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Venice, FL bad water cop
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Venice, FL bad water cop
On Feb 20, 9:59?am, wrote:
On 20 Feb 2007 04:47:50 -0800, "Keith" wrote: There is a guy there that routinely hassles transiting boaters with no FL registration. Never mind that you can pass through FL without FL numbers, he will give you a ticket anyway. Here are some comments and people to write if this concerns you. Did you have out of state ID? If you dropped a Florida DL on him I can see his point. In the end all of this licensing and registration is about tax money. Good point about the primary ID. Hadn't considered that might be the case. Pretty tough to convice a cop that while you're a FLA resident your privately owned boat isn't. I think that if the hairs got split down to micro-fine, while enroute to a launch the boat is simply cargo on a trailer- and most states will require some sort of licensing or registration information for a trailer. Absent any current tabs on the trailer, that might create "probable cause" for investigating the ownership of the boat. It's too bad that states enforce their tax and registration laws so arbitrarily. I can point to a couple of dozen very large and expensive boats in the local area with Oregon registrations, even though the boats never leave Puget Sound and have never been near the state of Oregon. Nor do the owners maintain a residence in Oregon. (about 9% sales tax in Washington, none in Oregon). While the state is losing some big dough from people who are willing to lie to evade sales taxes on sometimes multi-million dollar boat purchases, they just threw the book as some poor schmuck for $6,000 in tobacco taxes because he was ordering cigarettes from some out of state tribe. Don't know what he makes, but according the news it's going to take him 18 months to pay this off if the state garnishes 20% of his wages so I guess it's about $1600 a month. I have always advocated registering a boat according to the law and in the primary state of residence. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
Vic Smith wrote:
On Tue, 20 Feb 2007 12:59:19 -0500, wrote: On 20 Feb 2007 04:47:50 -0800, "Keith" wrote: There is a guy there that routinely hassles transiting boaters with no FL registration. Never mind that you can pass through FL without FL numbers, he will give you a ticket anyway. Here are some comments and people to write if this concerns you. Did you have out of state ID? If you dropped a Florida DL on him I can see his point. In the end all of this licensing and registration is about tax money. Just drop a "Semper Fi" on this guy to convert him to putty.....he's obviously ex-jarhead. But that's sort of an oxymoron, since once a jarhead always a jarhead. More likely a former Navy or Coastie type. Jarheads usually become state troopers. :) |
Venice, FL bad water cop
Chuck Gould wrote:
On Feb 20, 9:59?am, wrote: On 20 Feb 2007 04:47:50 -0800, "Keith" wrote: There is a guy there that routinely hassles transiting boaters with no FL registration. Never mind that you can pass through FL without FL numbers, he will give you a ticket anyway. Here are some comments and people to write if this concerns you. Did you have out of state ID? If you dropped a Florida DL on him I can see his point. In the end all of this licensing and registration is about tax money. It's too bad that states enforce their tax and registration laws so arbitrarily. Hey, look at it this way - it could be CT where you have to pay "usuage" tax - whoops, I meant fee - if your boat is registered out of state and it's in a marina here in CT. CT also is a non-title state for boats. Which basically means that you can steal a boat in another state, bring it here, register it and take it to another title state to sell it. Pretty neat huh? |
Venice, FL bad water cop
On Tue, 20 Feb 2007 20:09:10 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote: Vic Smith wrote: On Tue, 20 Feb 2007 12:59:19 -0500, wrote: On 20 Feb 2007 04:47:50 -0800, "Keith" wrote: There is a guy there that routinely hassles transiting boaters with no FL registration. Never mind that you can pass through FL without FL numbers, he will give you a ticket anyway. Here are some comments and people to write if this concerns you. Did you have out of state ID? If you dropped a Florida DL on him I can see his point. In the end all of this licensing and registration is about tax money. Just drop a "Semper Fi" on this guy to convert him to putty.....he's obviously ex-jarhead. But that's sort of an oxymoron, since once a jarhead always a jarhead. More likely a former Navy or Coastie type. Jarheads usually become state troopers. :) You're probably right on all counts. I guess a jarhead could come late to water instead of dirt, but the odds favor you over me. --Vic |
Venice, FL bad water cop
Vic Smith wrote:
On Tue, 20 Feb 2007 12:59:19 -0500, wrote: On 20 Feb 2007 04:47:50 -0800, "Keith" wrote: There is a guy there that routinely hassles transiting boaters with no FL registration. Never mind that you can pass through FL without FL numbers, he will give you a ticket anyway. Here are some comments and people to write if this concerns you. Did you have out of state ID? If you dropped a Florida DL on him I can see his point. In the end all of this licensing and registration is about tax money. Just drop a "Semper Fi" on this guy to convert him to putty.....he's obviously ex-jarhead. But that's sort of an oxymoron, since once a jarhead always a jarhead. Correction: That would be a former Jarhead. You can divorce your wife but the Corps stays with you forever. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
