Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 01-13-2017, 12:44 PM   #1
Guru
 
timjet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,920
Sold boat maybe

Some of you may have been following my thread trying to sell my boat under the Classified section. It's been an interesting 4 months and I've met some really nice people and some folks that have no problem wasting my time with no intention of buying any boat.

Anyway pending the results of oil sample tests I may have sold Flyin Low. But I need advice about money transfer. The buyer lives about 1000 miles away and the oil sample tests should be back by Monday. We signed an Offer to Purchase with a closing date on or before 1/14/2017 unless a later date is agreed upon. That's tomorrow and the oil sample test results won't be back before then. If the oil samples come back OK then he has agreed to buy the boat but doesn't want to transfer the money until he returns to the boat in late January. I really don't want to wait that long but I think he really wants to be present when he wires me the money and can see the boat hasn't changed since he saw it last, earlier this week.

There is also the issue of paper work. I the seller am the only one who has to have the bill of sale notarized, there is no need for the buyers signature to be notarized on any paper work including the transfer of Certificate of Documentation.

So what to do? If he refuses to close before he can get here in late January what can I do? I don't want to loose this sale, nor does he as he's already spent $1200 on surveyor and haul out fees. I'm thinking of demanding an additional $5000 deposit to hold the boat the additional time. Any ideas?

If he does agree to close before he gets here I don't want to send him the notarized bill of sale before getting the wire transfer. So how is this done? Escrow agent? Any suggestions are well appreciated.
I trust him and I believe he trusts me, but still.
__________________
Tim
Tampa Bay
Carver 355 ACMY Twin Cummins Diesels Sold
timjet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 12:57 PM   #2
Guru
 
drb1025's Avatar
 
City: Port Ludlow
Vessel Name: Fiddler
Vessel Model: DeFever 46
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 703
Sold boat maybe

First thing is to agree upon a later closing date. In that agreement you can specify and agree to additional terms such as a nonrefundable deposit or reimbursement of additional moorage, whatever you agree is fair. Or just extend the date and trust him. It's only two weeks. Don't provide a bill of sale until you get the funds, obviously.
drb1025 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 01:10 PM   #3
Guru
 
Lou_tribal's Avatar
 
City: Quebec
Vessel Name: Bleuvet
Vessel Model: Custom Built
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 4,375
Personally I would say that 2 weeks to wait is not that bad to accommodate everybody. After the oil results, if you want any guarantee ask him to send you a signed agreement that he will buy the boat and pay you the price when you will do all the administrative tasks in 2 weeks. When people are not leaving in the same area it is often difficult to be on the same schedule so both party should be comprehensive about constraints of each other.
Lou_tribal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 01:17 PM   #4
Technical Guru
 
Ski in NC's Avatar
 
City: Wilmington, NC
Vessel Name: Louisa
Vessel Model: Custom Built 38
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 6,194
Does he have any deposit on the boat with you now? If so, nothing wrong with signing an agreement to close at the later date with him handling his share of dockage, etc.

If no deposit down, this is a good time to get one. No skin off his back if it closes, it goes to the purchase.

Is a broker involved? If so he should be handling all this stuff.
Ski in NC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 01:21 PM   #5
Guru
 
City: Northport
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,046
Congratulations....


You would need to know a few more things I believe....
- What the buyers state requires for registration purposes
- What his insurance company might require from the seller
- If the boat is stored offsite when the balance of those payments have been made


The boat is only sold when all of the transfer paperwork is completed and the funds have cleared (not just received). These include....
- Your documentation filing with the USCG
- Your states registration if/when required


While the boat should never be released until funds have cleared practically speaking if the boat is 1,000 miles away from the buyer who will need to arrange shipping you likely have some control while a bank check or registered check is in the process of clearing.
There are many ways to arrange an escrow agent to receive both payment and transfer paperwork from the buyer and seller holding onto one until both can be disbursed - Boat US is one source but there are many.


If the potential new owner wants to come out again at the time of selling then its an easy trip to the bank to make sure funds cleared and handing over the selling docs at the same time - as long as it is planned ahead of time.


Deposit - the boat is not sold until the final exchange of selling documents and the agreed upon price is transferred. Until that time the boat should continue to be showed and offers entertained. If you already have a selling document in place then you should be following what that says until/unless it expires.
smitty477 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 02:39 PM   #6
Guru
 
O C Diver's Avatar
 
City: Fort Myers, FL... Summers in the Great Lakes
Vessel Name: Slow Hand
Vessel Model: Cherubini Independence 45
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 12,834
Wire transfer is the way to go here. If you have a contract now without a deposit, don't stir the pot for a 2 week delay. Past 2 weeks it may be time to reevaluate. Wire transfers happen in a matter of a few hours or less between 2 USA banks. For Closing: have everything set up in advance (wiring instructions), buyer does a final walk through, paper work is signed but not released to the buyer, money is wired, upon confirmation of funds in your bank account paper work is released to buyer.

