As we get older, many of us will find ourselves looking long and hard at the various options available for our retirement years. It’s a decision that will set the tone for our later years – will you move into a care facility or stay living in the family house? Or, like many Australians, choose to join a seniors-geared retirement village?

But one Central Coast community of retirees are saying they’ve made a mistake with their decision.

Residents at the Nautical Village in Kincumber claim that since they moved into the village, their site fees – which are set to cover maintenance of the site, have increased significantly. So much, in fact, that many of the retired members of the community are struggling to make ends meet on their pension.

Residents claim that their site fees have gone ‘through the roof’ since moving in, forcing them to go without luxuries and necessities.

Do you feel trapped in your retirement village? Image Credit: Shutterstock

Resident Joy said she is unable to go out for enjoyment due to her financial situation.

Meanwhile, 73-year-old Gaye says she may even have to give up her beloved pet dog Bella due to the increasing cost.

And 95-year-old Mary said: ‘I have just enough to buy food after my site fees have been taken out and nothing else. No luxuries.’

The worst part is, many of the village’s residents feel they are unable to do anything about it. As Jim said, 'We own our homes... but we lease the land on which they sit and the fees just keep going up and up.'

'Many of us are on the old age pension and site fees for the leasehold on the land and maintenance around the village have now reached a level that it's taking half our pension, leaving us with little to live on.'

'It was the only way people like us on the pension could afford to have a house, but many of us believe we have made a big mistake,' Jim continued.

The village owner Theo Whitmont claimed that to keep the park ‘viable’, the fees need to be increased. However, residents of the village aren’t buying it: 'The site fees are supposed to keep the place maintained, but we see little for our money,' noted Frank. 'Roads are in poor condition and the place needs an upgrade.'

'I feel trapped,' Frank continued.

'I honestly can’t see a way out of this, it’s not how I wanted to spend my final years.'

If you or your loved ones are facing skyrocketing retirement village fees, then it’s important to know your rights – and to know where to access help.

Firstly, know that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is available to ‘educate consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities under the Australian Consumer Law around retirement villages.’

You might also need to turn to a lawyer for advice.

For Victorians, the following help is available.

Consumer Affairs Victoria can offer information regarding general consumer rights and retirement villages. You can reach them on 1300 558 181.

Elder Rights Advocacy provides individual advocacy support for problems with aged care service providers. You can reach them on 1800 700 600.

Not in Victoria? There’s still help available through the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN).

OPAN is a national network of nine state and territory organisations. These organisations have been successfully delivering advocacy, information and education services to older people across Australia for over 25 years.

Retirement should be stress-free. Help is available if you are struggling. Image Credit: Shutterstock

The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) includes:

• ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Advocacy Service (ADACAS) – Australian Capital Territory
• Advocacy Tasmania Inc. – Tasmania
• Advocare – Western Australia
• Aged and Disability Advocacy Australia – Queensland
• Aged Care Advocacy Service, CatholicCare – Central Australia NT
• Aged Rights Advocacy Service (ARAS) – South Australia
• Elder Rights Advocacy (ERA) – Victoria
• Seniors and Disability Rights Service of Darwin Community Legal Service – Northern Territory
• Seniors Rights Service – New South Wales

Key Takeaways

• Seniors living at the Nautical Village at Kincumber feel trapped as their site fees continue to rise, consuming a large portion of their pensions.
• The residents claim that despite paying increasing site fees, the maintenance and upkeep of the village has not improved.
• The village owner, Theo Whitmont, states that rising costs are forcing him to increase site fees to keep the park viable and prevent closure.
• Many seniors are now considering their options, struggling to afford the lifestyle they envisioned for their retirement years.
• The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) is available to help.

If you or somebody you know is struggling in a retirement village, then please remember that you are not alone and help is available.

Seniors in other retirement villages may also be experiencing similar issues. If you feel like you are being overcharged for your retirement living, we encourage you to speak up and consult with your local government authority or seek legal advice.

Let us know in the comments below if you or someone you know has had a retirement village experience like Bob, Jim, Frank or Joy – and how you were able to resolve it. And please take a moment to also share this article with your friends and family, so they can be aware of the issue and persistent red flags when it comes to retirement village fees.

