Discount on shore storage for inability to go to boat and carry out work???

[jwilson]

During the long spring 2020 "lockdown" my boat had already been launched a few days before the lockdown started, and the harbour authority gave a mooring charges discount for inability to use the boat on it's mooring.

Now we are again in lockdown, and I have a substantial bill from a private boatyard for shore storage until mid-March. I had a long string of jobs I planned to do (myself) in the next 6-8 weeks. I have just received a letter from the boatyard saying "..... don't go to your own boat", but that commercial contactors culd still work. If I had not wanted to work on the boat over winter. I could have kept her afloat at a lower cost. But I did want to work on it - and had quite a lot of work to do. If I paid contractors to do them all I would be certainly be well over a thousand £ more out of pocket - quite possibly £2,000+. You don't have to clock up that many hours to get a big bill.

Did anyone in a similar situation in spring /early summer 2020 get a discount on their shore storage costs?

 

[steveeasy]

Several ways to look at this.
Its irrelevant a boat owner cant travel to his boat, The Marinas, not boatyards may have been told to close. That is really their problem. In a fair world that was black and white, if you were restricted by a marina for accessing your boat lets say for six months, the for a further 2 months not allowed to stay over night, youd have a reasonable claim for a refund, bearing in mind these businesses have had your money, with the latest financial support offered, received, payments of £25,000, £9,000, and a payment for every 21 days they are to close for approximately 2,100 . oh and free rates which may well be a saving of £20,000 per year. oh and furloughing staff that are still used. (its going on everywhere) So its a win win for them.

What should be happening is all owners receive a payment for the reduced access, whether that be for maintenance work or lack of use of waterway. But its not going to happen. Having received my notice this morning saying and only the following,

The yard will remain open, but it should be noted that members of the public should not be travelling to move vessels to repair yards or attend builds in progress. As such, the yard is closed to visitors with immediate effect.

I am minded to pursue the matter. its irrelevant what I can dor cant do, its what they can and cant do. if they have been told to close, its for them to seek a remedy for their loses, which they will receive.

Steveeasy

 

[JumbleDuck]

I am minded to pursue the matter. its irrelevant what I can dor cant do, its what they can and cant do. if they have been told to close, its for them to seek a remedy for their loses, which they will receive.

"I want compensated for the yard's refusal to assist me in carrying out illegal activities" will be an interesting court case.

I sympathise and I am in a similar position, but I really don't think there is much we can do. Or should do.

 

[dom]

During the long spring 2020 "lockdown" my boat had already been launched a few days before the lockdown started, and the harbour authority gave a mooring charges discount for inability to use the boat on it's mooring.

Now we are again in lockdown, and I have a substantial bill from a private boatyard for shore storage until mid-March. I had a long string of jobs I planned to do (myself) in the next 6-8 weeks. I have just received a letter from the boatyard saying "..... don't go to your own boat", but that commercial contactors culd still work. If I had not wanted to work on the boat over winter. I could have kept her afloat at a lower cost. But I did want to work on it - and had quite a lot of work to do. If I paid contractors to do them all I would be certainly be well over a thousand £ more out of pocket - quite possibly £2,000+. You don't have to clock up that many hours to get a big bill.

Did anyone in a similar situation in spring /early summer 2020 get a discount on their shore storage costs?

The Competition Commission has taken a look at marinas generally and concluded that an element of 'frustration' existed in March for which partial refunds were due.

This link might inform your thinking:
Statement on coronavirus (COVID-19), consumer contracts, cancellation and refunds

 

[Lucky Duck]

.

 

[dom]

.

Good point

 

[Lucky Duck]

Good point

Our posts were almost identical and as the software no longer allows us to delete posts I did what I thought was the next best thing.

 

[dom]

Our posts were almost identical and as the software no longer allows us to delete posts I did what I thought was the next best thing.

Sorry I was literally referring to the "point" you posted!....

Looks like I've already lost it and we've three months of this left!

 

[jdc]

Strangers on a train: we start a company to do work on boats. We both contract it to work on our boats. The company employs us two and divides the work up according to some sensible algorithm to do with relevant expertise and location. It's the perfect crime...

 

[steveeasy]

"I want compensated for the yard's refusal to assist me in carrying out illegal activities" will be an interesting court case.

I sympathise and I am in a similar position, but I really don't think there is much we can do. Or should do.

Actually I am trying to separate the two matters. A business may or may not have been told to close. if it has been told to close then normally if it was closed it would not be receiving an income. hence the good financial support.

If customer is not allowed to travel, or sail or carry out maintenance to a boat then that does not give any justification for a yard to close and refuse access. again it can be argued if this activity is permitted or not.

They are two separate matters

I also note how some harbour masters are stating their waterways are staying open while others are not. like all of the above its open to interpretation. It however does not make sense for a business to be compensated for closure, when indeed it has received its income. when the customer who has paid is refused part of the services.

