If you are: buying, selling, or importing a yacht or in a legal dispute over work carried out on a boat - check out our services and see how we could help to save you money!
Christopher Green LLB, is the legal specialist for Boat Legal. Legal. Services include dispute negotiation; expert witness statements and evidence collation for arbitration; insurance investigations and litigation. He is also small yacht and boat surveyor and has over 20 years experience in the leisure marine industry.
Buying agent - Boat Legal acts as your agent for the sale or purchase of a boat
Whether you are buying a boat in the UK or importing a boat we can provide pre-purchase checks, ownership and provenance; maintenance history; VAT (where relevant); Inventory; liability in respect of Yard fees, storage & maintenance (prior to and following purchase); final contract terms and conditions.Full details of boat purchasing agency
- Negotiation: Boat Legal surveys provide the purchaser with information to make an informed decision. Where relevant, a survey report may be used to assist in the process of negotiating a reduced price for boat purchasers .
- Need a pre purchase check - but not a full boat survey? You might have a shortlist of possible boats and would like a professional eye cast over them to clarify certain points.
- Transfer of ownership - Part 1 Registered vessel conveyancing - ensuring ownership is correctly transferred / entered .
VAT / Brexit compliance issues: can be a major worry, especially when a vessel has been purchased (or manufactured) outside of the UK
Legal disputes It is a fact of life that no two people will always agree on what is reasonable. When such situations arise in boat contract claims or marine claims the ongoing dispute is likely to be both costly and stressful.
For example, a boat owner may claim that work carried out by a boatyard is substandard. The boatyard may disagree and place a lien on the boat until the full amount is paid. Legal threats may be issued and the dispute could escalate to costly litigation. In this situation, taking the matter to court is likely to be so costly that both sides will spend considerably more in terms of lost time and money, than the original amount of the claim justified.
- Ownership check:
- Buying a boat with little knowledge of the previous ownership, beyond anecdotal statements like "...she was lying in a boatyard for several years when I bought her..." is obviously not ideal. Boats may also be one-offs; converted commercial vessels; part restored projects (ashore or afloat); modified production boats or any combination of these. Add to this a lack of paperwork or recorded history and the situation becomes more alarming.
It is therefore surprising how many boats are bought and sold on this basis. Depending on the age of the vessel, there could be outstanding VAT, or even another legal owner. Either way, it could prove a costly oversight!
Boat ownership and provenance check is provided either as part of our Buying Agency package, or as a stand alone service. Give us the particulars and we will provide a quote together, with details of the assistance we are able to provide.
Some examples of client work undertaken by Boat Legal
It is therefore surprising how many boats are bought and sold on this basis. Depending on the age of the vessel, there could be outstanding VAT, or even another legal owner. Either way, it could prove a costly oversight!
Boat ownership and provenance check is provided either as part of our Buying Agency package, or as a stand alone service. Give us the particulars and we will provide a quote together, with details of the assistance we are able to provide.
- Regal 3350 Import project from Korea - total UK refit engines-electrics- equipment - RCD/CE compliance.UK
- Squadron 54 motor yacht - deceased estate sale UK
- Overseas Purchase of sailing vessel for import to UK:
- 30ft Catamaran agreement of part delivery and handover through Canal du Midi;
- 35ft ex charter vessel purchase - contract negotiation - British Registry
- Ownership transfer Contract compliance - purchase of British owned vessel operating outside UK to Croatian purchaser; assisting Croatian buyer's agent in contract of sale to effect transfer of ownership from British registry.
- RCD Compliance
- Regal 3350 - UK Import - refit
- Bayliner Ciera (UK import)
Assistance in dispute between owner and marina over boat damage liability (Sunseeker 50)
Ownership dispute over part share in vessel
Ownership and liability dispute - vessel left in possession of client on purchased property - former owner claimed financial reimbursement
Insurance dispute over fouled propeller damage on sailing boat.
Dispute over refit cost TSDY breach of contract issues - resolved between owner and main agent.
Dispute over work schedule on motor yacht refit - Hayling Island, Hampshire
Used motor yacht contract dispute between purchaser and professional boat supplier - Shoreham, West Sussex
- Professional dispute over work carried out to motor yacht transmission system - Brighton, East Sussex
- Damage liability dispute Sunseeker 50 Eastbourne
Why not contact us today for a free consultation to see how we may help with your problem.
