Household names, names you can trust. Companies that have seen the sense in retaining age old traditions. Take logos for example, Ford, Boots, Mars, Marmite, Tate and Lyles Golden Syrup, to name just a few. Not only have they been instantly recognised for as long as one can remember, products such as OXO are consistent. You know what you’re going to get when you open the pack. But how consistent is the park home marketplace?

Few can have not noticed how frequently certain advertisments change. Whilst one would expect latest availability of homes, for example, to warrant changes, it is increasingly noticeable that certain ‘long established experts’ have only just emerged, whilst other names have disappeared from view. That goes too for some parks in multiple ownership. Whilst there may be a simple, reasonable explanation in some instances, one wonders why this practice appears to be growing. You can draw your own conclusions.

In all walks of life there are those who let the side down, and as this is considered to be a rich industry, I’ll introduce a proverb, which states; “ A rich man is either a rogue, or a rogues heir”. No doubt the term Unscrupulous Park Operator (UPO) is a familiar term to you by now. After all, there’s too many of them.

But sudden change of company name can present problems when court cases against the operator are brought. If the case is against Company X, and by the time it reaches court the offender has changed to cowboy Company Y, then that messes up your case. Another reason might be down to that little three letter word, which begins wit ‘T’ and ends with ‘X’ ! Nothing to do with me guv’nor, its my brother/cousin/uncle/whatever. No idea where he is. VAT? I thought that was a large container for holding liquid, officer. The only Customs and Exercise I do is count my money everynight, and run like hell when the TV camera crew arrive!

As another proverb tells us; “No good man ever becomes suddenly rich”. Another reads; “If you make money your god, ‘twill plague you like the devil”. That must be why I’ve yet to see a park owner smile. Their incessant greed ensures that someone, somewhere, right now, as you’re reading this, is suffering because of it. For some, actually coming to know the park owner personally is impossible. In such circumstances you are just a name on a piece of paper; an ‘object’ to extract money from. The only “hands on” experience you are likely to experience from such individuals is in instructing their solicitor to punish you in some way. But if you believe, as is quite often the case, that the letter is totally or even partly inaccurate in its accusations, here’s what to do.

The former Office for the Supervision of Solicitors has since been streamlined, and is now called the Solicitors Regulation Authority. It cost you nothing to complain. So. If you have a genuine belief that the solicitor is merely believing his dishonest client, write to them at 8. Dormer Place, Leamington Spa. CV32 5AE.

Compiled and produced for PHRAA by Colin Packman, President PHRAA. June 2008.