolution could take some time, park owner Cove UK has informed them.
The couple, both aged 62, are asking any lawyers with expertise about their situation to contact them through The Press and Journal.
And they are calling for legislation to be brought in to protect caravan owners.
‘We will never feel settled here again’
Christine, who suffers from painful condition fibromyalgia, said the situation has made them ill with stress. She said: “We thought this was us. That we were settled. But we will never feel settled here again.”
Cove UK bought the park from Argyll Holidays last year. The company took action when it discovered that private owners were staying in their caravans year-round.
It wrote to 28 park residents informing them that they were breaking their pitch agreements.
In order for Cove UK to comply with the Site License, it must prove that caravan owners do not stay there for longer than 10 months at a time.
The owners were asked to provide evidence of a permanent address off the park, or leave by March 31.
Mr and Mrs Nicol already owned a static caravan at Loch Awe when they retired 18 months ago and sold their home in Oban.
They were approached by a salesman for the previous park owner when a lodge, with a £115,000 price tag, became available.
Proud owners of a motorhome, the couple travel around Scotland, using the park as a base.
This could take some time to resolve
The static, which they paid £39,995 for, provides extra space when they welcome visitors.
Christine said: “We were told, ‘you can stay here, park your motorhome, no problem,’ they knew our situation.”
“It will be a long process to find a resolution, we have been told. Our idea of a resolution is to get our money back and go. We don’t want to be here any more.
“Now at 62-years-old we will need to get a mortgage and try to buy a house. We will need to leave family behind and move out of the area. Prices in the Oban area are extortionate.”
Following individual meetings between Cove UK and caravan owners, Mr and Mrs Nicol have been offered a monthly pitch agreement after March 31. This would allow them to stay until the situation is resolved.
Christine added: “We can’t live from month-to-month. We are 62.”
And she called for better protection for people in a similar situation. She said: “Pitch agreements are usually an annual lease. Caravan owners don’t have any rights. Site owners can change park rules, or put prices up, whenever they like.”
Argyll Holidays, (now owned by Cove UK) said that meetings with caravan owners have been positive.
Site owner seeks resolution
Andy Rae, operations manager, said the park and owners had made progress on many cases, particularly the “relatively straightforward” ones.
He added: “There are, however, a selection of cases that will take longer to work through. We recognise that many owners will be anxious to find a resolution.
“However, it is in the best interests of all parties that we strive to find a solution that overcomes the licensing issues and that is acceptable to all parties involved.”
He added: “In some instances, our company is having to seek advice from external parties, which takes time. But is the right approach to ensuring the best possible outcome. We have been in almost daily contact with many of these owners and we will continue these discussions with them in the coming weeks.”
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