Ted
__________________
Blog: mvslowhand.com
I'm tired of fast moves, I've got a slow groove, on my mind.....
I want to spend some time, Not come and go in a heated rush.....
"Slow Hand" by The Pointer Sisters
O C Diver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 02:57 PM   #7
Guru
 
City: Northport
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,046
"If you have a contract now without a deposit, don't stir the pot for a 2 week delay."


Agreed in general but I would not be telling other interested folks that the boat is sold if the agreement has expired and the word will get out that the boat is not available.


"Wire transfers happen in a matter of a few hours or less between 2 USA banks."
Agreed but wired finds can be reversed within a day or less so check with your bank manager and get a full guarantee that the funds in question are clear and safe before considering the deal completed.


FWIW - I really do not like deposits myself but when a deal begins to get delayed I usually ask for a drop dead date that they will absolutely take the item by or before. When they figure out that date I would promise that item to the buyer but then take a non-refundable deposit to lock up the deal until that date. This has worked for me on the last 3 larger boat/car transactions that just got too complicated and began to take way to long the past couple of years. Often financing that is either against the item being bought or 'blind' to the seller was behind the delays.
Spring is coming quickly so you do not want to be out of the market unless the boat is sold.
smitty477 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 03:54 PM   #8
Guru
 
timjet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,920
Thanks for all the input guys. I guess a 2 week delay is reasonable. I have a $1000 deposit and will ask for a $5000 non refundable additional deposit and sign a new closing date. The buyer will register the boat here in FL so paperwork should be minimal and straight forward. To my knowledge there is no financing required. There is no broker involved.
__________________
Tim
Tampa Bay
Carver 355 ACMY Twin Cummins Diesels Sold
timjet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 04:00 PM   #9
Guru
 
kchace's Avatar
 
City: Brookline, NH
Vessel Name: Shalloway
Vessel Model: Defever 44, twin Perkins
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 2,260
I think its reasonable for an agreement to stipulate a good oil sample (and what is good should be spelled out) means he will buy the boat, a deposit and a date set to close the deal.

Ken
kchace is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 04:15 PM   #10
Guru
 
Lou_tribal's Avatar
 
City: Quebec
Vessel Name: Bleuvet
Vessel Model: Custom Built
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 4,375
Quote:
Originally Posted by timjet View Post
Thanks for all the input guys. I guess a 2 week delay is reasonable. I have a $1000 deposit and will ask for a $5000 non refundable additional deposit and sign a new closing date. The buyer will register the boat here in FL so paperwork should be minimal and straight forward. To my knowledge there is no financing required. There is no broker involved.
Now that you almost sold it, do you start being sentimental about being seperated from your girl?
Lou_tribal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 04:21 PM   #11
TF Site Team
 
Larry M's Avatar
 
City: Jacksonville
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 11,682
We had a lawyer collect the money and do the final distribution when we sold our last boat. The $500 was split between the buyer (from Colorado) and we were in North Carolina where the boat was.

When we bought Hobo, we had a marine tile company do the same thing. The seller was from Alaska and we we were Washington residents, $500.
Larry M is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 05:39 PM   #12
Guru
 
City: Solomons, MD
Vessel Name: Branwen
Vessel Model: Hatteras 48 LRC
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 645
Quote:
If the oil samples come back OK then he has agreed to buy the boat . . .
The engineer in me wonders if you've defined what "OK" means.
GregBrannon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 05:59 PM   #13
Veteran Member
 
Captain Paul's Avatar
 
City: Henderson
Vessel Name: Charismatic
Vessel Model: Hatteras LRC
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 42
You already have a signed agreement and agreed to a $1000 deposit. It appears that an acceptable oil sample is part of the agreement as is a later close date to accommodate that sample. Two weeks sounds very reasonable for an out of town buyer who already has skin in the game but an additional $5000 does not. You've found a willing buyer, I'd try to treat him well and help him out as best I could. Besides, if he gets mad at what he finds to be an unreasonable demand and asks for his deposit back what are you going to do?
Captain Paul is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 06:06 PM   #14
Guru
 