On Feb 20, 12:22�pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote: Hey, look at it this way - it could be CT where you have to pay "usuage" tax - whoops, I meant fee - if your boat is registered out of state and it's in a marina here in CT. CT also is a non-title state for boats. *Which basically means that you can steal a boat in another state, bring it here, register it and take it to another title state to sell it. *Pretty neat huh? That use tax thing isn't all that uncommon. We have a version of it in Washington. I think you'll find that simply being in a marina doesn't trigger the tax if you're just passing through. After a statutory period of time in a dedicated slip, (often 90 days), many states conclude that a boat is being kept in the state on a permanent basis and will require the vessel to be registered in the state. "Use tax" is a substitute for sales tax, as there is no actual sale being made. The good news is that if you paid sales tax when you bought your boat (and have the purchase paperwork to prove it) nearly all states honor a "reciprocal" agreement with other sales tax collecting states. If the sales tax rate was as high or higher where the boat was purchased, you normally get a free pass on the "use tax" (but not the tab fee) in the second state. If the tax was lower, you typically have to pay the difference. If a purchase in State A was originally taxed at 5% and State B collects 9%, moving a boat from State A to State B will trigger a 4% use tax. States with higher sales taxes than neighboring states, (especially back east where the state lines are a couple of hundred yards apart grin), rely on such a system to prevent each and every vehicle and vessel purchase being made just across the state line. A lot of times people react with a wink, a nod, and a "good for you!" when they hear of somebody lying to evade taxes. I wonder how many of the supporters stop to consider that somebody is still paying for all of the government services that the tax evaders use, and that somebody is (partially) them. I'm not much better, I tend to turn a blind but disapproving eye toward bogus out-of-state boat registrations; I guess there's a difference between not being the least bit sympathetic when the liars and cheaters are caught and actually turning them in. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
On 21 Feb 2007 08:42:00 -0800, "Chuck Gould"
wrote: On Feb 20, 12:22?pm, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote: Hey, look at it this way - it could be CT where you have to pay "usuage" tax - whoops, I meant fee - if your boat is registered out of state and it's in a marina here in CT. CT also is a non-title state for boats. hich basically means that you can steal a boat in another state, bring it here, register it and take it to another title state to sell it. retty neat huh? snip A lot of times people react with a wink, a nod, and a "good for you!" when they hear of somebody lying to evade taxes. I wonder how many of the supporters stop to consider that somebody is still paying for all of the government services that the tax evaders use, and that somebody is (partially) them. I'm not much better, I tend to turn a blind but disapproving eye toward bogus out-of-state boat registrations; I guess there's a difference between not being the least bit sympathetic when the liars and cheaters are caught and actually turning them in. Not sure exactly how and why it works, but having a dealer invoice or title the outboard separately when a boat is bought outside of Florida eliminates Florida sales tax on the outboard for the purchaser. Whether the savings is worthwhile logistically or in terms of addressing the ethical issues is another question. But I intend to get the answers. --Vic |
Venice, FL bad water cop
On 21 Feb 2007 08:42:00 -0800, "Chuck Gould"
wrote: On Feb 20, 12:22?pm, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote: Hey, look at it this way - it could be CT where you have to pay "usuage" tax - whoops, I meant fee - if your boat is registered out of state and it's in a marina here in CT. CT also is a non-title state for boats. hich basically means that you can steal a boat in another state, bring it here, register it and take it to another title state to sell it. retty neat huh? That use tax thing isn't all that uncommon. We have a version of it in Washington. I think you'll find that simply being in a marina doesn't trigger the tax if you're just passing through. After a statutory period of time in a dedicated slip, (often 90 days), many states conclude that a boat is being kept in the state on a permanent basis and will require the vessel to be registered in the state. "Use tax" is a substitute for sales tax, as there is no actual sale being made. The good news is that if you paid sales tax when you bought your boat (and have the purchase paperwork to prove it) nearly all states honor a "reciprocal" agreement with other sales tax collecting states. If the sales tax rate was as high or higher where the boat was purchased, you normally get a free pass on the "use tax" (but not the tab fee) in the second state. If the tax was lower, you typically have to pay the difference. If a purchase in State A was originally taxed at 5% and State B collects 9%, moving a boat from State A to State B will trigger a 4% use tax. States with higher sales taxes than neighboring states, (especially back east where the state lines are a couple of