I Lost My Life Savings: The Holiday Park Investment Scam

• 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 holiday park venture.

Christopher Lightfoot from Lincoln enlisted with a firm named Liv Lodges – operating under the business title LL Lincoln LTD – who reportedly presented an enticing prospect for generating extra income.

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 investment along with additional profits.

Following their attraction enhanced by a trip to the park, he along with his companion—who preferred anonymity—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, 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 50-year-old was told the management of his lodge had been transferred to a new company called 5 Star Park Developments Limited.

In his conversation with MailOnline, Mr. Lightfoot stated, "Initially, we believed it would only last for a short time and that they were experiencing some difficulties. 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 significantly stricter contract, implying that the expenses for managing the property far outweighed the rental income generated.

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

He also said he was told that in a phone call that if the rent from 5 Stars was 'not enough' LL Lincoln Ltd would pay the difference. Faced with the prospect of losing his investment entirely, he signed the contract 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,' resulting in his contract with 5 Stars becoming irreversible.

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

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 states that he currently cannot offload the lodge: "It cannot be relocated from its current position, and thus doesn’t present an appealing opportunity for any prospective purchaser. As a result, we've essentially forfeited the entire £150,000. Instead of generating income through rentals, we're faced with continuous expenses."

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

Everything I understand points to the facts. We were promised something with a guarantee, however, prior to activating the buyback, the firm went bankrupt.

'This is an incredibly stressful situation we're going through here - this is our life savings.

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

Mr. Lightfoot mentioned that he 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 inquiries I've received highlight comparable problems. It appears these holiday park lodges have transformed into rapid and profitable revenue generators."

It's rather alarming how certain big-name brands, in particular, fail to contemplate the significant harm their actions can cause to people.

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

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