BruceK's Avatar
 
City: Sydney
Vessel Name: Sojourn
Vessel Model: Integrity 386
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 13,329
Quote:
Originally Posted by GregBrannon View Post
The engineer in me wonders if you've defined what "OK" means.
Difficult to tie down a buyer doing tests. A buyer who wants to find an out on a "subject to survey" agreement usually can.
2 weeks in a 4 month hunt for a buyer is nothing. A sale comes more from the intentions and goodwill of the parties than a written agreement. This one sounds good, must be quite a relief.
Wonder if the buyer logs onto TF??...Checking a TF member`s boat history from his TF posts could be rewarding and informative for a buyer.
__________________
BruceK
2005 Integrity 386 "Sojourn"
Sydney Australia
BruceK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 07:01 PM   #15
Guru
 
twistedtree's Avatar
 
City: Vermont
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 10,092
Typical purchase contracts have an "acceptance" event where the buyer has completed their inspections and agrees to move forward with the purchase. Once the buyer has accepted the boat, their deposit becomes non-refundable.

If your agreement is like that, I would simply ask for a written acceptance once the oil sample is received back, and a committed closing date. Then if for whatever reason he backs out of the deal, you keep the deposit.

If your agreement doesn't provide for all this, you can simply ask for it, but do it all in writing (email is fine). Just ask him to agree that he has accepted the boat's condition and agreed to close on XYZ data, and that from this point forward the deposit is non-refundable.

Shouldn't be a big deal, and if it becomes one them maybe there is a hidden issue.
__________________
MVTanglewood.com
twistedtree is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 08:16 PM   #16
Guru
 
City: Boston
Vessel Name: Adelante
Vessel Model: IG 30
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,609
A 2 week delay sounds reasonable to me. He appears to have a valid reason so amending the Offer To Purchase by extending the close date seems like a routine matter. Send him a signed amendment via email.
It might be tempting to add more conditions but that's treading into the unknown. Not a place to be 2 weeks from closing.
SoWhat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 09:28 PM   #17
Guru
 
IRENE's Avatar
 
City: Sea of Cortez, Mexico
Vessel Name: Irene
Vessel Model: Nordhavn 40II
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,235
Quote:
Originally Posted by O C Diver View Post
Wire transfer is the way to go here. If you have a contract now without a deposit, don't stir the pot for a 2 week delay. Past 2 weeks it may be time to reevaluate. Wire transfers happen in a matter of a few hours or less between 2 USA banks. For Closing: have everything set up in advance (wiring instructions), buyer does a final walk through, paper work is signed but not released to the buyer, money is wired, upon confirmation of funds in your bank account paper work is released to buyer.

Ted
Bingo. Wire transfer is the only secure way to do this. Great instructions above - go have lunch or give the buyer a full systems orientation while the wire transfer is executed.

Glad you are on to your next adventure...best wishes.

Jeff
IRENE is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-14-2017, 05:44 AM   #18
Guru
 
danderer's Avatar
 
City: Newark, DE
Vessel Name: Infinity
Vessel Model: Kadey Krogen 48
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 709
Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain Paul View Post
Two weeks sounds very reasonable for an out of town buyer who already has skin in the game but an additional $5000 does not. You've found a willing buyer, I'd try to treat him well and help him out as best I could. Besides, if he gets mad at what he finds to be an unreasonable demand and asks for his deposit back what are you going to do?
+1
danderer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-14-2017, 06:19 AM   #19
Guru
 
City: Houma, Louisiana
Vessel Name: M/V LUNASEA
Vessel Model: 45ft Bluewater Coastal
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 529
I would do what ever is needed not to run the buyer off!!!
kartracer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-14-2017, 06:22 AM   #20
Guru
 
Donna's Avatar
 
City: Palm Coast
Vessel Name: Southerly
Vessel Model: 1986 Marine Trader 36' Sundeck
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 1,231
Quote:
Originally Posted by timjet View Post
Thanks for all the input guys. I guess a 2 week delay is reasonable. I have a $1000 deposit and will ask for a $5000 non refundable additional deposit and sign a new closing date. The buyer will register the boat here in FL so paperwork should be minimal and straight forward. To my knowledge there is no financing required. There is no broker involved.
You sound like a nice guy but this is business. Ask for the additional non refundable deposit. REFUNDABLE if the oil sample comes back bad. ASK whether this is a financed purchase. (Many institutions will not finance a used boat).

Continue to show the boat if the opportunity arises until the 5 grand is paid. Who knows? You may have a bidding war on your hands all of a sudden. Afterall, boating season is coming.
Donna is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:12 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012