. I have or had no intention to travel or worry about maintenance during the lockdown, but my business is closed and has been several times. income gone. Not so with some busineses.
Steveeasy

 

[RJJ]

PM'd you

 

[[2574]]

Gents,

Get a grip. More than a thousand people are dying each day and the folk at the hospitals are under the cosh big style. The rules have been implemented to mitigate risk, I accept that it is a blunt instrument but there we are. I can see the sense of it - if all us lot turned up in the yard doing stuff there'd inevitably be cross contamination - in the loos, in passing, in sharing marina trolleys. It's not difficult to see. I am in the same position having bought a boat in October that I've barely seen. But there are bigger fish to fry here. Relax.

 

[RJJ]

Gents,

Get a grip. More than a thousand people are dying each day and the folk at the hospitals are under the cosh big style. The rules have been implemented to mitigate risk, I accept that it is a blunt instrument but there we are. I can see the sense of it - if all us lot turned up in the yard doing stuff there'd inevitably be cross contamination - in the loos, in passing, in sharing marina trolleys. It's not difficult to see. I am in the same position having bought a boat in October that I've barely seen. But there are bigger fish to fry here. Relax.

Not inevitable at all. No need to use the loo (what are buckets for?), no need to pass closer than a few metres, no need to share a trolley (and if you really have to, then wipe it before and after).

 

[JumbleDuck]

Not inevitable at all. No need to use the loo (what are buckets for?), no need to pass closer than a few metres, no need to share a trolley (and if you really have to, then wipe it before and after).

No need to go at all.

 

[Never Grumble]

As such, the yard is closed to visitors with immediate effect.

I am minded to pursue the matter. its irrelevant what I can dor cant do, its what they can and cant do. if they have been told to close, its for them to seek a remedy for their loses, which they will receive.

Steveeasy

As you say this is a matter of contract law, not whether it is right moral or whatever, and there's no need to get a grip. You should be entitled to a reduction, discount, concession of some description. Actually achieving one might be easier said than done, I suspect they will ignore you. If I was dealing with this in my professional life pursuing such a small sum would make no sense from a legal costs perspective and they know that. Good luck.

 

[[2574]]

As you say this is a matter of contract law, not whether it is right moral or whatever, and there's no need to get a grip. You should be entitled to a reduction, discount, concession of some description. Actually achieving one might be easier said than done, I suspect they will ignore you. If I was dealing with this in my professional life pursuing such a small sum would make no sense from a legal costs perspective and they know that. Good luck.

So you attend the boatyard and catch Covid19. You then sue the boatyard for not preventing you contracting the disease. Why can't we all apply some common sense and reason at times like this?

 

[Lucky Duck]

So you attend the boatyard and catch Covid19. You then sue the boatyard for not preventing you contracting the disease. Why can't we all apply some common sense and reason at times like this?

Why on earth would he do that?

 

[Never Grumble]

So you attend the boatyard and catch Covid19. You then sue the boatyard for not preventing you contracting the disease. Why can't we all apply some common sense and reason at times like this?

You just don't get it do you. They have had a whole year of rates relief, furlough and other monies given to them by the government, reduced staff hours and reduced other serviced costs. Why haven't they passed any of this on to the people paying them, their customers/clients call us what you like, they have still pocketed full berthing fees though. Nothing to do with common sense, its you that needs to take your head out of your ****. Financially my business has been devastated and now looking for a new job, no govt support came my way; they however have done very nicely, one boatyard owner on here told us how he used the money given to him to buy a new boatyard crane, good luck to him, but the purpose of the government support was to help businesses like pubs, restaurants etc that were likely to go down the pan without meaningful assistance.

 

[steveeasy]

So you attend the boatyard and catch Covid19. You then sue the boatyard for not preventing you contracting the disease. Why can't we all apply some common sense and reason at times like this?

Common sense prevails. Ive no intention and never did of going anywhere let alone to my boat. Just peeved I got such a crap letter.
Steveeasy

 

[Deleted member 36384]

You just don't get it do you. They have had a whole year of rates relief, furlough and other monies given to them by the government, reduced staff hours and reduced other serviced costs. Why haven't they passed any of this on to the people paying them, their customers/clients call us what you like, they have still pocketed full berthing fees though. Nothing to do with common sense, its you that needs to take your head out of your ****. Financially my business has been devastated and now looking for a new job, no govt support came my way; they however have done very nicely, one boatyard owner on here told us how he used the money given to him to buy a new boatyard crane, good luck to him, but the purpose of the government support was to help businesses like pubs, restaurants etc that were likely to go down the pan without meaningful assistance.

I do sympathise with this position. Other folks on here, in Scotland, had the same opinion but based on the grounds that the marina could have delivered a service but chose not to (there was no obligation legally for them to stop delivering the service). That aside, the fault sits with the government allowing profiteering to be a possibility but it is difficult to see how this could have been addressed.

In my opinion, we do have an obligation towards our society to help limit the impact of Covid. I must admit that I am now at a loss on what is the best way based on a lot of conflicting information: masks are good, masks are not good; isolate, isolate doesn't work; stay at least 1m or 2m away from others; old, middle aged, young dying, not dying, only over 80s significantly at risk of death etc.