Lawyer in St Marteen

[YesIsail]

Can anyone recomend a lawyer, its basically for assistance in purchasing a boat in St Marteen, legal stuff, reviewing contracts and so on.
Thanx!

[MacG]

Which side? There is a Dutch as well as a French part. Both countries have different laws.

[YesIsail]

Both if possible

[MacG]

Dutch side anyway:

VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne-Sint Maarten

Address: Sparrow Road 4, Harbour View Office Complex B unit 15
Telefoon: (599) 542-2902
Fax: (599) 542-2907
Land: Sint Maarten

Also look for Hart & Associates - both are good names in the trade.

French Side (Sain Martin)

Alain Schenkmann (Cabinet Schenkmann)
45 Blvd. de France - Fort de Mer Marigot -
97150 St Martin
Tel.: 0590294591


Another advice I got is: Maarten Le Poole, @ HBN Law St. Philipsburg

[boatman61]

I bought a French registered boat in St Martin that was being sold through an agent/friend of the owner... I got a broker in Marigot to arrange everything including the removal from the French Registery and checking VAT status...
No problems... other than the 6weeks it takes to get the paper work completed in France which is pretty standard..

[Palarran]

If you need a recommendation for anything other then the lawyer, let me know. I've delt with many of the boating companies in the lagoon.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I bought a French registered boat in St Martin that was being sold through an agent/friend of the owner... I got a broker in Marigot to arrange everything including the removal from the French Registery and checking VAT status...
No problems... other than the 6weeks it takes to get the paper work completed in France which is pretty standard..

The plus side of this method is.... it costs you not one penny...
Seller settles fee's....

[maxipoint]

I know its 2 years old thread, but I cant find Alain Schenkmann (Cabinet Schenkmann) and his emails today

I am EU citizen in fact. My plan is buy sailboat in the USA and import into St Maarten (French side).

I am little confused about import process. Will this counted as EU boat flag? Must I have CE certificate?
When I am be inside EU waters, must I again pay some import taxes?

any advice about St Maarten sailboat from USA import for EU citizen?

[Zanshin]

Maxipoint - I believe that the French side, while part of the EU, is not part of the EU for tax purposes, i.e. the European VAT will not be due upon importation; but this is an area where one really shouldn't look at the internet for advice but get professional consultation since the ramifications can be quite costly if one gets it wrong. I was always worried about clearing into the French islands with my VAT-not-paid boat and a passport from an EU country. I know they'll hit you upon entering the EU but I've never heard of any case in the Caribbean where they hit the owners for VAT.


Addendum - just checked, St. Martin (and the other overseas departements of France) doesn't belong to the VAT zone of the EU, but they do have their own taxes so you would really need to get expert advice, and any taxes you do pay don't go towards your VAT debt upon taking the boat to the EU.