Problems with Storage Site

[Roz_5041467]

Last August we managed to find a good storage site for our caravan within fifteen minutes of home and five minutes from the M6, allowing us to go north or south. We checked it out and it was Cassoa Gold registered and after speaking to the owner we decided to leave our caravan there paying a year in advance.

At the beginning of the year we received a letter from the owner (who turned out to be leasing the land) saying that he had gone bankcrupt and to find another spot.

This proved to be nigh on impossible. However, at the last minute, another landlord turned up who offered to take over the site and agreed that for another £50 (admin fee), they would honour our contract up until our renewal date in August.

We phoned the number and spoke to the guy who again seemed keen and willing to give the site a try. He sent us a letter confirming the arrangement and with a sigh of releif we paid up and continued. The same security CCTV etc is still continuing but despite leaving several messages on the landlord's number he never calls us back. NOr has he given us any other contact address other than the storage site which is on large industrial estate.

I am now getting a little suspicious especially after checking the Cassoa website and have seen that the storgae site is no longer Cassoa registered. It is impossible to keep our van at home as living at the end of a narrow cul de sac full of cars we would never get the van in or out.

I would be interested in anyone views on this situation. I have tried to ring Cassoa today and I am waiting for the Inpsector to call me back. But my instinct is to cut our losses and try to get another storage site asap which may not be so convenient as the one we have but better that than all the vans on the site go missing one day including our brand new one. I have also tried to contact Trading Standards but without a lot of joy.

 

[Bri2]

Roz, I suspect a work colleague is also sited on the very same site and I was also considering putting my van on this site before it went bust. I think the cassoa registration was withdrawn when they went into liquidation and will therfore have to be reregistered by the new owner. He will have to pay for this and I was told he was going to do it at some time. He may only do this as and when the new yearly site fees start to come in and he has the revinue to do it? I have seen this site and it looks quite secure, so if I where you I would hold on for a bit and see what happens. They will no doubt be in touch when the new fees are required!!!! and as you say, its very handy for the motorway network. The other local sites are all full at the moment and none are cassoa registered except one at Westhoughton and one at Rainford, both a little far out.

Brian

 

[Roz_5041467]

Roz, I suspect a work colleague is also sited on the very same site and I was also considering putting my van on this site before it went bust. I think the cassoa registration was withdrawn when they went into liquidation and will therfore have to be reregistered by the new owner. He will have to pay for this and I was told he was going to do it at some time. He may only do this as and when the new yearly site fees start to come in and he has the revinue to do it? I have seen this site and it looks quite secure, so if I where you I would hold on for a bit and see what happens. They will no doubt be in touch when the new fees are required!!!! and as you say, its very handy for the motorway network. The other local sites are all full at the moment and none are cassoa registered except one at Westhoughton and one at Rainford, both a little far out.

Brian

Thanks Bri, as luck would have it I have spoken to the Cassoa Inspector today who was very helpful.

The new landlord has applied for Cassoa registration but the inpsection has not yet taken place. He says the arrangements when he visited the site on set up last year were excellent and I have told him that as far as I can tell the security arrangements have remained exactly the same.

In many ways the site is being managed better than it was under the previous owner as there are less vans on site. I had turned up on one ocassion and been unable to get my van out as it was blocked in. ON another ocassion my van had ben moved (against my knowledge or permission) with the wheel clamp still attached!

My main concern is a lack of knowledge about the new landlord, I have never been able to speak to him or have a private or business address for him. However, after speaking to Cassoa today, I think I am going to follow your advice and hang fire. It is in a great location and as you say (and the inspector confirmed) there is not a lot of choice in the area. I shall keep you posted of developments. Thanks again, Roz

 

[Vic_5039745]

Thanks Bri, as luck would have it I have spoken to the Cassoa Inspector today who was very helpful.

The new landlord has applied for Cassoa registration but the inpsection has not yet taken place. He says the arrangements when he visited the site on set up last year were excellent and I have told him that as far as I can tell the security arrangements have remained exactly the same.

In many ways the site is being managed better than it was under the previous owner as there are less vans on site. I had turned up on one ocassion and been unable to get my van out as it was blocked in. ON another ocassion my van had ben moved (against my knowledge or permission) with the wheel clamp still attached!

My main concern is a lack of knowledge about the new landlord, I have never been able to speak to him or have a private or business address for him. However, after speaking to Cassoa today, I think I am going to follow your advice and hang fire. It is in a great location and as you say (and the inspector confirmed) there is not a lot of choice in the area. I shall keep you posted of developments. Thanks again, Roz

Roz,

We live at the blind end of a cul de sac and suffer the same problem as you getting the 'van in and out. It has now got to a stage where we go and get our van out of storage on a weekday when the cul de sac is empty and always return from a holiday on a Monday so that we can get in easily.

If we need to depart on one of the days over a weekend, we really do have to pick our moment. The on-street parking is a flippin' nightmare but what gets me is that these people have got driveways - why don't they use them?

Vic