Abandoned Boat

The Abandoned Boat Process:  The CT DEEP’s Marine HQ states the following.

Abandoned Boat:  Under Section 15-140c of the CGS, an aggrieved person, or “Party with Standing”, submits a Notice of Abandoned Vessel along with a fee to the DEEP.  The DEEP will make all the necessary checks and contacts required under the law.  The vessel must removed from the property of the Party with Standing within 45 days.  After this, law will award ownership of the vessel to that person.  The Party with Standing is then responsible for the disposition of the vessel.

Any person, business or other organization may have no more than three abandoned vessels in process.  Users must allow all three to finish processing before submitting additional abandoned vessels.  The Department will return to the applicant any application that exceeds the three vessel limit.   – VESSELS ARE NOT FOR SALE:  This process is open only to the Party with Standing, the vessel owner, and any bona fide lienholder or holder of a security interest.  The vessels listed below are not available for sale.

What is an  abandoned vessel?

In Connecticut, a vessel is considered abandoned if it is:

Left on someone’s property for more than 24-hours without the property owner’s permission.
Found free floating and unattended on the waters of the state for more than 24-hours.  You should note the position of the vessel and notify DEEP Emergency Dispatch at 860-424-3333 before taking the vessel into custody.
Improperly registered and left on the waters of the state for more than 24-hours.  This is for Police or Government use.
Left at a mooring for more than sixty days since payment for the mooring became overdue.  For municipal or harbormaster use.
Left at a commercial facility for more than one year since payment for storage became overdue; or,
Found during a declared public emergency in a public right-of-way.

Who has the right or “standing” to submit a Notice of Abandoned Vessel?

The law designates the following as having standing:

The owner of the property where the abandoned vessel dwells.
Any person that the landowner designates to execute the abandoned vessel process.
Any harbormaster, police department, municipality or agent of the state that agrees to process the abandoned vessel.
An emergency responder who is responding to a declared emergency.
A licensed motor vehicle dealer or marine salvager.  Consequently hired to tow or transport an abandoned vessel.

How do I submit a Notice of Abandoned Vessel?

To submit a Notice of Abandoned Vessel you must:

1. Have standing as designated by statute and described above,
2. Fill out a Notice of Abandoned Vessel form and have it notarized, and
3. Submit the notarized form and any required attachments including photographs to the DEEP with a $20 non-refundable fee.

If the abandoned boat is not removed from the property where it was abandoned within approximately 45 days after information about the vessel’s abandonment is posted on the DEEP website, the Party with Standing will be awarded ownership of the vessel. The Party with Standing may then keep, sell, or otherwise dispose of the vessel.

All vessels that are reported as abandoned will be listed in the abandoned vessel table.  The table will identify, among other things, the last date the vessel may be claimed by the owner or by someone with a lien on the vessel or a security interest in the vessel.  If one of these persons commits to removing the vessel but cannot do so by the “Last Date to Claim Vessel”, that person has the right to ask for the date to be extended. In addition, the Commissioner may extend the date if more time to process a case is necessary. If this happens, an explanation as to why an extension was granted will be added to the table on the DEEP website.

Connecticut Boating Certificates LLC is proud to have made this a topic in our classes.  Please visit our Public Course Page for all the classes we have available.  It has never been easier to get your Safe Boating Certificate.