Help with an abandoned boat my friend sold....
 

All, need some advice on this as I am posting this for my buddy. About 4 years ago he sold a boat to an individual and the boat left the state. My buddy received a phone call yesterday from a marina in Texas stating that his boat(the one he sold 4 years ago) has been abandoned for several months at their marina. My buddy can't find any of the paper work from the individual sale. Is there anything he can do? Can he recover the boat and claim a lost title? Is this simply a registration issue and there is nothing he can do except say sorry I sold it four years ago? I appreciate any input/legal advice.

Thanks,

Mike

Re: Help with an abandoned boat my friend sold....
 

He can if he's a thief. It's not his boat anymore, he sold it. It belongs to someone. If he tries to go down there and reclaim this boat he is a scumbag! :mad:

Re: Help with an abandoned boat my friend sold....
 

Nope. He washed his hands of it when he collected the money.

Re: Help with an abandoned boat my friend sold....
 

Not trying to say he would recover it at all. I was asking what the legal aspects are? Is there anything he can be held liable for? He is not a scumbag and I do understand what you are saying. I'm simply trying to see what the legal issues are here. Thanks again in advance!

Re: Help with an abandoned boat my friend sold....
 

i am guessing they tracked him down because he was the last to register the boat, i doubt he has any legal liability, the marina should have the name of who dropped it off there.... if it truely has been abandoned and the marina doesn't put a lien on the title for storage fees, he may be able to file for a lost title if he was the last to register it... right or wrong, that is how it works in missouri at least...

Re: Help with an abandoned boat my friend sold....
 

I ALWAYS get something in writing with the buyers DL# on it. I keep them in a folder in the file. That way If someone buys a car and robs a bank, I can show it was sold.

Re: Help with an abandoned boat my friend sold....
 

I am sure the Marina has already tried to contat the individual who left it there, they contacted your buddy and I am sure want their money. Tell the Marina do do with it as they please, this is not a issue you friend wants to get in the middle of, it will only cause him serious problems. It is between the Marina and the person who left it.

The marina will most likely put a lein on it then have to sell/suction it, write off diference.

WILL :D

Re: Help with an abandoned boat my friend sold....
 

Wait....if the new owner had the title changed to his name, wouldn't he then be liable for all storage??????
Why would the marina contact the previous owner on this????
How would they know who he is if the title was properly changed???

It's like you selling a house, the new owner abandons it and the bank comes after you for the mortgage. It doesn't make sense.

Re: Help with an abandoned boat my friend sold....
 

nacoma, what marina in Texas is it at? If it's close by I can go by and see what's going on.

Re: Help with an abandoned boat my friend sold....
 

Your friend should get invloved in this mess--because he will want to make sure that his name is cleared of this boat and all liabilities of the situation. I would not try to re-claim the boat.
There should be a few ways to make sure your friend has no liability for the boat anymore. The new owner might have had a lein? --making payments to a bank? As someone already mentioned, the marina should have a record of the owner's contact info/ signature when they leased him a space.