Storage and virus
My caravan has some cracks in the rear panel, and is prone to water ingress from rain. As a result, I need to check it regularly to make sure no real damage occurs. It's in storage at Whitewater site, Stockton-on-Tees and access has been denied due to the virus precautions.
Is it reasonable for the Club to refuse access to my property for checking of the van?
You should note that I was ejected from the Members Facebook group for asking this question.
Comments
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It’s not an essential journey or an essential visit and I think the club are quite right to bar access.
A bit of water seeping into a caravan vs people's lives. Hmm, that’s a no brainer.
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Our is also in a club storage compound,and we have also been told that there is no access to it ,until the sites reopen ,which may be at the end of June but,looks a bit optimistic as things are,and we have some foodstuff (not fresh) that will be unusable even now ,as we would have been away before Easter
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Points taken, but it does seem odd that I can drive past the site to queue at B&Q for materials, while not allowed to visit the van on my own.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't like to risk the van deteriorating, when it's avoidable. Oh well . . . .
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Yes the whole advice thing does seem a little flawed. We are told that only essential journeys, such as food shopping, are permitted. Yet the government has allowed garden centres to open for click and collect. Our MH is next to a supermarket we use, so I am checking on it once a month. However, we are not barred entry. If the owner wanted to lock the gate due to the emergency, that would be their right and there would be nothing we could do about it.
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We are in the same position as you Theevath. You are lucky SteveL to get access to your storage site. Our caravan is stored in a separate area at our local dealers. We have asked if we could go and check it over because also we have a damp area appearing around the roof light in the bathroom so we wanted to check it following the recent rain. Also to collect some items. ‘They did say ‘NO’ the dealership is closed, but there maybe a staff member there sometimes to check things over so maybe then if we ask. We realise it’s not a necessary journey, but on the other hand we would be in our car for a 5 mile journey, we would see no one during the brief caravan check in storage, and return home again. I can’t see how that would put anyone else, or us, at risk. I have shopped in M&S recently and that was a much more risky (a nightmare!) trying to ‘social distance’. As you both say some of the advice seems at odds with what is sensible.
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My caravan is in private storage just under a mile from home, the gate is locked and officially closed. Unofficially and by telephone first he will allow one person onto the site at any one time to check over their vehicle.
I walked to the site at a prearranged time and as part of my daily exercise, through a pedestrian entrance, checked it over, left a text message and left.
He has practiced common sense, social distancing, one person at a time, no contact with anyone and said it should not be a regular occurrence such as weekly.
Made sense to me.
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It isn't the fact of the journey it's to do with the fact that if you had an accident while on said journey and needed medical attention you are using vital resources to get you to hospital and of course the staff in the hospital. Also putting at risk yourself catching the virus. Plus you would not be able to get visits from any family member while in hospital.
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One thing i cannot understand with our storage,is the fact that to visit would have no contact with the site staff as it is controlled by card reader both at the site entrance, also to gain access to the storage, We have been advised that a 24hr advise is needed to gain access to enable "essential" workers to remove/replace their LVs,
What we could not understand when we requested access (refused)to remove the foodstuffs (even after a call to HO) the site concerned is one of the 17 that are "open"? giving refuge to "key workers?/those with no other homes
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I suppose that's the real problem. The van already has gaffer tape over the cracks, which I used to replace every month or so, due to weather deterioration. I don't know whether it needs replacing, whether the van has leaked, whether there is mould up the walls, or whatever.
I'm barred by the Club from visiting it, so I worry about what little value that the thing is worth diminishing even further, although it is entirely preventable.
I also wonder about the legal position of denying access to my property.
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I suspect the legal position is wholly with the club. They're the owners/operators, they set the conditions and they're following Govt guidelines. I'd not even consider that route in your shoes.
Whichever way you look at it, a drive to check on your caravan is not an essential journey. You could walk there for your daily exercise but it's not a trip for food or medical needs.
