I Lost £150,000 Savings After Investing in a Dubious Holiday Park Scheme

• Did you lose funds on a vacation property? Contact noor.qurashi@mailonline.co.uk

A gas installer recounted the "incredibly stressful" ordeal of losing £150,000 in personal savings following an investment in a vacation park project.

Christopher Lightfoot, hailing from Lincoln, enlisted with an organization named Liv Lodges — operating under the business title LL Lincoln LTD — who depicted a promising scenario for generating additional revenue, as per his account.

Mr Lightfoot, aged 50, detailed how the firm assured an annual net rental return of eight percent and provided an 'exit strategy' ensuring he would recover his initial investment along with additional profits.

Following their attraction enhanced by a trip to the park, he along with his significant other—who preferred anonymity—opted to purchase a vacation retreat for £149,990 in April 2021.

Initially, the investment fulfilled its promise, yielding a monthly profit of £1,000 for them.

However, all of a sudden in 2024, the funds ceased coming through, and Mr. Lightfoot mentioned that he kept getting excused with various reasons regarding its whereabouts.

The individual, who is 50 years old, was informed that the administration of his lodge had been handed over to a new entity named 5 Star Park Developments Limited.

Addressing MailOnline, Mr Lightfoot stated: "Initially, we believed it would be short-term, thinking they were just experiencing some difficulties. However, we found ourselves in a state of uncertainty, constantly questioning what was happening."

It was explained to him that he needed to agree to a far stricter agreement, implying that the expenses for property management significantly overshadowed the rental income.

Even though the agreement appeared to be significantly biased towards 5 Stars, Mr. Lightfoot mentioned that he was informed the site fees were included within the management fee.

He mentioned that during a telephone conversation, he was informed that if the income from 5 Stars wasn’t sufficient, LL Lincoln Ltd would cover the shortfall. Concerned about potentially losing his entire investment, he agreed to sign the agreement on January 22, 2025.

However, calamity hit on April 7, 2025, when LL Lincoln Ltd ceased operations prior to the activation of the enticing 'exit strategy,' which rendered his agreement with 5 Stars irreversible and perpetual.

The debt began accumulating, and he now owes the firm approximately £6,600 in ground rent, with this sum expected to keep rising.

In the initial three months, he received £1,394 out of the total £8,708 from the lodge income. After deducting the rent and site fees, this amount went down to -£256.

He says he is currently incapable of selling the lodge: "It cannot be relocated from its current position, and this makes it an undesirable option for any prospective purchaser. As a result, we've essentially forfeited the entire sum of £150,000. We aren’t generating income through rentals; rather, we’re facing continuous expenses."

Mr Lightfood commented, "This isn’t considered an investment anymore—why would someone purchase a lodge that is operating at a loss?"

'I only know the facts: they promised us a guarantee when selling this to us, but before we had the chance to initiate the buy-back, the company went bankrupt.'

This is an extremely stressful circumstance we are currently experiencing—this represents our entire life savings.

'Ever since the payments ceased, it has impacted us tremendously. We had a strategy in place, but now that approach has been entirely abandoned.'

Mr Lightfoot mentioned that he encountered 'multiple other groups facing similar circumstances.'

He mentioned that he is presently pursuing legal measures against the firms with assistance from the European Consumer Claims (ECC).

Greg Wilson, who serves as the co-director of the ECC, stated that the organization has fielded more than 10,000 inquiries concerning matters related to holiday park proprietors.

He stated: "Most of the inquiries I've received revolve around comparable problems. It appears these holiday park lodges have transformed into rapid and profitable revenue generators."

It's rather terrible how certain big brands, in particular, fail to think about the harm they can cause to people.

Lincoln Ltd and 5 Star Park Developments Limited have been reached out to for their comments.

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