hundred yards apart grin), rely on such a system to prevent each and every vehicle and vessel purchase being made just across the state line. A lot of times people react with a wink, a nod, and a "good for you!" when they hear of somebody lying to evade taxes. I wonder how many of the supporters stop to consider that somebody is still paying for all of the government services that the tax evaders use, and that somebody is (partially) them. I'm not much better, I tend to turn a blind but disapproving eye toward bogus out-of-state boat registrations; I guess there's a difference between not being the least bit sympathetic when the liars and cheaters are caught and actually turning them in. When I bought my boat, I registered it in Maryland, as that is where it was docked. I paid the taxes, titled it there, and did everything I was supposed to do. Now I'm registering it in Virginia. To do so, I must get it titled in Virginia. To do that, I must send the Virginia folks the MD title, the MD registration, and *proof* that I paid MD taxes. Well, I don't recall getting a receipt from MD for the taxes, but I *did* get a title, which should be proof enough I paid the taxes. But it's not. So, I called MD. To get a copy of the records showing my payment of the taxes, I must send them $16 and a records request form, which must be notarized! We take this **** seriously in this part of the country! -- *****Have a Spectacular Day!***** John H |
Venice, FL bad water cop
On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 13:44:55 -0500, wrote:
On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 11:56:26 -0600, Vic Smith wrote: Not sure exactly how and why it works, but having a dealer invoice or title the outboard separately when a boat is bought outside of Florida eliminates Florida sales tax on the outboard for the purchaser. Title the outboard? They don't title engines in Florida. If you are saying you titled the boat without an engine, based on the hull price alone, I see your point. When I bought my new engine (repower) I got it off the internet and didn't pay taxes but I did have a $300 shipping bill, dropped in my driveway. I never had to register the serial number so there was no way to collect tax on it. Yes. The below describes what I was trying to express. In the case I read about, the new owner, a Floridian, drove out of state to purchase his boat, and towed it back. He didn't pay Florida taxes on the outboard, a big 4-stroke. I can't recall what taxes he *did* pay on it, but as I recall he was implying *none*. This might be important to somebody buying a new boat, and on the face of it is certainly important to anybody in Florida buying a used boat. Basically, "sales tax must be paid on the amount entered on the title." You can see there is maneuvering room there, ethics aside. Personally, my current boat-buying plan is do everything in Florida, so I expect to pay full Florida taxes. Unless I move there I'll never have the opportunity to even tow my boat. Sort of sad really, since I'll never enjoy the pleasures of crossing chains and packing bearings, among others. --Vic http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/dmv/faqboat.html#4 If the seller of a vessel entered the entire selling price of a boat, trailer and motor as the selling price on the transfer portion of the vessel title being transferred, must the new owner pay sales tax on the entire amount? Yes, sales tax must be paid on the amount entered on the title, unless an itemized bill of sale listing the price of each component of the rig is submitted with the application. In such a case, the owner would only be required to pay sales tax on the boat and trailer. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
Vic Smith wrote:
On 21 Feb 2007 08:42:00 -0800, "Chuck Gould" wrote: On Feb 20, 12:22?pm, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote: Hey, look at it this way - it could be CT where you have to pay "usuage" tax - whoops, I meant fee - if your boat is registered out of state and it's in a marina here in CT. CT also is a non-title state for boats. hich basically means that you can steal a boat in another state, bring it here, register it and take it to another title state to sell it. retty neat huh? snip A lot of times people react with a wink, a nod, and a "good for you!" when they hear of somebody lying to evade taxes. I wonder how many of the supporters stop to consider that somebody is still paying for all of the government services that the tax evaders use, and that somebody is (partially) them. I'm not much better, I tend to turn a blind but disapproving eye toward bogus out-of-state boat registrations; I guess there's a difference between not being the least bit sympathetic when the liars and cheaters are caught and actually turning them in. Not sure exactly how and why it works, but having a dealer invoice or title the outboard separately when a boat is bought outside of Florida eliminates Florida sales tax on the outboard for the purchaser. Whether the savings is worthwhile logistically or in terms of addressing the ethical issues is another question. But I intend to get the answers. Get this - in Rhode Island, only the boat and trailer is taxed, not the engine. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
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Venice, FL bad water cop
Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
