Credit: Creative Commons

Is it necessary to have a title to junk or recycle an old boat? The quick answer is “Yes” but there’s more to it than that. If there is a derelict, abandoned, or damaged water vessel you want to get rid of, you’ll have to go through a few steps. However, it’s worthwhile in the end to be free of that eyesore.

Do I need a Title to Junk or Recycle an Old Boat in Port St Lucie?

As the nearby quote points out, it is required to have a title to a watercraft in order to take legal possession, to junk it, recycle it, or even restore it. Since the first two of the three are probably your goal, you’ll need to girl about the manor in a responsible manner.

Florida has no salvage laws giving the finder of an abandoned vessel rights of ownership. Florida is a title state, thereby requiring a transfer of vessel title from owner to purchaser in order to obtain legal ownership. A person who finds an abandoned vessel and who wants to make claim to it must comply with Section 705.103, Florida Statutes. This will allow for a person to make claim to the property and make application for title transfer into his name. —Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Although this certainly poses an inconvenience, it’s well worth it in the end. Otherwise, if you try and dispose of it without going through the legal process, you’ll wind up in a lot of trouble.

What can I Do about an Abandoned Boat?

If there’s an abandoned boat on your property, or even if it’s not on your property, you cannot unfortunately just make it magically disappear. However, there are ways you can get rid of that vessel:

• Report the vessel to the US Coast Guard. get in touch with the United States Coast Guard and report the abandoned boat. Generally speaking, the US Coast Guard will only consider the vessel problematic if it interferes with waterway traffic and/or poses a hazard to the environment. in other words, it must be a source of pollution or unsafely block waterway traffic.
• Report the boat to the local municipality. should the Coast Guard not declare the watercraft to be an environmental hazard or obstruction of the waterway, you can always reported to the local municipality. Different cities and counties have different rules when it comes to abandoned or derelict boats, so it’s really up to them.
• Apply for a title and junk it. with neither of the two above options work for you, it is possible to apply for a title to the abandoned boat, in order to gain legal possession, and junk it. You might just get lucky and cause the actual owner to show up and take responsibility for its removal and disposal.

When you need a professional boat removal service, go ahead and phone 888-863-7391 or visit Boat Removal.com.