Stuff article 21 August 2022: “We’re not scared of a review”, says retirement village owner Graham Wilkinson, as the sector faces a Government probe into whether two-decade-old consumer protections for village residents need beefing up.

They may not be scared, but they aren’t pleased about it, and feel their sector is being unfairly criticised, or the “radical” law changes some are calling for.

Among the changes being called for is the establishment a village ombudsman, banning hated “capital loss” clauses, and giving village operators just 28 days to return ex-residents cash after they leave village units.

“No-one, other than a very small minority, is asking for some radical changes,” says Wilkinson, a former policeman turned village owner, and president of the Retirement Village Association.

The “radicals” he’s talking about are from the elderly members of the Retirement Village Residents Association, but the Retirement Commission, and Consumer NZ also want the review of the two-decade old retirement village laws to go ahead…

To read the full article please click the following link;

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/129588999/were-not-scared-of-a-review-retirement-villages-boss-says

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