Buying a boat? A salutory tale....

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mustard

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So I finally decided to buy a decent motor-boat, found one in a South Coast broker's list, ( nice guy, good reputation), boat in Minorca, made an offer, had it accepted, signed a contract, paid a large deposit, paid for flights, paid for a lift, paid for a survey, paid for an engineer's check on both v****o's, paid the accountant for advice, paid the solicitor, paid the surveyors flights, arranged a mooring, arranged air-con units to be fitted, and guess what? The b****er sold it to someone else a day before completion!

So out of pockets by K's, sued and got a judgment, but can't find the seller, from the Poole Area, called Mr J Walker, and I hate to ask but any info on his wherabouts, or his house or news of his assets or new boat would be very gratefully received - by e-mail, in confidence, of course.

Nearly put me off completely, but worse, I can't get my pass signed by HI for another boat till I get a few grand back from this fiasco....
 
His address, at Southhampton, was on the contract, but no-one at home. Can't trace him at all, but heard he had an apartment in the area. May have gone to Spain....
 
You've tried 192.com?,(free search of electoral roll,albeit up to a year out of date.).

Just a thought
 
I'm sorry to hear your story. A couple of questions
Did you get your deposit back from the broker?
Did the vendor sign the contract as well and was it a standard UK brokerage sale contract?
 
Fortunately, got the deposit back, it was in an acrew account and yes, standard comprehensive UK contract that even impressed my solicitor, pretty watertight. Even had the cheque written to pay off the mortgager. The survey was less than a £1,000, but boy the extra costs soon mounted up - hence the warning. It's very gauling to do everything down the line and still get so burnt! So how do you buy a boat safely? Is it pot luck, local knowledge, or is the best way through these forums, perhaps, where some decent people even warn of shady surveyors, which is helpful! Free speech sure helps!
 
One trick that has worked for friends of mine doing business in Spain, is to engage the services of a private investigator, and introduce him to whoever you're doing business with early in the process. People seem to develop scruples very fast when they are dealing with someone who's got a good PI in tow. A good PI should be have police experience in detective work, and preferably not be bent!
 
Sorry to raise this one again but the guy I am looking for is:

Mr Jason Walker

Last known address: 53 Santa Cruz Drive, Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne

Any info gratefully received. Might be a small reward.....
 
Sorry to hear your news Mustard.

But if you have a judgment, that's massive progress. Your problem is enforcing it. This isn't my area of law so I may be a bit off the mark but I think you need to find his assets and then get bailiff to recover them. You can check if he owns the house by asking the land registry, they have a very fast service.

Hire a firm of bailiffs to enforce the debt. It's always difficult to seize a house becuase others like wife/kids will claim equitable interests etc. But if you got your deposit back then I guess your judgement is only for a few £k so get the bailiffs to take all the furniture etc and flog it to get your cash. The presence of their van will certainly impress his neighbours.
 
I have every sympathy with you, I lost 500 quid last year on a survey, the broker had been a complete tosser, funnily enuff form the Poole area too.

For sale, 1970 Triumph Spitfire-sold, 1947 Lambretta, 1922 Great grandmother, PM for details.
 
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