Published: Friday, 12th August 2016
Mr Briggs, the former owner of a caravan park in Cannock faces a bill of £14,525 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to sale blocking.
Mr Rodrick Briggs, of Briggs Park Homes pleaded guilty to providing false and misleading information and making false and misleading representations to the relatives of the owner of a residential caravan on the site, when he became too ill to live in it.
The offences amount to ‘sale blocking’, whereby the owner of an individual caravan is persuaded to sell their caravan to the park owner at a knock down price rather than selling it on the open market, often for a much higher price. By doing so the caravan park owner could expect to receive a greater financial return than the 10% of the sale price he would have been legally entitled to.
Mr Briggs was fined £10,000 by Stafford Magistrates Court on 3rd August for two offences under the Caravan Sites Act 1968 this included; full legal costs of £3,905 awarded to Cannock Chase Council, a victim surcharge of £120 and £500 compensation to the relative of the caravan owner for undue pressure received to sell the caravan.
Councillor Frank Allen, Housing Portfolio Leader said, “This is the first time we have been called upon to deal with sale blocking and I am very pleased with the outcome.
The caravan owner has every right to sell the property at market value and not to be subjected to unfair pressure to part with it for significantly less, particularly in the circumstances.
This was a very serious matter, given that the caravan owner was too ill to live in the property and a relative, who at the time was attempting to care for him and look after his affairs, faced intense pressure from Mr Briggs, in his efforts to persuade them to sell the caravan to him.
It is comforting to know that Mr Briggs is no longer in a position to attempt this in future.
The Council’s officers will remain vigilant for this type of unsavoury behaviour and will not hesitate to use their enforcement powers where appropriate in the future.”
Mr Briggs no longer owns the Caravan Park, having sold it in July 2015 several months after the incident came to light.