Ask a Maritime Attorney - Page 36 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.

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

January 16, 2013

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 generator and electrical system. I was referred to a very good boat electrician, who...

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

January 2, 2013

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 Coast Guard-documented, so we asked the broker to obtain a title history for...

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

December 19, 2012

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 documented through the Coast Guard) throughout the time that he owned it. I am...

What Rights Do Legal Liveaboards Have in Marina Evictions?

December 5, 2012

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 deposit, along with the first and last months’ rent. Three weeks after I signed the...

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

November 12, 2012

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 partnership arrangement called for us to split the cost of the purchase and share equally...