I found a boat that's been abandoned do you think i could claim it and take it?

Question

The boats been abandoned for about a year now. Its stuck in some weeds by the shore of a lake by my house. I've been checking on it for about a year and no one has moved it. Do you think I could claim it and take it and use it for myself?

Answer 1

Check with the Department of Transportation in the State you found the boat.  

I did find that in Alaska :

" If a person wants to take possession of an abandoned boat, refer the person to DOT. To legally

become the owner of an abandoned boat, the person would have to have a bill of sale from DOT

or another government agency that has taken custody of the boat and sold it at public auction

under these same statutes."

I would bet the rules are likely the same where you are.

Answer 2

You could look at the numbers on it and track down the owner and ask.  If no numbers, ask your neighbors if they know who it belongs to.  If you can't find any answers at all, use it until someone claims it.  It will be better used than rotting anyway.

Answer 3

If you claim it and take it, and the cops catch up with you, you'll be up the creek without a paddle !  Do ya think ?

Answer 4

technically it belongs to whoever's property it's on - check with the landowner.

Answer 5

the property owner probably has the rights to it (you certainly do not if it is not your property)

if it is a large enough boat, it should have a series of numbers on the side - in which case the local government could track who owns the title.

Answer 6

Yea! i mean who cares. Fix it up make it nice they wont reconize if they do want it back!!! lol rename it! You could call it...... ORPHAN!

Answer 7

That's not a good idea. We did that once.  A very long time ago. Somebody left a boat on a trailer sitting off the road near our house, and it sat there for a couple of months. We decided to fix the flat on the trailer and take the boat to the lake. It sank, and we had to swim for it. There's a reason it's been abandoned.

Answer 8

So if the boat had been stolen and you had it in your possession...

Answer 9

Sure why not and if someone decsides to claim it , theres a million of them in the New Orleans area that you can have.