I Lost My Life Savings: The Cautionary Tale of a Failed Holiday Park Investment

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

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

Christopher Lightfoot from Lincoln enrolled with a firm named Liv Lodges – operating under the business title LL Lincoln LTD – whose depiction was overly optimistic about tapping into an attractive additional revenue source.

Mr. Lightfoot, aged 50, detailed how the firm assured an annual net rental return of eight percent along with an 'exit strategy' ensuring he recouped his investment plus additional funds.

Following their attraction enhanced by a trip to the park, he along with his companion—who chose to remain unnamed—opted to purchase a vacation house for £149,990 in April 2021.

At first the investment lived up to its promise and they saw a monthly income of £1,000 profit come in.

However, abruptly 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 a short-term issue and that they were just experiencing some difficulties. We found ourselves in a state of uncertainty, trying to figure out what was happening."

It was explained to him that he needed to agree to a far stricter contract, implying that the expenses for managing the property significantly outweighed the rental income received.

Even though the agreement appeared to be strongly biased towards 5 Stars, Mr. Lightfoot stated 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 rental income from 5 Stars wasn’t sufficient, then LL Lincoln Ltd would cover the shortfall. Concerned about potentially losing his entire investment, he agreed to sign the contract on January 22, 2025.

However, disaster hit on April 7, 2025, when LL Lincoln Ltd was dissolved prior to the activation of the enticing exit strategy, which rendered his contract with 5 Stars irreversible.

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

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 resulted in a deficit of £256.

He states that he currently cannot sell the lodge: "It cannot be relocated from its current position, making it an undesirable option for prospective buyers. As a result, we have essentially forfeited the entire £150,000. Instead of generating income through rentals, we are 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?"

What I understand are just the facts. We were promised a guarantee when we purchased this product, however, before we had the chance to initiate the buyback process, the company went bankrupt.

This is an extremely stressful situation we're dealing with here – this represents our life savings.

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

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

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

Greg Wilson, who serves as 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 highlight comparable problems. It appears these holiday park lodges have transformed into rapid and profitable revenue generators."

It's rather appalling how certain big-name brands, in particular, fail to contemplate the substantial harm they can inflict upon people.

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

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