Saturday 19th April 2025, Dilham Village Hall
Dilham Marina maintenance Ltd (DMM) AGM.
Present:
Anne Landy
Carl Dennett
Karen & Trevor Blake
Martin Gould & Sandra
David & Fay Petty
John & Judith Plater (Notes)
John Catchpole
John Bone (Non-Mooring owner)
The mooring owners amounted to only 7 bothering to turn up.
The structure of DMM Ltd was set up with Martin Gould and John Catchpole to protect funds for the 46 owners of the 52 mooring owners. This enables any funds to be protected, secure and are accountable for your benefit.
Dilham Boating Club has to have registered address for its bank account. The Bank account is in name of Dilham Boating Club, the registered address at John Catchpoles home address Fisherman’s Cottage. Multiple Signatories allow it to operate but may create a real problem if this ends up in probate as a result of death/s. Less of an issue if I was still 30 and a minor issue as there is never likely to be large funds in the account.
DMM Ltd has been set up to collect monies from the owners of the moorings to cover costs.
A community bank account with Barclays do not charge fees. We have also applied for and got corporation tax exemption. Which is a close as we can get to a charity status. This means tax man doesn’t look for non-existent profits at the profit, Income, expenditure etc, but there is an accountancy fee.
Last year, John C was intending to try to get £30 per mooring each year from every mooring owner. This would put the funds in place for maintenance. 52 moorings x 30 £1560.00 in total. A few owners paid.
No one has contributed anything since 2019 (start of Covid)
John C has been paying about £220 per year for accounts examination. This keeps the company in place, the registration as an entity and paying accounts to retain tax exemption.
We tried to get £30 per mooring in 2024. Total funds received were £140. This is not enough to cover the fees to keep the company running.
2025 – income £270 in total – represents 9 moorings.
John wrote to all mooring owners – nobody paid before 2019.
£30 a year to cover the cost of roadstone. Less than a meal in a restaurant!
A limited company protects and ring fences the money. Funds that have been paid in are still there. John is still paying expenses to keep this mechanism in place.
The goal is to leave DMM with a self-maintained entity that does not rely on Steve Chipman’s house ownership and good will.
Active members – pull weeds out. Broad authority has been co-hearse into cutting reeds in leg B twice a year and have also helped in weed killing/treating for the penny wort. This may I state is why we do not have a weed problem.
Legal advice was taken
Positive and negative covenants require mooring owners being responsible for their mooring.
The covenant is 1/25 of the maintenance of the road, billed by the original maintenance company.
This original maintenance company is now Steve Chipman.
Historically, Joe Chipman and others – formed the club to maintain the roads.
The fees used to be £5 Per annum when John Catchpole got involved with the club Unfortunately, people don’t pay. John Catchpoles has early records of the club that prove that members were avoiding paying their share going back 40 years.
If everyone paid £ 5.00 per annum then that would be 42 owners would raise 210.00 per year. The last road stone in early 2020 was £1200.00. In perspective £5.00 will not buy a pint of beer.
The issue is and has been like this since the 1980 s today last year we only had 7 mooring owners that are boat club members and own their own moorings. This was would account for an income of £ 35.00 per year.
Even at the rate of £30 per year this would be £ 210.00
JSP suggested Steve Chipman to send out a letter to all
Trevor asked when will the marina need dredging again. The contractors and the broad’s authority were estimating every 10 to 15 years. (Last done in 2019) But JC said when the owners want or need it doing.
The correct approach is Every 10 years – do a quick scrape. Also, the Lowest cost option.
It became a £48,000 exercise because they couldn’t get the machines in.
John C stated that so far this year we have
15 DBC members – But only 7 of these are mooring owners.
John was asked whether there are similar organisations. John spoke about Potter Heigham properties – all of them have a soakaway and sewage collection. A retired accountant organises and arranges for these jobs to be regularly carried out.
The cost of all works proportionally split relative to size and position of property.
Following the dredging, each mooring has been sized and proportions worked out.
Martin said we’ve 2 choices one more try or close it.
At the end of July another set of accountant’s fees will be due.
GDPR – is still in force. You need to be registered if data is used by others, such as marketing. Members for a private club can run privately.
JSP to draft a letter
Waterside and other agents to be sent a letter to inform prospective buyers of charge £30 per charge.
Rules like speed limits, access, dark site, near SSI developments and planning requirements make it difficult to alter individual moorings. Please talk to John C before carrying out any work.
Martin proposed: John C send invoice to all mooring owners. Trevor to compile a list of mooring owners
Seconded: Trevor Blake
All approved
No dissent
Meeting ended 16:15