 

[Catherines]

I live in a retirement village and I love it. When I bought my place I opted to pay an upfront extra payment so that when I'm no longer here and the place gets sold all exit fees are covered and whatever the place sells for the whole amount will go to my estate.
On top of that I pay $516 per month management fees, it's that much as my place is 3 bed, 2 bath, double garage, if I was in a 2 bed/1 bath, single garage it would be cheaper, under $500 I think. That covers Rates, Water (unlimited), Building insurance, all maintenance inside and out, gardening and lawnmowing. Replacement of hob, oven or dishwasher and aircon if they spit the dummy. Annual Pest control inside and out, and annual aircon service, flush and whatever, annual fire alarm checks and replacements. 24/7 monitored emergency call button. Maintenance of all communal grounds and upkeep of swimming pool, gym, bowls lawn, communal kitchen and bar. We also pay the wages of the village manager, maintenance man and receptionist. We have a village bus that does weekly/monthly outings for no extra cost.
I have already had to have my aircon unit replaced as it totally died so with all the above covered I don't think the fees are excessive. In all the rain last year they came round with sandbags and also collected them back up after, during the fires they had an escape plan and somewhere for us all to go should it have been required. All our units are built specifically with ease of access for wheelchairs etc., extra wide doors, no steps extra wide showers etc.

So, in effect, paying the exit fees in advance when you bought still amounts to more or less what I said about the percentage most of these places charge on exit. Did they charge you a percentage of the purchase price e.g. 7% or upto 34% assuming you might be there a minimum of 7 years? From what you say that $516 a month regular fee and what you are getting (repairs, maintenance, replacement of main appliances etc) sounds like a good deal but I’d be wary. You also mention you pay the village manager’s wages - how much is he/she getting and how much are you each being charged for that? Is that manager’s fee going up steadily and are you each paying an additional fee monthly for that? Wages go up all the time, so this ‘manager’s wages’ will also go up. It might be way over a normal manager’s fee so where is the extra ‘profit’ from residents’ payments going?

Sure the one big advantage of these places is the community atmosphere and company of others especially at a time, for some, on the demise of a partner. An awful lot of questions here!!

Some people on this site seem to have scored well and I hope that will be the case long term for them, but I won’t be moving anytime soon.

 

[Gailforce]

After extensive research we decided to buy into an over 50s lifestyle resort on the Sunshine Coast. There are no entry or exit fees & you or your estate retain any capital gain upon the sale of the home. Yes, we have to pay weekly site fees of around $200 however for what we get we think it’s fantastic value for money. We recently sold our apartment on the Gold Coast & our weekly body corporate was $196 & all we got for that was use of two pools & a tennis court. It was a no brainer for us & we can’t wait to move in just in time for Christmas this year!

 

[LadyMoonlight]

I agree with everything you say except for your last comment. Foreign aid is a negligible amount of total government costs. The whole economy would look different if the huge foreign corporations, mining companies and the very rich,
paid their fair share of tax - especially the huge foreign corporations who currently pay minimal or no tax. It's a world problem and the world itself would look different if these organisations and individuals paid tax. Jeff Bazos, second or third richest man in the world pays his workers the US minimum wage - $7.50 ph - utterly disgusting. His tax payments are also disgusting.

Well, that "negligible" amount would be better spent on aged pensioners, as far as I am concerned, I bet your bippy, the amount is more than you think it is (lots of hidden amounts that no one knows about - what the government tells us they are spending, I guarantee you is not the total amount). Foreign Aid is like welfare, keeping the people of those countries from developing. It is "sit down" money, and most of it does not get to the people who need it anyway. The money lines the pockets and bank accounts of politicians and the military. I know that the reason the government gives foreign aid is not altruistic; it's a way to get people inside the country to keep an eye on things (not exactly spying, but close enough) and it helps with "you scratch my back" trade deals. Totally agree with you regarding multinational corporations, who can afford tax lawyers to ensure they pay minimum taxes, and who really needs the insane amounts of money that people like Bazos and Gates make? However, their companies do make employment possible for so many people. They should pay their workers a decent wage, and they would probably find that productivity would increase. Someone like Gina Rhinehart gives millions and millions of dollars to charities and good causes but I don't know what tax she pays. Should these company owners pay less tax, so long as they donate multi-millions of dollars to charities and good causes like medical research (yes, I do realise that donations are tax deductible)? It's an interesting question to think about.

 

[Tipsy]

As we get older, many of us will find ourselves looking long and hard at the various options available for our retirement years. It’s a decision that will set the tone for our later years – will you move into a care facility or stay living in the family house? Or, like many Australians, choose to join a seniors-geared retirement village?

