(WSVN) - A massive boat could lead to a massive fine for a South Florida man. Problem is, it’s not his boat, so he called Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
At one time, it was a very nice 53-foot pilot boat.
Bruce McEachern, wants boat gone: “This is cool, like going into an abandoned house.”
Now it’s an eyesore, docked in Bruce McEachern’s backyard.
Bruce McEachern: “I guess I have a tattoo on my forehead that says ‘sucker.'”
Three years ago, a man asked if he could dock the boat here for just a month or two till he could fix it up.
Bruce McEachern: “He was supposed to pay $500 a month, which never materialized.”
The boat, which says Shamrock and Nassau on the back, was apparently used in the Bahamas to guide cruise ships.
Bruce McEachern: “Looks like it was one of the pilot boats from Royal Caribbean cruise lines.”
Today the registration numbers and any identification numbers have been stripped.
Bruce McEachern: “It doesn’t run, it’s got two engines in it. One engine has been taken apart; the other engine is intact.
The apparent boat owner has disappeared and disconnected his phone.
Bruce and his neighbors obviously want this thing gone.
Now Fort Lauderdale code enforcement has declared it a derelict, unlicensed, unsightly vessel, and will start fining Bruce this week if he doesn’t get it titled or towed.
Bruce McEachern: “They are talking about fining me $50 per day until the boat is gone.”
Bruce can’t get the title because he can’t find the owner, and when he asked about having it towed, he says Fort Lauderdale Police told him, since he doesn’t own it, he can’t do that.
Bruce McEachern: “I can’t do that because it’s not mine. If I get rid of it, I could get arrested for stealing.”
A 53-foot vessel that Bruce doesn’t want, and can’t get rid of.
Bruce McEachern: “I am running out of options.”
Now with the city fines about to start, Bruce is feeling sunk.
Bruce McEachern: “I just want the boat gone.”
Patrick Fraser: “If somebody wants the boat, you will give it to them?”
Bruce McEachern: “If I can legally do it, yes.”
Well, Howard, how can Bruce sail away from this problem?
Howard Finkelstein, 7News legal expert: “There is a way. The law is called derelict vessels, relocation or removal. It says, if a boat is docked on private property and the land owner wants it gone, they can remove it 60 days after giving the boat owner notice by certified mail to their last known address. They also need to post that notice on the vessel itself or, if you can find the owner, they can sign a piece of paper saying, ‘I don’t want the boat anymore, you can have it,’ and the property owner then does not have to wait 60 days to have it towed away.”
I was able to locate the man Bruce says left his boat at his house.
Julio Sjoegreen works at a boat company in Dania Beach. Four times we called or came to see him. Clearly he doesn’t want to talk to me
But Bruce is going to post this removal notice on the boat — meaning, in 60 days, he will legally be able to give it away.
Bruce McEachern: “I have people that said they would take it if I had paperwork, but they are afraid that by just taking it they could be arrested for stealing.”
Bruce is now going to ask the magistrate to delay the fines, because in 60 days he hopes to be able to get rid of the eyesore that has bothered his neighbors, the city and him.
Bruce McEachern: “They want it gone, but I want it gone 10 times as much as they want it gone.”
Do you want a 53-foot pilot boat? Let us know, and Bruce won’t have to wait 60 days to legally get rid of it if the owner will sign a form saying he doesn’t want it. We will keep trying to catch up with him to try to get him to sign that piece of paper.
Got a problem that’s left you feeling sunk? Need a place to dock it? Cruise our way. Howard is not a captain of the vessel, but he did read a law book once.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN
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