Pitch fee changes can often become something of a bone of contention between park and home owners. The Leasehold Advisory Service explains when, and by how much, the charge should be applied…

A pitch agreement is an agreement that sets out a number of obligations and responsibilities between a site owner and a park home owner. The terms of this agreement include the amount of the pitch fee and the date of payment to the site owner. In some instances, the pitch fee includes utilities, but if this is the case, it should be outlined clearly in the pitch agreement.

This article addresses some of the frequently asked questions that are raised by both park home owners and site owners concerning the review of the pitch fee.

How should a Pitch Fee Review be undertaken?
On 26 July 2013, the Government introduced a procedure that a site owner must follow in order to increase a pitch fee.

The pitch fee has to be changed by the site owner, serving the following documents:

a) A Notice to inform the park home owner of the increase. The Notice is normally sent in the form of a letter.
b) The Notice must be accompanied by a document called a Pitch Fee Review Form.

What’s a pitch fee review form?
It is a prescribed form that is used in order to review pitch fees. The form is eight pages long and it includes a formula that is used to calculate the fee. The explanatory notes provide guidance on how it should be calculated.

When does a review occur?
The pitch fee may only be reviewed once a year.  As explained  above, the review date  is set out in the pitch agreement.
In the event that a date is not specified, it will, by default, be the anniversary date of the agreement.

 

For more information, please contact LEASE on 020 7832 2525 between the hours of 9am-5pm. This article is not meant to describe or give a full interpretation of the law; only the courts can do that. If you are in any doubt about your rights and duties then seek specific advice. The law discussed covers matters pertaining to the English jurisdiction.

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To read more about this issue read the April 2017 issue of Park Homes and Holiday Caravan

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