CARAVAN PARK ELDER ABUSE.

We never thought our entire lives would lead to this moment.

A moment of helpless hope.

A moment of fragile strength.

A moment that could leave us homeless, over 80 and forgotten.

We pooled our entire life savings to establish our own ‘dream’. Our own humble retirement community in rural NSW.

Everything that we had worked for our entire lives had led us to this moment. Each of us had purchased an allotment that would be our forever homes.

Until it wasn’t.

We were ‘easy targets’ for motivated people who wanted our money. Our life savings.

We’ve begged for help from Government departments and organisations and had no support.

We’ve now lived our lives to be fighting for a small block, our home. Our HOME.

Who do we have if we don’t have the Government Departments on our side? You!

We have the people. The only thing we can rely on is the people. You & us!

Please, please, please support us by donating to this GoFundMe to allow us to appeal this case in the Supreme Court.

This fight is not just for us. Winning this will be a warning to anyone who thinks that retirees in caravan parks, retirement villages or seniors living are an easy target. We are not going down without a fight! But we need your help.

Here’s to people power. Our lives depend on it!

The GOAL: $80,000 to help with legal fees to take the case to an appeal in the Supreme Court, bringing the owners to account, keeping our homes and living our final years in peace.

The TIMELINE of what happened:

2012 Two “grey nomads” Graeme Booker and Janet Kelly formed Coolah Home Base Pty

Ltd which bought a caravan park and sold “allotments” to about 20 retirees. It was promoted as affordable house and land packages from under $100,000. The retirees bought or built homes to live in for the rest of their lives.

2014 Booker and Kelly (sole directors of CHB) issue themselves enough shares to gain majority control of the company. The retirees ask ASIC to investigate. ASIC is not interested.

2016 Booker and Kelly refuse to give the retiree/shareholders accounts to explain why their weekly site fees were disappearing with no apparent benefit to the retirees.

2018 Retirees start court action.

2019 Booker and Kelly set up a new company and sell CHB's land to it. They insist that the retirees pay them about $200 per week or they'll be evicted. The retirees ask Fair Trading to intervene, they are not interested.

2019-2022 The People's Solicitors take on the cause on a "no-win, no fee" basis. The retirees are still out of pocket more than $100,000 for court fees and disbursements.

2022 NSW Supreme Court upholds a finding that Booker and Kelly had "oppressed" the other shareholders and appoints a liquidator but the retirees are ordered to pay over $100,000 legal costs. The liquidator wants another $100,000 plus.

2023 The retirees file an appeal in the NSW Court of Appeal. They are ordered to put up $25,000 security before the appeal can commence. Meanwhile, Booker and Kelly start suing the retirees for unpaid site fees in a different court.

The CASE: Please see the entire background of this case and what has occurred, along with comment from Government Departments and Entities at https://www.peoplesolicitors.com/coolah-homes-class-action

The LEGAL TEAM: The Peoples Solicitors, have acted largely pro-bono, but a Supreme Court appeal is very costly. The Peoples Solicitors bridge the gap between equity and the law.

Please give what you can, and share this with your networks!