Residents demand immediate action as retirement dream turns into nightmare

What seemed like the perfect coastal retreat has become a complicated ordeal for residents of a once-promising community, as unexpected challenges and disputes disrupt their plans for a peaceful retirement.

Unresolved tensions have left many questioning what the future holds for their once-cherished haven.


At the heart of the controversy is the complex's dual nature as both a strata complex and a retirement village, governed by overlapping regulatory schemes that have left residents grappling with opaque contracts and unexpected fees.

The situation has escalated to the point where residents are now calling for government intervention to resolve a bitter and exhausting fight.

Barbara Allen's story is emblematic of the issues Harbour Pines residents face.


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Families were caught in a legal dispute over the lease-for-life contract at a retirement village. Credit: Facebook


At 92 years old and living with Parkinson's disease, Barbara sought more independence.

She moved into the village in February 2023 after investing $184,000 of her life savings into a $260,000 unit under a 'lease-for-life' agreement.

This type of contract allows residents to live in their unit as long as they can but does not grant them ownership of the property.


'It only lasted one day,' Mr Allen said.

'She thought she'd be able to carry on a normal life, [but] she fell over and took all the skin off her arm and she went to hospital.'
Instead, they are subject to exit fees and other charges upon leaving.

Tragically, Barbara's stay at Harbour Pines lasted only a day before a fall sent her to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with dementia.

She never returned to the unit and passed away in June 2024 without receiving any refund on her lease.

Her children are now embroiled in a legal dispute with Adder Holdings, the operator of Harbour Pines, over the return of her investment.


The Allen family's lawyer has accused Adder Holdings of unconscionable conduct for signing Barbara up to the lease, given her advanced age and health issues.

'Given this is currently before the court, Adder does not wish to comment further on this matter other than to say they are serious allegations that are strongly disputed by Adder,' he said.

Adder Holdings, however, contests the allegations, asserting that Barbara could agree at the time.

The Allens are not alone in their struggle. More than a dozen residents and families have voiced serious concerns about Harbour Pines's financial management, with some being pursued for what they describe as exorbitant fees and unexplained charges.

The case of Gail De Lacy, a legally blind and cancer-stricken resident who was taken to court over a disputed emergency maintenance fee, highlights the aggressive debt recovery practices employed by Adder Holdings.


Despite legal advice that she did not owe the money, the court ruled in the company's favour, and her estate was left with less than half of what she paid for her unit after her death.

The residents' attempts to take control of the situation have been met with resistance and legal setbacks.

A group known as 'the targeted 10,' including 92-year-old Bert Lenane and his wife Peggy, have faced claims of arrears in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Their efforts to appoint a new manager for the property were invalidated by the State Administrative Tribunal, which ruled that a meeting they held was not correctly recorded.

These disputes have prompted calls for an inquiry into the strata management industry, with consumer groups highlighting unethical practices, lack of transparency, and insufficient oversight as key issues.


The Consumer Protection Commissioner for Western Australia has acknowledged receiving complaints about Harbour Pines and is working to improve the village's financial transparency.

At the national level, scrutiny of retirement villages has intensified following reports of 'corporatised elder abuse.'

Federal Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones has engaged with state counterparts to address the conduct of retirement village operators and explore harmonising regulations to protect consumers better.

Legal reforms in Western Australia, set to take effect in December, aim to establish more straightforward rules for lease-for-life holders and maintenance responsibilities.

These changes offer hope for a cleaner, more accountable sector, but as lawyer Haydon Bawden points out, enforcement is key.


The plight of Harbour Pines residents serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities seniors face in retirement living arrangements.

As a society, we must prioritise the protection of our most vulnerable members, ensuring that their retirement years are spent in comfort and dignity, not embroiled in legal battles and financial uncertainty.

Key Takeaways

  • Barbara Allen and her family are embroiled in a bitter legal dispute with Adder Holdings, the operator of Harbour Pines retirement village, over a 'lease-for-life' contract signed under contentious circumstances.
  • Residents of Harbour Pines, including a group known as 'the targeted 10,' are challenging Adder Holdings regarding claims of unpaid fees and are seeking intervention from consumer protection groups and legal avenues.
  • National consumer groups have called for a federal inquiry into the strata management industry due to concerns over unethical practices, lack of transparency, inadequate oversight, and aggressive debt recovery methods.
  • Reforms to the retirement village sector in Western Australia, aimed at protecting residents and providing clearer regulations around contracts and village management, are set to be implemented in December.
How can unclear rules put your retirement savings at risk? What should you check before signing a retirement village contract? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.
 

