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AN ELDERLY couple claim they are being made homeless by a new moorings owner that wants to chuck them out to make room for new “mega boats”.
The married pair say that since the new owners have taken control of the moorings in Chelsea, they have attempted to increase license fees to be there from around £30,000 to £500,000.
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Residents Alexandra Pringle, 70, and hubby Rick Stroud, 75, have lived on their beloved houseboat ‘Veronica’ for the last 25 years – but could be “forced” to leave.
The couple have accused the new owner – Chelsea Yacht and Boat Company Ltd – of making their life on the moorings a nightmare.
Alexandra said: “We are in a situation at the moment where the current owner, who bought the yard about six years ago, is trying to evict all of us.
“We will be destitute.”
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The moorings on Cheyne Walk were originally used to house homeless Brits at the end of the Second World War – but over the years it became a hotspot for creatives who fancied a unique way of living.
Dwellers reside in over 50 boats on the moorings and some have formed decade-long friendships with each other.
But, in 2016, the new owner took over.
Alexandra added: “There are women living on their own in fear and feeling intimidated by the threatening letters we all get.
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“We don’t know what is going to happen to us.”
One resident claimed they bought the moorings because they wanted to maintain the close-knit feel that it had developed over the last 50 years, and were a family-run company.
Alexandra, said: “He wants to bring in these enormous mega boats that are basically two-apartment vessels.
“Then he rents out each one for close to £8,000 a month, so he’s charging around £16,000 per month per boat.”
They claim the new owners have been doing all they can to remove the pensioners from their homes by continually increasing fees to a point where they are unable to afford their precious spot.
Initially Alexandra was paying around £30,000 for a 10-year licence to be there, but said that the CYBC tried to increase it to £500,000.
Luckily the request was denied, but the couple claim the decision could be overturned at any moment.
Rick said: “By the time we are evicted, I’ll be 80 and too old to get a mortgage, it will basically render us homeless as we’ll have no equity.
“There are five eviction notices currently, people are frightened and worried because we’re all quite old and we don’t know where we’re going to live.”
Alexandra added: “This is the same for everyone, people have already left, one of our neighbours had a £600,000 boat that he had to sell for £80,000.
“This is a traditional part of London, it’s part of the heritage and it’s being quickly and systematically destroyed by this new ownership.
“I can’t imagine why a human being could do this to us, they’re happy to make us homeless, it’s an incredible thing to do.”
They claim the new owners are now refusing to let them renew their licence at the original fee they have been paying for over two decades.
Alexandra said: “By taking away our ability to have a licence he is rendering the boat more or less worthless.
“As we cannot renew the licence we’ll be lucky to get £90,000 but five or six years ago it was worth £800,000.”
Another resident, Jenny, has lived on the moorings for over a decade and is facing the unimaginable stress of potentially being evicted as early as next month.
The 65-year-old claims that the last time she tried to renew her licence she was completely ignored.
Jenny, said: “Since I emailed to renew my licence I have not heard anything from them.
“I know if I pursue it they’ll find reasons to get rid of me.
“I paid £24,000 for a 10 year licence when I moved here, but for a new licence they want hundreds of thousands of pounds.
“My licence ends next month, but I think i’ll get a two-year grace period before I actually have to go.”
The dispute has been ongoing for the last six years, and some residents say they are feeling the strain of having to fight their cause day in, day out.
Jenny added: “Getting my head down to work is almost impossible, I find every day hard unless I’m distracted.
“I don’t even dare think about the future, I have to enjoy each minute and try not to think about it.
“I’m an optimist but it’s all very bleak, any win we get helps.”
Some cite the “human cost” of it all as one of the worst aspects of the issue, and are already seeking guidance on where they can call home once their licence expires.
A fourth resident on the boat, Roddi, said: “I don’t think people really understand the human cost of what is happening.
“There is no humanity, they are removing the culture.
“My current licence ends in 2029, and we’ll stay here until the bitter end.”
Unless a reasonable resolution for both parties is agreed, residents face losing almost all equity on their homes, and could be thrown out of the place they moved to for a peaceful retirement.
They have also set up a petition in a bid to put a stop on what they are calling a systematic dismantling of a prestigious part of London’s heritage.
A CYBC spokesperson said: “We have absolutely no intention of causing distress to any boatowner at CYBC. Each boatowner freely enters into their mooring licence – most with independent legal advice – which are for a fixed number of years.
“All boatowners are fully aware of when their licence comes to an end. Licences do not automatically renew. 80% of owners do not live on their boats, but use them as a second or third home or rent them out for profit.
“However, CYBC has extended a number of licences several times to help boatowners make alternative arrangements for their boats.
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“If there are particular boatowners who need genuine support then we would be very open to meeting with them to discuss what their options may be.
“It is important to note that neither the company nor our long-standing staff has ever acted in a bullying manner or attempted to intimidate anyone, and we hold ourselves to the highest professional standards.”
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