What you pay, and what it buys

MOSA owns the roads, the verges, the twittens and the Greensward. No council maintains them. We do, which means you do.

What it pays for

Most private estates maintain some roads. We look after rather more than that, and it is worth knowing what you are part owner of.

• The private roads, resurfaced and repaired. The largest single cost, and the one that rises fastest if it is deferred.
• The land drains. Much of the estate sits on heavy ground. The Association took on responsibility for the east-west pipe in 2018, which runs under two roads and through six gardens before it reaches the sea.
• The Greensward, which is not simply a lawn. It is a Site of Nature Conservation Importance, carrying a population of Sea Radish found in only three other places in Sussex, and it forms part of the England Coast Path.
• The slipway, cleared of shingle every year so that people who cannot scramble over a bank can still reach the water.
• The five twittens and the roundabouts, mown, planted and kept passable.
• Insurance and professional fees, including the auditor and the Association’s solicitor.
• Litter bins, dog bins and notice boards, which nobody thinks about until they are not there.

Everything else is done by your neighbours for nothing. The Chair, the Treasurer, the Road Representatives and the whole committee are volunteers. The day-to-day administration is contracted to the managing agents.

How the charge is set

The fixed element is recommended by the committee each year and voted on by members at the Annual General Meeting. It is not set by the managing agents and it is not set by the committee alone.

The road element is set by your Road Representative or road committee, in liaison with the Management Committee, from what your road actually needs. Each road group holds its own ring-fenced fund, and your Road Representative can tell you where yours stands.

When it falls due

The charge is payable by 1 March each year. Both elements are billed together, on one invoice.

Ask your Road Representative if you are unsure what applies to your road this year.

Why we ask

The great majority of households pay, and the estate looks the way it does because they do. A road resurfaced on time costs a fraction of a road left until it fails. A verge that is maintained keeps the surface water off the carriageway.

If you have just moved in, your Road Representative will explain how it works for your road, and we would be glad to have you as a member.

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Other charges

Some costs fall on the people who cause them rather than on everyone:

• Building works charge if you are having significant work done and heavy vehicles will use the estate roads.
• Conveyancing enquiries from solicitors and estate agents, which the managing agents handle and charge for.

And, rarely, what happens if charges are not paid.