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Boat's Last Owner

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by NYCAP123, Sep 1, 2020.

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  1. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    I often caution people on a tight budget that they don't want to be a boat's last owner. It can get very expensive.
    Just read this article out of Daytona. Take special note to the last sentence.

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. —

    The nearly two dozens boats that have been abandoned in the Intracoastal Waterway in Daytona Beach are finally being removed.

    Officials say one of the boats they lifted out of the water has actually been in the river for six years.

    It spent three of those years on the bottom of the Intracoastal, creating a navigation hazard.

    Officials, partnering with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, have overseen the removal of at least a dozen abandoned vessels. Some of the vessels have been actively leaking fuel.

    Daytona Beach Police Chief Craig Capri said other boats are floating criminal enterprises.

    "Some of these boats had drug activities going on where people were taking little dinghies coming in there and doing drugs on the boats. Some of these people were trespassing in residents' yards," Capri said.

    Boats were listing in the water, sinking in the water or already sunk.

    In four cases, the contractor hired by the city had to use a crane on a barge to bring the boats out of the water. The removal and disposal cost about $160,000 and though the city is paying up front, the state will reimburse them.

    Capri promised leaders they won't have to pay that money again.

    "We're going to aggressively patrol the waterways and make sure this doesn't happen again, where we have boats that are being left behind," Capri said.

    In some cases, the vessels were damaged in storms, including hurricanes, while in other cases owners just walked away.

    Officials say they have identified all the boat owners and plan to go after them for the cost of removal, disposal and some owners may even face criminal charges.
  2. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    In a lot of cases, the registered owner of these boats, isn't even the LAST owner. You have a sailboat that's old and etc., you sell it to someone for $3,000, 5,000 etc. and you hand the buyer the signed title/registration, the purchaser then never re-titles it........owns it for 5-10 years to live on, on anchor, who knows......it sinks......guess who they're going to call, the owner before him/her.
  3. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Some sellers insists on closing sales at a tag agency to make the new owners transfers ownership.

    In theory the seller could remove the state sticker and authorities would eventually catch the un registered boats during patrols. That would be an easy way to reduce the problem.

    here in Miami coconut grove we have a huge problem with derelicts. About 6 wash ashore every year, more if a storm hits... then once a year the county or city hires a barge to pick them and crush them in a dumpster. Those that are afloat are gone to some colorful characters...

    a few months ago an older 40 ish bayliner was washed ashore. It was pulled off and towed to a floating dock on a spoil island... now it s on the bottom. Will probably be there for a few months.
  4. Alzira II

    Alzira II Member

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    This probably isn’t “fair” to most of us who would never abandon a boat but maybe as an industry we should pay ever so slightly higher registration fees or something to account for our industries derelict boat. No matter whose fault it is as people who enjoy recreational boating it look bad upon us.
  5. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    That's when it sucks to be the guy who thought he unloaded it. One day I had troopers at my door asking if I owned a truck they found dumped in a state park. I'd sold it 5 years before and the buyer never registered it. Fortunately I turned in the plates, took the sticker and had a bill of sale.
  6. Oscarvan

    Oscarvan Senior Member

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    This. In fact I am fortunate enough to live in a state (PA) where the seller's signature on the title needs to be notarized by a "tag notary". This forces everyone into the office, then buyer walks out with a registration in hand. Good news is they are everywhere and reasonable.
  7. bayoubud

    bayoubud Senior Member

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    Likely that all abandoned and derelict boats are uninsured. The solution is to require all watercraft to be insured with liability and guaranteed salvage coverage. Florida needs more FWC officers to check registration and insurance coverage including out of state boats. Every time we get a hurricane in NW Florida it takes years to clean up all the abandoned derelict boats.
  8. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Good that there's ways to keep people honest, but there's still the problem of what you do when a buyer can no longer be found. You're the last owner and that cheap boat just got expensive.
  9. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    That would mean getting 50 states and a few countries to mandate insurance coverage and then enforce it. Not too likely. Can't even get that with cars, and then there's documented boats.
  10. Alzira II

    Alzira II Member

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    In the aviation realm it is my understanding we collect about the same amount of tax from an gas as we spend supporting the public airport, weather support and such. We need a way with to self fund removal of these boats within the boating world. It may not be fair we all have to pay for these derelict boats boat overall it probably makes us look better if it was handled.
  11. bayoubud

    bayoubud Senior Member

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    Not really, any state could mandate minimum insurance for boats. Then if you want to cruise in any other state, it is on you to comply or risk consequences. We're not talking about full coverage here, just a minimum coverage to keep the taxpayer from paying the bill. Florida just happens to get more than their share of abandon and derelict boats, many due to hurricanes.
  12. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Isn't it more fair for people to pay to dispose of their own. DK how someone who maintains a million dollar vessels will feel about paying more taxes and fees to dispose of someone else's pick of junk.
  13. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Isn't that exactly the problem. The consequences are that you get a big bill if caught and the taxpayers get the bill if you don't or if you're responsible you get the big bill for disposal.
  14. bayoubud

    bayoubud Senior Member

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    Let's just agree it is not working with the way it is now. Taxpayers have paid for many boats to be hauled to the dump. A friend is a FL salvager, has made big $$$ disposing of derelict boats for the State. Too many people buying boats, putting them in a FL marina, no insurance, a hurricane destroys it and they are outta touch. End of story.
  15. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    There are marine fuel taxes that are supposed to fund things like this, as well as dredging and other things, but many times the money ends up going elsewhere.
  16. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Actually a bigger problem are The people who buy a boat, put it in a marina, insure it, use it for a while, loose interest and wait for a hurricane to sell it. To their insurance companies. I know a few in my marina who cashed in big time with Irma.
  17. bayoubud

    bayoubud Senior Member

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    Hard to tell where all the boat-related taxes end up. User fees are the fair way to cover related costs. It is unfair to ask non-boaters to pay costs related to boating. The easiest ways would be state registration, documentation, and when sold. The hardest part is keeping everyone's hands off the proceeds so it is used where intended.
  18. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    That's the problem and why boaters will balk at paying another tax/fee. It won't go toward this. It'll go into the general (slush) fund. Remember when lotteries were justified cause the money would go for education? No the real problem isn't the abandoned boats. That'll be taken care of how it always has. The real problem is on the person who buys the money pit, isn't the type to dump it on a shore line, and has to pay to get it gone. They thought they were getting into boating cheap.
  19. bayoubud

    bayoubud Senior Member

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    I've tried that a few times... it never worked for me! lol
  20. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    Mandate boater licensing and owner insurance, let the bums pay for their own trash removal. :mad: