How to steal a yacht.....

[stilldesperate]

Reported my boat stolen last Oct.
Gave Police name and address of suspect. Yesterday they called round and found the yacht. Suspect had offered to buy it 12 months ago, and, without telling me, had taken boat. Claimed he'd sent a cheque (admits it was never cashed - I never got it), and couldn't contact me as he'd lost my details (He took it from a yard that had my details, and knew two others who had my number).
As he told the Police he could show a cheque book stub for the payment, they refused to even take him in for questioning. Angry ---- you bet! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[philip_stevens]

but have you now got it back??

or do plod believe him and let him keep the boat?/

 

[stilldesperate]

He's said he'd send me a cheque, plod sent me on an hours journey to the boat, then wouldn't help me retreive it. There will be no charges.

This tells me that I should help myself to the next yacht I fancy, and when (if) I get caught with it, I'll just show them the cheque stub........

Methinks a complaint is in order.......

 

[lenseman]

PM sent. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[golden14]

The same thing happened to me, when a 'Friend' offered to buy my boat. Police gave me two choices - if I found the boat call them (There 'preferred' option) or just take it back as you can't be done for stealing your own property. So I found it and reported its location, big mistake I should have just taken it back, now I am still paying out a 14k loan and they are driving around in my boat. If I stop paying for the boat the police will arrest me for 'Fraudulently' selling the boat with finance outstanding - his cheque bounced.\
Not only this they claimed that they had had a finance cheque carried out on the boat for outstanding finance but unlike a HPI check on cars this is not a legal requirement and requires you to register the finance agreement with Boatsure voluntarily. There 'proof' of ownership even stated at the top of the paperwork that it was not proof of title - to take this through the courts will cost over 10k with no guarantee of a result.
Selling a boat? Get paid in cash or bankers draft and let it be cleared before you put the boat back in the water. I asked my marina not to put it back in the water until payment had cleared, the 'buyer' (Beaten to death in Southampton last year - and for the record I was at the Le Mans 24 hrs race) gave the marina (Shephards wharf, cowes) a cheque (Despite me telling them his cheque for the boat had bounced) which also bounced, after they had lifted it back in and then legged it with the boat. For note, yes it was insured, no my policy is worth nothing, I was with one of the UK's top insurers who tell me that boat theft is only classed as someone physically removing the keys from your hand, even if my boat had been taken away on a locked trailer IT STILL WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CLASSED AS STOLEN!!!! One day I know I will meet my boat insurer at a boat show and then I will have my day, so to speak.

 

[stilldesperate]

Sorry to hear your plight. At least mine was worth considerably less. A bounced cheque is, AFAIK, an instant win in court, (think it's obtaining goods or services by deception - sure someone will know this on the forum). Unfortunately, not much use if the guys no longer alive. Makes you despair over the people we pay to look after us (Police/insurers). A trip to "collect" it with a couple of big lads might be in order - if you've not been paid, it's surely still yours?

 

[NorthRising]

Perhaps we need more Chief Constables who are into sailing so the Polis have their priorities right? Richard Brunstrom - North Wales is a sailor but rumor is he's in the running for Chief of Police in the Cayman Islands - obvious choice for sailing.

Serious point though every now and then they say they are keen to address marine crime but I'm not sure the evidence always backs this up.

 

[colvic]

From personal experience, don't waste your time complaining!!

 

[MrCramp]

Sorry to hear your story.

I NOW DEVIATE FROM STRICTLY BOATY

I was responsible for a nationwide business supplying refrigeration equipment to commercial and industrial customers. Having tried to get bad debts and equipment recouvered through the courts on a number of occasions I gave up. We just went and snatched back any equipment where the customer did not pay, after trying to get the money for a reasonable amount of time.

This was a typical case, with £25,000 at stake. We supplied equipment to cool the freezer/chill store for a company that supplied catering services to numerous airlines at Gatwick and Heathrow. After hearing every story under the sun about why they would not pay the second 50% of our installation cost (not due to faulty equipment etc) we turned up with 2 lorries and 10 men. They thought there were only the drivers and mates coming to do routine service at 5am one morning. We disconected the equipment and they even let us use their fork lift to load "something heavy", but they could not be bothered watching what we were doing. We loaded all the equipment and left. One hour later we rang them and told them not to open the freezer store as they would loose all their stock.

Their lady Finance Director was woken at 7am and went bananas, threatening all sorts of legal action, and we offered to let the newspapers know which airlines they worked for as we thought the passangers would like to know why there was no food on their flights. We did not hear any more. Even 15 years on that recovery action still brings a smile to my face.

Moral of the story is "Actions speak louder than words/legal/police involvement" Get in there with some mates and get hold of your own property.

 

[minho]

My sympathy. Hope the police will trace the one who stole it. Inform this thread if your yacht was returned to you.

 

[golden14]

two years

Two years later and I am still having to pay out for a boat which they claim they own, the police classed it as theft until the "friend" was found beaten to death in Southampton (not me I was in Le Mans 24hr race) - at which point it turned into a "civil" matter - and so no if I go and borrow it back I will be the one that is arrested....For note it was / is in Kemps Quay Southampton (the home of stolen boats on the south coast?) - went to see dockmaster who immediately stated that the ownership of the falcon 23 was not in dispute and the owner had full legal title to it. Most odd as I had not mentioned which boat I thought was stolen.... Even more odd that out of 200+ boats in the yard he thought that it was the falcon 23 that I was talking about even before I mentioned a word....
Kemps Quay aka "We welcome thieves"

 

[Rum_Pirate]

Get a lawyer or say goodbye to your boat.

 

[davey]

How To Steal A Trailer

Reported my boat stolen last Oct.
Gave Police name and address of suspect. Yesterday they called round and found the yacht. Suspect had offered to buy it 12 months ago, and, without telling me, had taken boat. Claimed he'd sent a cheque (admits it was never cashed - I never got it), and couldn't contact me as he'd lost my details (He took it from a yard that had my details, and knew two others who had my number).
As he told the Police he could show a cheque book stub for the payment, they refused to even take him in for questioning. Angry ---- you bet! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

OK here's another one. How To Steal A Trailer. My trailer was parked with two good locks through the hitch and a wheel clamp. Just before I was going to tow the trailer to Wales I noticed that the injection pump on my antique Rangie was dripping. Pump off, up to Exeter, pump fixed but now NO TRAILER! Reported the theft to the police and got a crime number. Put front page "Reward £1000" advertisements in the local paper, also a photo ad in Free Ads. Put a "Wanted Stolen Trailer Reward Poster" on eBay (poster for sale at 2p to satisfy eBay rules). This listing was repeated several times although my first attempt was taken down by eBay "because I had nothing to sell". The trailer must have been as hot as hell and maybe it was the thief complaining to eBay that caused the trouble. (eBay wouldn't say who'd complained owing to the "Thief Protection Act" as I call it). Months went by and I didn't hear a thing so assumed that the trailer must have been taken to Ireland or Europe.

Almost three years later I had a whinging phone call from a friend. His metric spanners didn't fit his Petter Mini-6; well they wouldn't would they? I set off to Wadebridge where there is a good shop that sells second-hand Imperial tools. (This is a direction that I seldom travel). On the way I spotted a trailer, MY TRAILER! so I phoned the police. A private car arrived whilst the police officer was taking a statement from me. "Whats up" said the driver. "You've got my trailer" I replied. The officer then asked the man (1) if he had a receipt, (2) if he knew the person he bought the trailer from, and (3) if he knew where this person lived. Answers were all affirmative. I did get my trailer back eventually although since being stolen it had been converted from a 32 roller trailer to a 16 roller trailer (about £1000 worth of parts missing) The keepers receipt was bogus and he seemed to develop amnesia because later he told the police he only "sort of" knew the person he allegedly bought it from. The loss of that trailer forced me to employ a boat transportation company to move my "project boat" from North Wales so that was another £500 down the pan. Looks like going boating in my retirement isn't going to happen.

So all you tea-leaves it looks as if you can steal what the hell you like and providing you write yourself a bogus receipt with your left hand and stick to your story you cannot be touched. Great country innit?

Nice people out there, please write to your MP to try to get this bogus receipt defence overturned if you think that the law as it stands is an ass.

 

[davey]

OK here's another one. How To Steal A Trailer. My trailer was parked with two good locks through the hitch and a wheel clamp. Just before I was going to tow the trailer to Wales I noticed that the injection pump on my antique Rangie was dripping. Pump off, up to Exeter, pump fixed but now NO TRAILER! Reported the theft to the police and got a crime number. Put front page "Reward £1000" advertisements in the local paper, also a photo ad in Free Ads. Put a "Wanted Stolen Trailer Reward Poster" on eBay (poster for sale at 2p to satisfy eBay rules). This listing was repeated several times although my first attempt was taken down by eBay "because I had nothing to sell". The trailer must have been as hot as hell and maybe it was the thief complaining to eBay that caused the trouble. (eBay wouldn't say who'd complained owing to the "Thief Protection Act" as I call it). Months went by and I didn't hear a thing so assumed that the trailer must have been taken to Ireland or Europe.

Almost three years later I had a whinging phone call from a friend. His metric spanners didn't fit his Petter Mini-6; well they wouldn't would they? I set off to Wadebridge where there is a good shop that sells second-hand Imperial tools. (This is a direction that I seldom travel). On the way I spotted a trailer, MY TRAILER! so I phoned the police. A private car arrived whilst the police officer was taking a statement from me. "Whats up" said the driver. "You've got my trailer" I replied. The officer then asked the man (1) if he had a receipt, (2) if he knew the person he bought the trailer from, and (3) if he knew where this person lived. Answers were all affirmative. I did get my trailer back eventually although since being stolen it had been converted from a 32 roller trailer to a 16 roller trailer (about £1000 worth of parts missing) The keepers receipt was bogus and he seemed to develop amnesia because later he told the police he only "sort of" knew the person he allegedly bought it from. The loss of that trailer forced me to employ a boat transportation company to move my "project boat" from North Wales so that was another £500 down the pan. Looks like going boating in my retirement isn't going to happen.

So all you tea-leaves it looks as if you can steal what the hell you like and providing you write yourself a bogus receipt with your left hand and stick to your story you cannot be touched. Great country innit?

Nice people out there, please write to your MP to try to get this bogus receipt defence overturned if you think that the law as it stands is an ass.

Oh by the way when I bought the trailer I paid by PayPal funded by an A & L credit card in order to get "insurance". (I still have an old A & L pamphlett that states "Free 90 day worldwide protection on purchases"). Unfortunately life is never simple and the A & L credit card operation is no longer run by Alliance & Leicester. In fact the credit card operation has changed hands several times and the "benefits" have been watered down. Now run by MBNA and when I claimed I was just sent a booklet of exclusions. From memory the following are excluded:- Motor vehicles, boats, aircraft, their engines and accessories. (not much left already!). Tickets and money, food, drink, perishables, work done by tradesmen. Basically MBNA credit card insurance is virtually worthless.