What's to stop a borrower from taking their boat out the country and defaulting?

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

True. On the other hand, what you can do (if the money is enough to make it worthwhile) is hire someone to stake out the PO Box and serve the summons when the subject shows up to get their mail. I used to work for Pinkertons, and once spent four days sitting in my car outside of a Post Office in order to serve a summons. I knew another guy who watched for nearly three weeks before

if you're, for example, perhaps a liveaboard/anchor out boater who only checks their po box every 2-3 months, it gets a tad harder to serve. I mainly have my PO box to handle government stuff, yearly Taxes, boat insurance, etc, that only comes due once a year. Really it's just for taxes. Everything else is done online. Even my driver's license lists my PO box, and has since the Great Recession. I haven't had a physical address in 15 years.

While you do need insurance to rent a monthly slip, most Marinas, at least on the West Coast, don't ask for any identification, for a few days at a guest slip.

Is it easy to do, No. But it's not that hard either.

The only things that can garnish Social Security, is child support, and student loans, and that to a Max of 50%. Besides that you cannot garnish Social Security.

[mabowers]

Originally Posted by jmschmidt

Qualified retirement plan payments can not be garnished, ask O. J. Simpson, he has a $35 million judgment against him but he still gets his NFL pension.

Income that can NOT be garnished: TANF, GAU, SSI, SSDI, SSA, Food Stamps, child support, pension, etc.

With the exceptions of Federal or State taxes, alimony, child support, maybe some others... those can take any dollar you have.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

The only things that can garnish Social Security, is child support, and student loans, and that to a Max of 50%. Besides that you cannot garnish Social Security.

Now that you mention it, all of the cases of garnishing SS payments that I'm aware of were for child support.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

if you're, for example, perhaps a liveaboard/anchor out boater who only checks their po box every 2-3 months, it gets a tad harder to serve. I mainly have my PO box to handle government stuff, yearly Taxes, boat insurance, etc, that only comes due once a year. Really it's just for taxes. Everything else is done online. Even my driver's license lists my PO box, and has since the Great Recession. I haven't had a physical address in 15 years.

While you do need insurance to rent a monthly slip, most Marinas, at least on the West Coast, don't ask for any identification, for a few days at a guest slip.

Is it easy to do, No. But it's not that hard either.

1) It's an odds game. Most people with a PO Box will stop by at least every couple weeks if not more often.
2) The example may have been 20yrs ago when we were more dependent on snail mail. In the modern world, I bet someone who knows what to look for could find you online pretty quickly and then figure out where you are likely to be. I could probably do it and I don't have any specialized skills or programs available.

Not saying someone couldn't fly under the radar but not nearly as easy as it once was.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

The example may have been 20yrs ago when we were more dependent on snail mail.

Actually closer to 40 years ago!

[4palmer]

That's a great idea. Before you do it though be sure to take full advantage of all the credit card offers and take as much as you can before leaving.

[Al Gentry]

Originally Posted by SirSailz

On their loan? Or even worse taking it to another country and selling it to someone else there while not repaying the lender?

Honor, personal dignity and Character...


That and Interpol.

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

1) It's an odds game. Most people with a PO Box will stop by at least every couple weeks if not more often.
2) The example may have been 20yrs ago when we were more dependent on snail mail. In the modern world, I bet someone who knows what to look for could find you online pretty quickly and then figure out where you are likely to be. I could probably do it and I don't have any specialized skills or programs available.

Not saying someone couldn't fly under the radar but not nearly as easy as it once was.

There is an alleged rumor that I've had several professional folks try to find me, for whatever reason. They were extremely unsuccessful. I'm am fairly easy to find online, I mean I'm here so, that's easy.. But actually finding out where I live, that one's a little tricky.

The Boys at the NSA may know where I live, just by pinging cell towers. but for someone who hasn't had a physical address in 15 years and two states ago and who moves around a little bit, on a sailboat, and doesn't own a car or house, it's probably a little bit harder. I mean when I search for myself it, shows my PO box. But where I live, nope. I've been in California 12 years and I never had a utility bill.

[Missy-J]

I do not believe the previous poster was trying to serve to a post office box. What he said was he staked out the PO Box and when the John Doe opened the box, he served the papers. No a bad idea if you have the time.

[merrydolphin]

You are not as autonomous as you think you are “out there”. I was in an anchorage in Trinidad once and a guys wife had hired an agency to find the boat that was part of the divorce settlement and he skipped the country ( USA). They hired a Trini lawyer and he lost his home/boat/and business (canvas work) in very short order.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by jrbogie

Who in their right mind would buy a boat without a clear title???

The same ones who buy cars? Or don’t care if it has a title? Or people with laser printers? Or are above the law?

[pufferfish]

it actually happened to me. I had to move on short notice from Norway to Australia for work. I left my beloved Trimaran 'Dodo' behind. I managed to sell her from Australia to a German guy. We agreed he would pay a certain amount every month since I didn't need the money straight away and he didn't have enough. He paid the first month, and never again. He had sailed off to the Capeverdian Islands as far as I could find out. That was nearly 20 years ago. Never managed to recover anything. Hope karma catches up with him.

[Gerrycooper56]

Normally, to register a US flagged vessel under a foreign flag requires removal of that vessel from the documented vessel register. The owner applies to the USCG citing reasons and an official removal letter is sent to the registered owner. If the vessel has registered interests such as a bank then I think a copy of the deletion letter is also sent to them. So, a non US citizen can’t own a US flagged vessel which means in Europe for example the boat would have to be deregistered prior to change of ownership. A check of the USCG documentation register would show liens etc.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

There is an alleged rumor that I've had several professional folks try to find me, for whatever reason. They were extremely unsuccessful. I'm am fairly easy to find online, I mean I'm here so, that's easy.. But actually finding out where I live, that one's a little tricky.

The Boys at the NSA may know where I live, just by pinging cell towers. but for someone who hasn't had a physical address in 15 years and two states ago and who moves around a little bit, on a sailboat, and doesn't own a car or house, it's probably a little bit harder. I mean when I search for myself it, shows my PO box. But where I live, nope. I've been in California 12 years and I never had a utility bill.

trust me if I need to find anyone I will be able to fairly easy believe it or not .

One of my concerns is an asset recovery company ( federal registered) the bia required it) .


But being a sailor also opens up alternate means of finding a particular vessel.

[newhaul]

The finance company has identifying pictures and the easy way is to put it on the overdue list for the suspected direction they took it. I also have eyes all over the place . For domestic repos I charge 25% of the note owed plus expenses. On international ones the price depends on where the vessel is located. ( and finders fees are part of expenses) I am basically retired. I just do a couple a year to keep licenses no more.