Ask a Maritime Attorney - Page 21 of 66

David Weil has been the proud author of the “Ask a Maritime Attorney” column in The Southern California Log Newspaper and Sea Magazine since 2006, with over 300 installments of the column. We have provided links in this section to those articles, covering a wide range of topics of interest to the California maritime and boating communities.

Can I repossess a boat without a recorded preferred ship mortgage?

September 9, 2016

Q: I loaned $62,000 to a boat owner and required him to sign a security agreement in the form of a Preferred Ship Mortgage. The collateral is a 50-foot motor yacht that is documented with the Coast Guard and currently moored...

The ins and outs of marina evictions

August 26, 2016

Q: I live aboard my boat in a private marina in Northern California, and the owner has asked me to manage the day to day operations of the marina. My job duties include the collection of monthly slip rent, but after starting...

Are verbal agreements enforceable in California?

August 12, 2016

Q: I recently entered into an agreement to purchase a boat from an owner, using a broker’s services. We held a formal meeting with all parties attending and around seven people altogether. During the meeting, we worked out...

Limitation of Liability Act: What boat owners need to know

July 29, 2016

Q: I operate a boat rental business in California, and a customer who claimed to be a maritime attorney advised me that if a jet ski hits and injures someone, the owner of the jet ski may limit his liability under a 19th...

Should I ‘homestead’ my vessel?

July 3, 2016

Q: I am in the middle of a dispute with a creditor and I am researching different strategies for protecting my assets if he gets a judgment against me. My attorney suggested a way to protect my boat from being seized or...