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What Consequences Are There in Failing to Record a Bill of Sale?

I sold my boat almost a year ago. I signed and notarized a bill of sale on the official Coast Guard form and exchanged the bill of sale for a cashier’s check when we closed the deal. It came to my attention when I received the annual documentation renewal form from the Coast Guard that the buyer never recorded the bill of sale, and the boat is still in my name. I tried to contact him, but I have been unable to reach him. What kind of liability am I facing by allowing someone to operate a boat that is still registered in my name? How can I get the bill of sale recorded? 


Will My Insurance Policy Cover Damage to My Boat During Charters?

My boat is a part of a charter fleet managed by a company in the Pacific Northwest.  I take the boat out of service for personal use for a few we ...

USCG Documentation vs. DMV Registration: What Are the Differences?

When I bought my boat nearly 20 years ago, it was registered with the California Department of Motor Vehicles. The boat has a six-digit number engrave ...

Buying a Boat vs. Buying the LLC That Currently Owns It

I am a yacht broker representing both the buyer and seller in a transaction involving a boat that is titled into a Delaware limited liability corporat ...

Can My Marina Legally Charge Another Boater a Much Lower Slip Fee?

I keep my boat at a small marina on a lake in Arizona. It recently came to my attention that a fellow boat owner was paying $200 per month less than o ...

Can a Race Protest Committee Legally Determine Fault in a Collision?

I own a racing sailboat, and I was involved in a collision with another competitor during a race. The protest committee determined that we were at fau ...

Supreme Court Ruling on Floating Homes vs. Boats Proves Perplexing

I recall a discussion in your column last year about a marina eviction case that made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Last month, I read an ...

If a Boater Signs Agreements with 2 Brokers, Which One is Enforceable?

I am a California-licensed yacht broker. A client listed his boat with me for sale under an “open” listing agreement that required him to ...

Can I Hold a Buyer to His Verbal Agreement to Buy My Boat?

I advertised my boat for sale last year through an online service. I was contacted by someone who appeared to be a serious and qualified buyer. We exc ...

Can I Hold My Captain Liable for Negligent Engine Damage?

I purchased a 40-foot trawler yacht a few months ago and, since I am a novice boater, my insurance company required me to hire a captain to run the bo ...

Is a Yacht Seller Required to Disclose Past Fire Damage to a Buyer?

I bought a 50-foot motoryacht six months ago and have had nothing but problems from Day 1. Most of the problems are related to the boat’s genera ...

Must a Foreclosure Occur Before a Bank Sells a Repossessed Boat?

We are in the process of buying a boat that is a bank repo, and we would like to know a little about the process. We were advised that the boat is Coa ...

How Can I Get Clear Title to a Boat with a Debt in Its Distant Past?

I am in the process of purchasing a boat from my father.  He bought the boat almost 30 years ago and it was DMV-registered (rather than being doc ...

What Rights Do Legal Liveaboards Have in Marina Evictions?

I moved onto my boat as a “legal” liveaboard a few months ago. The marina manager required me to sign an agreement and pay a security depo ...

Can My Former Partner Claim a Maritime Lien Against the Boat?

I am in the middle of a complicated dispute with a former friend over a boat that we owned as “equal” partners for a few years. The partne ...

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