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I've been looking to move from my hellhole for quite a while now and what I found makes me sick. Retirement villages like this one that cost a fortune and you never own. I found one for $900 a week and YOU MUST EAT THEIR FOOD. Aged care... no such thing. CARE LESS maybe. This months account from Provider shows 5 visits from them they NEVER MADE and never have done but they have taken money from my Carer's money to pay for it. They have done very little for me and most of what I have, walker, original second hand scooter, new bed and mattress I BOUGHT MYSELF. I don't even get consistent staff and when I asked one of them if they had read my file I was told "oh no we don't do that". This was one of the bosses and I asked how he knew what was going on with people was told "we don't need to know". I now discover that they have bumped up the cost of my Lite-n-Easy food. Originally I was told that after 6 months I could control my money but after 7 years they still have not let go. I've sent emails to the PM and Premier but only the Premier was kind enough to reply. The Aged Care Minister in Canberra even had the hide to ask me what I thought of "the work I did for you". Funny about what she was claiming was work I DID MYSELF.
 
As with any of these places they always come out on top , years ago an elderly man and his wife warned me never buy into any aged care places as he lost a lot of money as you have to sell back to them. Told me that he received approx $20,000 from a $ 90,000 unit. He bought into a church run facility.
After seeing what goes on in these places when my late husband went in respite ,split head, another time huge black eye and no explanation as to how this happened and that was only 2 week stays.
Make sure you check these places out thoroughly and get lawyers to check before you sign anything.
 
I will NEVER go into a retirement village or retirement nursing home. After my mother's experience with both, I would not recommend either of them,
Anyone considering either of them has rocks in their heads. People that own them are the scum of the earth.....lower than shark shite
 
What she experienced is pretty standard from what I understand from various people who I know are living in such places. However it is always a case of reading the small print and getting a good solicitor to check. Having said that in two cases friends were totally aware but were happy to go ahead for peace of mind in their twilight years.
 
What she experienced is pretty standard from what I understand from various people who I know are living in such places. However it is always a case of reading the small print and getting a good solicitor to check. Having said that in two cases friends were totally aware but were happy to go ahead for peace of mind in their twilight years.
A good solicitor..... do they exist? They are of the same category.... scum of the earth lower than shark shite. All care and no responsibility....
 
We have been looking into buying into a retirement village, but looking at the fine print in most, the fees (both up front and hidden) and costs associated with buying are huge. In reality we lose out in the end, which means if we transferred to a nursing home when and if needed we would not probably be able to fund these as the retirement village would have taken so much. As we are self-funded retirees we are hit big time as they believe we can afford the huge costs now but in the future who knows. It is a mine field. When you look at the glossy brochures (which are expensive to produce) it looks a great move, but the horror stories tell it all. They are businesses out to make money and as much as they can for their investors and shareholders. Profit drives what they do. I worry that these places take advantage of vulnerable people of our generation who have trust in the advertising and miss the meaning in the fine print.
 
We have been looking into buying into a retirement village, but looking at the fine print in most, the fees (both up front and hidden) and costs associated with buying are huge. In reality we lose out in the end, which means if we transferred to a nursing home when and if needed we would not probably be able to fund these as the retirement village would have taken so much. As we are self-funded retirees we are hit big time as they believe we can afford the huge costs now but in the future who knows. It is a mine field. When you look at the glossy brochures (which are expensive to produce) it looks a great move, but the horror stories tell it all. They are businesses out to make money and as much as they can for their investors and shareholders. Profit drives what they do. I worry that these places take advantage of vulnerable people of our generation who have trust in the advertising and miss the meaning in the fine print.
You are so correct. My father live in a "retirement village" for 23 years. He was on the pension. The property changed hands a couple of times and ended up with Lend Lease being the owners. It is a lease place not an ownership one. The fees jumped dramatically. Also I have always said from the first day they brought these "villages" into Australia they would be a mine field of money theft and clicky groups. And the are. I could not used the swimming pool at the village without my father being with me. I was there looking after him whilst my husband was away with work. I will never go into one if I can help it. Better off buying a unit or a duplex with little yard to mow and look after. I believe self funded retirees are seen as a cash cow for a lot of organisations
 
Maybe there should be a look into Anglicare at the same time. It seems their attitude is anything but Christian. I have a friend who has a house in one of their villages and the problems she had is causing her great heartache. I won't go into them as it may identify her, but there is no way I will go into one.
 
My Godmother is in a nursing home in Woy Woy, and it is a matter of you get what you pay for. It looks brand new, although it is a few years old now, the staff are absolutely lovely and the inmates (her words not mine) are happy to be there mostly, there are a couple of dementia patients who need extra attention but, the staff go the extra mile when required. However, expensive as all hell, gone are the days when you can get a relative into a nursing home for the cost of their age pension.
 
I am having to sell my home that my husband & I built in 1996 due to health reasons. And I can tell you I WILL NEVER move into a retirement or nursing home here in Australia. My family is upset with me as I am going to buy a caravan and live in that until I die. At least I will have a say how I lived and how I am treated.
 
