Angry north caravan owners have blasted resort operator Parkdean for charging owners full annual fees, despite this year’s season being drastically shortened by the pandemic.
Jim McNaught lives in Maryburgh, and has owned a holiday home at Parkdean’s Nairn Lochloy park for the past 20 years.
He pays around £4,000 a year in site and maintenance fees.
Mr McNaught described Parkdean’s decision to charge the full amount as ‘morally reprehensible’ and said the resort should extend the same compensation to owners as to holiday makers who have cancelled pre-booked holidays and had a full refund.
Parkdean says it is doing all it can to ensure owners can return to their parks as soon as it is safe.
Mr McNaught said: “Even if the park opens in July, which probably won’t happen, we have already been deprived of the use of our caravans for half of the season.
“Apart from park security and maintenance costs, I cannot see any difference between holiday makers and owners.
“We are both paying for holidays, and if we can’t have those holidays we can’t be expected to pay for them.”
Mr McNaught said Parkdean owners would not forget the company’s ‘shocking treatment’ of them.
“Parkdean owners will not, and financially cannot, accept this demand for payment in full for site fees for the current season.
“When we unite, we will be an extremely powerful body and we will not rest until we get justice.”
Aberdeen owners Katherine and Terri Deans own two homes at Parkdean’s Lochloy resort in Nairn, one of which they rent out.
They said they understood Parkdean still had expenses like security and essential maintenance, and did not expect 100% credit for the missing months.
But they said they did expect a percentage credit against next year’s fees to help them meet their own costs.
The couple have written to Parkdean asking them to reconsider their position, saying they have missed out on membership and access to the clubhouse and its facilities, equivalent to more than £1350 per van, and they have also lost out on regular owners’ events paid for from their site fees.
A spokesman for Parkdean said: “We value our relationship with our owners, and understand that a small number are frustrated.
“The pitch licence agreement allows owners to keep their holiday home on the park, in exchange for paying the pitch fee.
“It does not guarantee that the park will remain open or owners can use their holiday home at any time, especially in the event of a public health emergency.
“We are doing all we can to ensure our owners can return to park and look forward to welcoming them back as soon as it is safe to do so.”