But one Central Coast community of retirees are saying they’ve made a mistake with their decision.

Residents at the Nautical Village in Kincumber claim that since they moved into the village, their site fees – which are set to cover maintenance of the site, have increased significantly. So much, in fact, that many of the retired members of the community are struggling to make ends meet on their pension.

Residents claim that their site fees have gone ‘through the roof’ since moving in, forcing them to go without luxuries and necessities.

View attachment 16199

Do you feel trapped in your retirement village? Image Credit: Shutterstock

Resident Joy said she is unable to go out for enjoyment due to her financial situation.

Meanwhile, 73-year-old Gaye says she may even have to give up her beloved pet dog Bella due to the increasing cost.

And 95-year-old Mary said: ‘I have just enough to buy food after my site fees have been taken out and nothing else. No luxuries.’

The worst part is, many of the village’s residents feel they are unable to do anything about it. As Jim said, 'We own our homes... but we lease the land on which they sit and the fees just keep going up and up.'

'Many of us are on the old age pension and site fees for the leasehold on the land and maintenance around the village have now reached a level that it's taking half our pension, leaving us with little to live on.'

'It was the only way people like us on the pension could afford to have a house, but many of us believe we have made a big mistake,' Jim continued.

The village owner Theo Whitmont claimed that to keep the park ‘viable’, the fees need to be increased. However, residents of the village aren’t buying it: 'The site fees are supposed to keep the place maintained, but we see little for our money,' noted Frank. 'Roads are in poor condition and the place needs an upgrade.'

'I feel trapped,' Frank continued.

'I honestly can’t see a way out of this, it’s not how I wanted to spend my final years.'

If you or your loved ones are facing skyrocketing retirement village fees, then it’s important to know your rights – and to know where to access help.

Firstly, know that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is available to ‘educate consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities under the Australian Consumer Law around retirement villages.’

You might also need to turn to a lawyer for advice.

For Victorians, the following help is available.

Consumer Affairs Victoria can offer information regarding general consumer rights and retirement villages. You can reach them on 1300 558 181.

Elder Rights Advocacy provides individual advocacy support for problems with aged care service providers. You can reach them on 1800 700 600.

Not in Victoria? There’s still help available through the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN).

OPAN is a national network of nine state and territory organisations. These organisations have been successfully delivering advocacy, information and education services to older people across Australia for over 25 years.

View attachment 16200

Retirement should be stress-free. Help is available if you are struggling. Image Credit: Shutterstock

The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) includes:

• ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Advocacy Service (ADACAS) – Australian Capital Territory
• Advocacy Tasmania Inc. – Tasmania
• Advocare – Western Australia
• Aged and Disability Advocacy Australia – Queensland
• Aged Care Advocacy Service, CatholicCare – Central Australia NT
• Aged Rights Advocacy Service (ARAS) – South Australia
• Elder Rights Advocacy (ERA) – Victoria
• Seniors and Disability Rights Service of Darwin Community Legal Service – Northern Territory
• Seniors Rights Service – New South Wales

Key Takeaways

• Seniors living at the Nautical Village at Kincumber feel trapped as their site fees continue to rise, consuming a large portion of their pensions.
• The residents claim that despite paying increasing site fees, the maintenance and upkeep of the village has not improved.
• The village owner, Theo Whitmont, states that rising costs are forcing him to increase site fees to keep the park viable and prevent closure.
• Many seniors are now considering their options, struggling to afford the lifestyle they envisioned for their retirement years.
• The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) is available to help.

If you or somebody you know is struggling in a retirement village, then please remember that you are not alone and help is available.

Seniors in other retirement villages may also be experiencing similar issues. If you feel like you are being overcharged for your retirement living, we encourage you to speak up and consult with your local government authority or seek legal advice.

Let us know in the comments below if you or someone you know has had a retirement village experience like Bob, Jim, Frank or Joy – and how you were able to resolve it. And please take a moment to also share this article with your friends and family, so they can be aware of the issue and persistent red flags when it comes to retirement village fees.

I would say that this sounds like the owner has become extremely greedy and something serious needs to be done.... If everyone there went and put a hold the fee payment at the bank until something was done about it..... he cant force everyone out at the same time as they own their own homes, But of course check with a decent lawyer first as a group.... YOU HAVE THE POWER AS A GROUP