I've been looking to move from my hellhole for quite a while now and what I found makes me sick. Retirement villages like this one that cost a fortune and you never own. I found one for $900 a week and YOU MUST EAT THEIR FOOD. Aged care... no such thing. CARE LESS maybe. This months account from Provider shows 5 visits from them they NEVER MADE and never have done but they have taken money from my Carer's money to pay for it. They have done very little for me and most of what I have, walker, original second hand scooter, new bed and mattress I BOUGHT MYSELF. I don't even get consistent staff and when I asked one of them if they had read my file I was told "oh no we don't do that". This was one of the bosses and I asked how he knew what was going on with people was told "we don't need to know". I now discover that they have bumped up the cost of my Lite-n-Easy food. Originally I was told that after 6 months I could control my money but after 7 years they still have not let go. I've sent emails to the PM and Premier but only the Premier was kind enough to reply. The Aged Care Minister in Canberra even had the hide to ask me what I thought of "the work I did for you". Funny about what she was claiming was work I DID MYSELF.
Your letters need to be adressed to the ACAT team (Aged Care Accreditation Team)
 
My sister is in a place referred to as ‘for the over 55s’. She wanted my husband I to move there for ‘everything’ available to them - swimming pool, cafe (but you have to pay for what you buy, operated by an outside owner so prices close to a normal cafe), Library, and a some other amenities. She paid $425,000 or thereabouts entry fee in 2019. From year 1 to year 7 there is a variable percentage fee on exit which the operators keep, the maximum retention is quite high (I think about 34% of the purchase price). Entry fees are much higher now. I calculated that if we had gone in and lived there our exit fee would be in the region of minus $150,000. In my opinion that is $50,000 less for each of our children on our demise.

We have a 4 bedroom low set home, fully owned, so why would we want to go down this road? Then, god forbid, we may have to go into dementia care - another $700,000 entry fee (at present rates) + daily fees. And after exiting the over 55s unit family of the (part-time) residents have to bring the place up to its original condition at their expense AND the owners of the village who own the land sell to another prospective ‘owner’. So that’s more sales commission loss to one ‘owner’ and sales commission to the owner of the complex and every new ‘owner’ pays all these costs again - more big profit to the complex owners. You have no authority to sell because only the house was what you bought into, not the land (that’s their property). While living there you still pay for your own gas, electricity and other costs/usage of any personal facilities in addition to paying a sort of ‘body corporate’ fee for maintenance of the grounds, rubbish clearance, maintenance of the pool etc, etc, etc.. YOU ARE THE LOSER, ALL THE WAY.

Sorry, not for us when we can, with the present government, get care at home if required. And also have an option of getting live-in home care.

Think very, very carefully and have a highly experienced & competent solicitor check out every monetary issue BEFORE signing a contract to go into a place like this.
 
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I am having to sell my home that my husband & I built in 1996 due to health reasons. And I can tell you I WILL NEVER move into a retirement or nursing home here in Australia. My family is upset with me as I am going to buy a caravan and live in that until I die. At least I will have a say how I lived and how I am treated.
I have a friend who bought a caravan for her home to live out the rest of her days. She says it’s the best decision she’s made! 👍🏻
 
When my brother was dying o f cancer he moved to a village complex n a Sydney suburb where he bought the property. This consisted of a single unit. The village also provided other facilities depending on the progress of your illness. When my brother died his unit was sold and the money sent to his solicitor who was handling his Will. I think this was a much fairer way for the proprietors of the facility to deal with their residents.
 
I looked into retirement homes and said to my wife we will never enter one I fully read the contracts and they are very confusing they don't want you to know anything the Governments should be on top of this
 
Adder Holdings Pty Ltd, whose director is none other than Lindsay Edward Quann, a slimy individual of American origin.

As of 19 June 2010, he has been subject to a ban from being a director of a self-managed super fund (SMSF) for an indefinite period as ordered by the Australian Taxation Office.

This thief should be banned from holding ANY position in a company or organisation where financial gain could be obtained by nefarious practices.

Adder Holdings is nothing more than a pit of nasty snakes.
 
You are so correct. My father live in a "retirement village" for 23 years. He was on the pension. The property changed hands a couple of times and ended up with Lend Lease being the owners. It is a lease place not an ownership one. The fees jumped dramatically. Also I have always said from the first day they brought these "villages" into Australia they would be a mine field of money theft and clicky groups. And the are. I could not used the swimming pool at the village without my father being with me. I was there looking after him whilst my husband was away with work. I will never go into one if I can help it. Better off buying a unit or a duplex with little yard to mow and look after. I believe self funded retirees are seen as a cash cow for a lot of organisations
hear hear!
 

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