There are a number of checks that we can perform to try and ensure that things are as they seem to be when you are buying a park home. In particular, it is important to ensure that the person selling has the right to do so and that the home itself is intended for residential use.
The Schedule 1 : Buyers Information Form is very important as it sets out details such as the amount of the current pitch fee, whether there are arrears and confirms ownership. We often find that the form is not completed properly or that the documents that should accompany it are not forwarded.
One of the crucial documents is the Written Statement, which is the main part of the agreement to occupy the pitch. In some ways this is like a lease but in others it is like the deeds to a property. Without it, we do not recommend that you should proceed with the transaction – instead, you should insist that the seller obtains one from the site owner or negotiates for a new one to be produced.
We do not undertake any checks to independently verify that there is no finance in place on the home, because there is no central register of those types of arrangement and finance could be in place from many hundreds of financial lenders.
There is an obligation to comply with the conditions of a site licence, so we will normally approach the local council for a copy and identify any issues that might affect you. At the same time, we will check to see what site rules have been deposited. You have the ability in the enhanced package to ask us to seek confirmation from the Council that no enforcement action is being taken against the home. This is useful if, for example, you have a survey report which advises that the home is too close to the road, site boundary or another home.
