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How do I find out if someone owns a boat?


MrBoat

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The licensing authority are the only folk that would know but your reason for wanting the information would breach their confidentiality legally I would suggest. But which one.

 

If you ask here someone who knows may be willing to pass a message on to get in contact with you. But who are you? Names mean little on here to a lot of members as your posted name demonstrates.

Edited by Tracy D'arth
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2 minutes ago, MrBoat said:

Hello

 

I am trying to find out if someone owns a boat. All I have is the person's name. Is there a register where I can see if they're a boat owner?

 

It's urgent so any help would be gratefully received. 

 

Thanks

 

There are 21 Navigation Authorities around the country, so if they do have a boat it would be registered with one of them (unless it is a 'coastal' boat in which case it will not be registered) 

 

I very much doubt that under the privacy laws they would give you any information anyway and would suggest that if it is as urgent as you suggest that you involve the Police and request their assistance.

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4 minutes ago, MrBoat said:

Thanks! Maybe if a High Court Sheriff requests the information they'd be allowed to share it?

I don't know, you'd have to ask one if they can demand information under the GDPR legislation.

 

You may stand a chance if the boat is on C&RT controlled waters as one of the T&Cs on the granting of a licence says that they have the right to 'provide your personal information' to parties that have an interest'.

 

 

7.8

You agree that we may provide your relevant personal details including your contact details such as your name and address to any person (or the insurer of any person) who we believe has a reasonable interest in an incident or alleged incident involving the Boat which will generally be the case where for example personal injury or damage to property may have occurred.

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14 minutes ago, MrBoat said:

Hello

 

I am trying to find out if someone owns a boat. All I have is the person's name. Is there a register where I can see if they're a boat owner?

 

It's urgent so any help would be gratefully received. 

 

Thanks

 


Why don’t you just ask them?

 

But more seriously if you really do only have their name, there are very few unique names so even if you got an answer of ‘yes’ from a navigation authority, how would you know it is the right person of that name?

 

 

 

 

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3 minutes ago, MrBoat said:

They are a debtor with a fairly unique name. I think finding them through a canal or waterways organisation is the best way to track them down.

 

Owning a boat would be a fairly random suggestion unless you had evidence to suggest they do.

 

If you know where they live, it may give you an idea of which navigation Authority to contact - BUT - remember a boat can be kept anywhere (for example one of mine is 200 miles from home, and the other is 300 miles from home) If it was not a big boat it could even be kept on a trailer and stored in a farmers field or barn, in a boat storage yard or even in a caravan storage yard and it may not even be registered with any Navigation Authority.

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5 minutes ago, MrBoat said:

They are a debtor with a fairly unique name. I think finding them through a canal or waterways organisation is the best way to track them down.

 

Ah, a commercial dispute leading to court judgement and an asset hunt?

 

I would certainly hope CRT would not divulge the fact of my boat ownership under such circumstances. 

 

If you discover they do actually own a boat, I guess your next question will be how can you track down where it is, and you'll get no help here with that!

 

 

  • Greenie 1
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5 minutes ago, MrBoat said:

They live on the boat. I know the town where it's kept. 

 

I really do doubt that you have any rights to their information, but as you say the courts might.

Presumably you are going thru the courts, have won your case, and are involving the Bailiffs, tell them what you know, and let them see what information they can obtain.

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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6 minutes ago, MrBoat said:

They are a debtor with a fairly unique name. I think finding them through a canal or waterways organisation is the best way to track them down.

Not quite sure how knowing they own a boat, or not helps.  Even if they do, there could be a shed laid of debt secured against it.  Anyhow, what you going to do if they have, unilaterally lay claim to it?  Surely your best course of action is through the courts, and if an order is granted, then it would be for the bailiff to decide how to recover your money.

 

The other thing to consider, is that actual ownership of a boat is really hard to identify.  There is no registration document, like a car, and just because I pay the license fee, don’t mean I own it!  There are a couple of cases where hire fleets have gone under, and the former owners have made fairly good efforts at hiding boats from the debtors.  Mind you I know of a defunct removal firm where the directors managed to”lose” three 10ton lorries!

 

good luck, but don’t get your hopes up in regards to being the proud owner of a boat because of defaulted debt!

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Surely just because somone is paying a licence to a navigation authority it in no way proves they actually own the vessel.

 

So even if you could make them supply that information, it proves nothing?

 

I have never had to provide CRT, or BW before them, with evidence I own my boats.  As long as the boat is licensed, I do't think they have any interest in its ownership.

Edited by alan_fincher
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10 minutes ago, The Dreamer said:

The other thing to consider, is that actual ownership of a boat is really hard to identify.  There is no registration document, like a car, and just because I pay the license fee, don’t mean I own it!

 

8 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Surely just because somone is paying a licence to a navigation authority it in no way proves they actually own the vessel.

 

Good point - I guess that because 'we own the boat, we licence' it is taken as the 'norm'.

 

This debtor could even be renting it or Air BNB, or a friend is letting them use it etc etc.

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3 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

True, but nothing will prove it if he doesn't want to. I thought he just wanted to find the boat and guy on it.

 

In which case, as he knows the town where the boat is kept, he could spend time wandering up and down the towpath until he recognises his debtor.

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