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Caravan owners in Northern Ireland find it not easy to have their considerations heard in the next revision of the Caravan Act, for fear of their eviction. The law will be updated every five years, but this year it will be reviewed in its entirety. .
Many expressed frustration at being “forced to leave” the sites they have occupied for years, due to a number of factors, coupled with the fact that their caravans are too old.
And they say they have not only increased fees, but are being charged in advance.
One owner, Cathy Graham, campaigned with many others to make her voice heard.
She believes homeowners are being treated unfairly and that the review seeks to repair that balance.
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“Caravan owners have all the powers and the law wants to replace them to provide more security and occupancy to caravan owners,” he said.
“Site owners should not be allowed to have a whim that their license may not be renewed, or if you take control through a new owner, they should also not be able to prevent their license from being renewed.
“There’s a clever explanation for why that can be challenged by law for anyone who is rejected from a site, similar to the protections afforded to residential vacation homes in the first component of the caravan law.
“It will have to be mandatory under the law that the owners of the site will have to give transparent and transparent situations to their agreements and that everything will have to be in writing. “
The Department of Communities is the leading firm to conduct the review and has encouraged stakeholders to voice their concerns.
They claim to give their opinion to identify key issues before legislating.
But the owners went to Stormont to protest the lingering disorders that are forcing them to be “forced to leave” the sites.
Many say they were told to buy a new caravan, more or leave.
TUV leader Jim Allister supported the cause by submitting a petition signed through nearly 4,000 caravan owners to the Stormont Assembly.
He said: “This petition, signed through 3,768 people, represents families in Northern Ireland who have serious complaints about the way some are treated, but, I stress, all caravan park owners. “
“Among the complaints is the fact that they don’t have security of tenure in a caravan park.
“They get a license year after year, and then, by the end of this year, they are vulnerable, as happened this year in a park, to exorbitant demands of an accumulation of fees, in one case, 35%. “construction, which is unreasonable and unacceptable. “
Communities Minister Dierdre Hargey reiterated her preference for landowners to participate in the discussions, saying:
“The perspectives of caravan owners, homeowners and other stakeholders in the residential and holiday sector will see the interdepartmental management organisation identify recommendations that would possibly be needed to address potential concerns.
“I would inspire industry people to take this opportunity to make their voices heard and help influence the findings of this review. “
Owners can raise their considerations through an official questionnaire until March 2022.