Caveat Emptor
or How not to buy a yacht.
Came across an ad on ebay recently. 38' ferrocement yacht, working 20hp engine, has mainsail and jib furler. Free slip at XXX boatyard. One fuzzy photo from afar, no further details.
Naturally I was curious, especially since it was listed under Kayaks and was unlikely to exceed the minimum bid of $500.00 with that ad.
After several emails that gained me almost no further info - except that the seller had no paperwork and it was unregistered - I eventually gave up, then the ad disappeared. The engine had evidently failed to start, making the ad invalid.
I was convinced the boatyard had been stuck with a failed project, and expressed my displeasure at their lack of truth in the ad. Finally I get another email from the seller explaining that it had belonged to her partner and that she had been minding it for several years, but it now had to go.
OK, so here's the thing:
1. If the "partner" has just pissed off, he/she still owns the yacht.
2. If the "partner" is dead his next of kin own it, and it should be in the hands of his/her executor.
Either way there's clearly a title issue here that isn't easily resolved.
People are nuts. And don't you forget it.
__________________
"The cure for anything is salt water... sweat, tears, or the sea" -- Isak Dinesen
 : All sections
|