Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

Hey is there a website out their where you can post a boat owner that has skipped out on paying there bill.

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

rotor785 said:

Hey is there a website out their where you can post a boat owner that has skipped out on paying there bill.

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Ayuh,... Welcome Aboard,... Not sure where yer headed with that,...

Care to explain,..??

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

You can't do it without the possibility of being sued. Our landlord association wanted to do a private "Do not rent to" list and our attorney said we couldn't because if anyone on the list knew they would be able to sue us.

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

rotor785 said:

...paying there bill.

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Well, if it's there, and they are somewhere else, how can they pay their bill?

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

Yes.

Small claims court.



No mechanics lein ?

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

If you file against them in small claims court and win, the judgment will show up in the three national credit bureaus.

It might not get your money, but it might make the deadbeat have to pay more interest on a future loan. Or, they may be turned down on future loans for the next few years.

Your question is just a little unclear, so better answers are hard to come by.

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

In this litigious society, everyone is worried about being sued for anything. However, to be sued for libel, slander, or sullying a person's name or reputation requires intent and misstatement of facts. Simply posting a customer's name and stating that he/she did not pay their bill is simply stating a fact--not slandering a person. Look at ebay feedback. You can give a very negative review of a buyer or seller.

I suppose Facebook is a good a place as any for your purposes. OR: If it has made you angry enough, start your own website--deadbeats.com-- and with a small posting fee, start to make money.

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

Frank Acampora said:

In this litigious society, everyone is worried about being sued for anything. However, to be sued for libel, slander, or sullying a person's name or reputation requires intent and misstatement of facts..... Look at ebay feedback. You can give a very negative review of a buyer or seller.

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You can be sued because its wednesday. For the person to win is another story entirely, but often the truth doesn't matter, its who has more money.

You mentioned the ebay reviews, but now google the yelp lawsuits... Basically someone posted a negative yelp review on what was basically truthful information. The other party sues, and WINS! Judge orders undisclosed payment + the negative review be taken down.

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

Anyone can come pick up their property off your property at any time and there is nothing you can do to stop them except, you can go to the courthouse and file a lien against the boat. Then they have to post a bond equal to the bill before they can get the boat. I ran across that some years ago after hurricane Opal. Did a bunch of work on a customer's boat that was being paid for by the insurance company. Except they paid the boat owner, not me. I got wind that the customer wasn't going to pay because he wanted us to do more to the boat than the insurance would cover but not charge him. I refused so I had my attorney file a lien so as all the I's was dotted and T's crossed. Customer brought a deputy to get his boat but with the lien papers, he couldn't get it without posting the bond. He posted the bond and picked up his boat. Just as he cleared my gate and on the public road, he blew two out of three tires on one side of the trailer. I closed my gate and went to lunch. Later it had to go to court and I finally got my money. Took a marine surveyor atesting that the boat was in as good if not better condition than before the hurricane damage.

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

Every state's laws are different as to repairman's liens, and some have very low limits. same goes with keeping someone's property, or removing it with bills outstanding. You can also get in a situation where the local sheriff, or court clerk, either doesn't understand or doesn't want to enforce the process. It's seldom as easy as it seems and can be highly technical and slow--you may have to spend some money and you may have to start all over. An intervening bankruptcy, a competing consensual lien, or a priority tax lien can adda whole 'nuther layer of complications. And then there's the likely prospect that the boat owner doesn't ahve good title. It's very frustrating, even for a lawyer getting paid to run through the process. doing it yourself can be like doing your own knee surgery.

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

Frank Acampora said:

......If it has made you angry enough, start your own website--deadbeats.com--....

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not an option.... The Deadbeats

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

we did 8 grand of work on his boat and he came in one night and grab his boat never paying his bill,we got a address but it maybe fake.Just thinking if there was a web site where you could post the boats or boat owner you were looking for.

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

TilliamWe said:

Well, if it's there, and they are somewhere else, how can they pay their bill?

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They have to go to another boat at some point and if I could find which one.I may be able to get a real address from the yard they are at now.

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

rotor785 said:

we did 8 grand of work on his boat and he came in one night and grab his boat never paying his bill,we got a address but it maybe fake.Just thinking if there was a web site where you could post the boats or boat owner you were looking for.

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A good reason to put your lock on the trailer hitches of all the boats you're working on, tell the owners it for security purposes.

So you didn't even write down the registration numbers on the side of the boat? HIN? No pictures of the boat??? These are things you might want to think about doing if you're not already doing them.

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

Webbcraft79 said:

You can't do it without the possibility of being sued. Our landlord association wanted to do a private "Do not rent to" list and our attorney said we couldn't because if anyone on the list knew they would be able to sue us.

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While that may be true and probably is what you can do is circulate a list of forcible detainer judgements. Those are a matter of public record and as such you create no viable liability.

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

rotor785 said:

we did 8 grand of work on his boat and he came in one night and grab his boat never paying his bill,we got a address but it maybe fake.Just thinking if there was a web site where you could post the boats or boat owner you were looking for.

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Yeah, that amount would be worth taking to court.

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

You could get an accurate address if you have his hull number right? I would put a sign up on my fence or as close to the street as is legal saying " Hey Bob Smith 10 anystreet NY with the 16 ft crestliner. You still owe us $8000 for fixing your boat. Sorry but we aren't open at 11pm when you came and got it. We tried to call you but the number you gave us was wrong." something like that. Put the name of the boat or address. Something that identifies the right Bob Smith. I bet he's there within days demanding you take the sign down. It might even make the local newspaper if someone calls them anonymously It's not slander. it's an attempt to collect a debt.
I'm a contractor and I have had a few dead beats. The one thing I had going for me is I knew where they lived. Nothing better than knocking on their door every night at 7pm. They couldn't hang up on me and they don't want there neighbors to hear how cheap they are.

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

My friend who has an auto repair shop has a sign in his office that says.
"You ask to charge, We ask for you to sign transfer papers and spare keys."

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

www.reportdeadbeatshere.com appears to be available.

Re: Boat owners skipping out on paying there bill.

seems like the OP got taken for $8000 and instead of trying to solve that problem he's focussed on causing more. closing the barn door after the horse has run off. There are ways to chase that boat. That's where the money and satisfaction is, not on a website no one will look at.