BoatBanter.com - View Single Post - Help with california personal property tax.

wrote:
Back in 1997, I lived aboard a boat, but I was not the registered
owner. Several years later I pulled my credit report to find that the
San Mateo County assesor has put a lien on my credit report for two
years.

I've called several times, trying to explain that I wasn't the owner of
the boat, finally it came down to because I was "in possession" of the
boat, I am still liable.

This just doesn't sound right to me, can anyone help out? Unfortunatly,
I can't afford an attorney to help me fight this, and the lien is
impacting my credit, and making it impossible to get credit until I pay
the lien.

Is the bill for Prop. Tax on the boat?

California does something rather odd. If you rent a slip from a
gov-owned (e.g. city owned) marina they charge you property tax on
water under the slip. It doesn't matter who owned the boat...the renter
of the slip pays this tax. I've had boats in several privately owned
marinas, and have never paid property taxes there... but at city owned
marinas it is common.