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I realise that but even if you were allowed in, your journey wouldn’t be essential. Catch 22.
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Mine is in with Marquis for storage and its chock full of food, games, music, books, DVDs, games and the like but we're not allowed in unfortunately. I drive past it on my way to work and can see that watchman on the mooch. I'm not going to raise a complaint with Marquis. But I can very much see why you are frustrated.
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I have been expounding the view that the lock-down was not strict enough nor clearly explained and that the sanctions have been too lax; but I must say I have some sympathy with the OP on this one - and particularly the view expressed above by Deleted User User.
My storage site has remained open; I have there an asset worth between £40k and £50k and the notion of not being able to check up on it during the entire period of lock-down would be a big worry. I have visited once; I did combine it with a supermarket visit albeit that I achieved this by using a different supermarket to my usual one - and thereby drove 6 miles further in total, but I do not seek to use this as some kind of excuse - just a question of achieving ends by a careful and planned, risk-based approach. Some may say that technically this breaks the lock-down rules, but the rules were too vague to ever be sure of that.
It is a risk-based matter. Even outside of lock down there might be three or four other visitors there (at most) out of some (at a guess) 500+ vans and it would be only by remote chance that I would get within 50 metres of any of them let alone 2 metres. The risk of accident exists, but by how much do you think the the odds increase given the scenario I have outlined - especially given that the journey is urban throughout?
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I can't see how maintaining social distancing would be a problem on an open air storage compound. Although they might originally have been following essential travel restrictions, those have now been lifted. That leaves the furlough regs, which means the wardens can do no work. Unless the club are offering some sort of rebate on storage fees, it now seems unreasonable to deny entry, for what potentially could be another 6 weeks, just to save on paying their staff.
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Access to Storage Areas - A Plea
I’d like to thank all who responded to my earlier posting, possibly on another thread as this subject moves around. Some share my anger at the refusal of the CAMC to allow members to attend their units. Others are surprised that arrangements can’t be made to allow access. This is despite the ability of some mh owners to visit their units which aren’t kept on Club sites. Seemingly there is nothing unlawful in being given access.
To date, CAMC refuses to open storage areas on two grounds. Firstly, only essential travel was lawful, which no longer applies. Secondly, because site staff are furloughed and unavailable.
There seems to be a third reason why the CAMC refuses access to storage areas. This is because they are accessible only by first entering campsites. However, in those places where essential workers and others are accommodated and there is storage, then those sites are not closed. They can be open only with the use of employed wardens and not those who are furloughed. The storage of mh and caravans on unsupervised sites where there are people staying is not what customers pay for and is inappropriate. The duties of wardens could be amended to support access to storage areas.
Members wishing to visit their units are not doing so for the purpose of staying there. They’re not undermining the Government’s policy. We simply need to gain access through sites which, as I’ve shown, aren’t closed anyway.
So, in summary, the position of the CAMC is purely their own. It is not justified by anything other than our club’s executive decision makers. As a membership organisation, while operating at all times lawfully, the Club should support and not frustrate its membership. May I urge others to express their concern to the CAMC. Thank you.
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I'm sure storage will be opened up in due course, when it is the right time according to the governments advice and direction. It is a question of eradicating as much risk to all as possible and practicable whilst following the guidance we have to adhere to, mixed and confusing as much of this has been.
Likewise, I'm sure sites will eventually open too, but they may 'work' significantly differently to what we are used too. Until then, I'll take my direction from those who know far more than me and certainly are better scientifically informed. We just need to bide the time and remain calm and patient. Oh, and alert!
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Reverse over the gravel, park to the peg, save the CAMC
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The storage facility that I use is fully open. I have been over to the van last week and I am going again next week to do a couple of jobs. The van is being cleaned at the end of May. After that I will pop over to recheck the tyre pressures etc as the club sites start to open during July.
There is storage available at my local club site but it is very expensive compared to my current storage provider (Gold Standard) who also allows entry at any time of the night by prior arrangement.
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