Bunk survey update--surveyor revealing
 

Alot of you have read about my "friends" bunk survey that if you haven't recently read I finally revealled that the boat is in fact mine. (Please don't lecture me on my way of going about discussing these issues). I received the actual repair cost for the hull damage--$1963, no total on the soft cabin floor. I did the gentlemans thing and offered the surveyor the gentlemans thing to do and HELP pay for the repairs, didn't ask for full payment. He told me "if you expect that I guess we'll have to go to court." Talked to him a little more and he said "you got a hell of a deal on the boat." Told him, " I got hell of a deal on a boat I was assured by you had a solid hull and that's not the case." He stated, "I'm not giving you any money." So here it is: his name is Bud Johnson out of Callao, Va. He is associated with several survey groups including SAMS,NACT,ABYC, and others. Here is a link to his website:
http://www.marinesurveyor.com/bjmarine/index2.html
Lesson here: group association as well as claimed experience won't always get you what is expected. My strong advise is to avoid this fraud at all cost, he has no business doing marine surveys, he missed blatant problems that may cost over $5K to repair.

First: your link does not work.

I unfortunatly am not suprised with his responce to your issues. The only reason that I think that I would do a survey at this point is if a insurance company required it. I think that I am more capable then most of the ones that I have met. I am sure that there are guys that are much better at it then I am and they could catch some things that I may not. Just not willing to spend the money to see if they are any good or not. Unfortunately as the buyer you have to do your own thorough investigation and if you are not up to it find a friend that is..... What is the limit for small claims in your town? Unfortunately if you purchased the boat far away you may have to go there. I think it sucks that these guys share in zero responsibility for a mistake. Especially missing stuff as BAD as that. Glass Dave explained the possible floor issue but I can't think of any reason to have missed the crack along the streaks. I looked at a Donzi like that, drove 13 hours to see it and had the same cracks. I was pissed at the seller because he had said that there was no stress craks on the boat. I could not find a part of the boat that was NOT streessed. I hopped in my car and drove 13 hours back home with out anything.

That is a very hard part of the hull to fix. Make sure that you are VERY comfortable with the repair place. I am not sure how much you paid for the boat but maybe this may be best choked up to a very hard lesson learned and sell as is? You need to get your glass guy to do a FULL check of the boat to let you know if the transom is ok, stringers are ok, floors are ok and so on.

Try this one
http://www.marinesurveyor.com/bjmarine/index2.html

I guess his name is apropriate, BJ for blow job :D

Suck it up.
$2K in a used boat to get her right, you're getting off cheap.
If you're new to this hobby - might as well get used to it.
I predict, this summer, you either break something, or decide on performance enhancements that will cost you well over the $2K - and that's in just one season.
The soft floor - get your hands dirty and fix it yourself. If you don't know how, do some research, you'll figure it out. This is what performance boating is all about.
Sorry no one told you that the budget needs to be what you spent on the boat x's2 - ( I didn't tell my wife that either:D).
Give up on the lawsuit and going after a "bunk survey" for a few hundred bucks, and get to work on your boat.
It will be money much wiser spent.

Like BH said, that isn't alot when it comes to buying a used boat. That said, the surveyor should have did his job and found it, but then again, so should you. A simple look under the boat or walk into the cabin would have revealed both flaws.

Something else, like BH said, why not give it a shot your self? I personally like working on boats (do it for a living) and also is the reason I can afford to have one, no cost in labor for me. If you are in the LOTO area and want to give it a try let me know and I will be glad to give you a hand and get you in the right direction. [email protected]
Brandon

I just had a survey done, and on all of the forms I recieved from the survey, there were disclaimers, and no warranty implied from the sureyor or company. A survey is an objective opinioin from a supposed professional. I bought my boat without even seeing the boat in person, and only by the opinion of my surveyor. I researched this surveyor, asked about him on OSO, and talked to people who used him before deciding to hire him. After recieving the survey from him and reading the disclaimers, I had no expectation on going back on him if I found anything wrong when the boat arrived.

Did you get any referrals for this guy? I know you posted the associations he is a member of, but are you sure he actually belongs to these?

I feel for you, but I think you are fighting a loosing battle. If you are looking for money from anyone, it should be the previous owner, but then again, another loosing battle. It sucks, but the responsibility ultimately falls on you as a buyer to know what you are buying especially when it sells "as is, no warranty".

Just my opinion, a new used boat owner

If the boat leaks, it needs to be fixed from the inside. Now that we know it's a Velocity, what are your plans to deal with a cored bottom that's probably fairly well soaked? I'd look further and also consult Steve Stepp on the project. You're already in the hole, why toss another $2K into it just to have a leaking boat after a couple uses? Or, why have a BIG hull failure and maybe a sinking as a result of a cosmetic-only repair and have to hear the words "latent damage", "insufficient repair" and "denied" from your insurer?

That said, can anyone reccommend a surveyor in the Chicago area. A reputable one used by others here on this board.

On surveys-

Disclaimers do not relieve a party from liability. If so, every car would have a sticker on it that read "not responsible for accidents caused by the driver". If prior to the survey, you sign a document that states you have no expectation of thoroughness or accuracy and the survey is for entertainment purposes only, then you'll have a tough time going after the guy. If you pay for a professional evaluation from a qualified individual, he bears the responsibility- based on a reasonable expectation of what a professional should find within the scope of their investigation. In essence, the surveyor can tell you the cabin light is in proper working order, yet if the bulb burns out the next time it's flipped on, there could be no reasonable expectation that the surveyor could have predicted the failure. Now, if there's a crack in the hull that would be plainly apparent to any knowledgeable person and it could be considered reasonable that the surveyor would have been investigating for those sorts of defects in his evaluation, then he would bear the responsibility for the effects of his failure to do so. His refusal to address these issues with you constitutes bad faith in most states and often that presents the opportunity to pursue treble damages.

Unless the seller made representations to the contrary, you bought the boat as-is. By hiring a surveyor, you placed an additional barrier between yourself and any action against the seller.

I think your repair is going to be bigger than what you're thinking and I'd certainly suggest a consultation with a good attoorney.