wrote: BTW I am not sure how boats work but I know paying taxes in another state does not change your Florida tax bill. A friend of mine just moved here from Md and he bought a new car before he left. They titled it in Md and then transferred title to Florida within a month. They had to pay full Florida tax on it. They were ****ed. The tax collector said it would not have made any difference if they had titled it here directly. If Md still charged the tax they would have to pay both. You bring a car here, you pay the full tax. I am guessing boats are the same. Florida has so many newcomers they need to pay for the impact on resources. Um....I don't think so. If there is a difference between states, as in one state charges 5% tax on a vehicle and the second state charges 6%, then they can charge the extra 1%. They can't charge an additional 6% - Federal Tax Code. They count on people paying it and then having them try and get it back if they want to go through that hassle. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
On Feb 21, 10:44?am, wrote:
BTW I am not sure how boats work but I know paying taxes in another state does not change your Florida tax bill. A friend of mine just moved here from Md and he bought a new car before he left. They titled it in Md and then transferred title to Florida within a month. They had to pay full Florida tax on it. They were ****ed. The tax collector said it would not have made any difference if they had titled it here directly. If Md still charged the tax they would have to pay both. You bring a car here, you pay the full tax. I am guessing boats are the same. Florida has so many newcomers they need to pay for the impact on resources. The State of Florda's Department of Revenue has a website that states *if* your friend paid tax in MD he or she would get a credit for that tax in FLA. If your friend paid a full Florida tax of 6%, perhaps there was no tax paid when the vehicle was purchased in MD. Link: http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/taxes/sales_tax.html |
Venice, FL bad water cop
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Venice, FL bad water cop
"Vic Smith" wrote in message ... On 21 Feb 2007 08:42:00 -0800, "Chuck Gould" wrote: On Feb 20, 12:22?pm, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote: Hey, look at it this way - it could be CT where you have to pay "usuage" tax - whoops, I meant fee - if your boat is registered out of state and it's in a marina here in CT. CT also is a non-title state for boats. hich basically means that you can steal a boat in another state, bring it here, register it and take it to another title state to sell it. retty neat huh? snip A lot of times people react with a wink, a nod, and a "good for you!" when they hear of somebody lying to evade taxes. I wonder how many of the supporters stop to consider that somebody is still paying for all of the government services that the tax evaders use, and that somebody is (partially) them. I'm not much better, I tend to turn a blind but disapproving eye toward bogus out-of-state boat registrations; I guess there's a difference between not being the least bit sympathetic when the liars and cheaters are caught and actually turning them in. Not sure exactly how and why it works, but having a dealer invoice or title the outboard separately when a boat is bought outside of Florida eliminates Florida sales tax on the outboard for the purchaser. Whether the savings is worthwhile logistically or in terms of addressing the ethical issues is another question. But I intend to get the answers. I bought my last boat new in South Carolina. When I brought it home to Florida all I had to pay tax on was the price listed on the invoice for the hull. You only pay tax on the portion of the boat that is titled, ie the outboard. So it's important to have the boat and outboard as separate line items on the invoice. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message ... Vic Smith wrote: On 21 Feb 2007 08:42:00 -0800, "Chuck Gould" wrote: On Feb 20, 12:22?pm, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote: Hey, look at it this way - it could be CT where you have to pay "usuage" tax - whoops, I meant fee - if your boat is registered out of state and it's in a marina here in CT. CT also is a non-title state for boats. hich basically means that you can steal a boat in another state, bring it here, register it and take it to another title state to sell it. retty neat huh? snip A lot of times people react with a wink, a nod, and a "good for you!" when they hear of somebody lying to evade taxes. I wonder how many of the supporters stop to consider that somebody is still paying for all of the government services that the tax evaders use, and that somebody is (partially) them. I'm not much better, I tend to turn a blind but disapproving eye toward bogus out-of-state boat registrations; I guess there's a difference between not being the least bit sympathetic when the liars and cheaters are caught and actually turning them in. Not sure exactly how and why it works, but having a dealer invoice or title the outboard separately when a boat is bought outside of Florida eliminates Florida sales tax on the outboard for the purchaser. Whether the savings is worthwhile logistically or in terms of addressing the ethical issues is another question. But I intend to get the answers. Get this - in Rhode Island, only the boat and trailer is taxed, not the engine. Same in Florida, as long as it's an outboard. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
wrote:
On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 23:00:16 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote: wrote: BTW I am not sure how boats work but I know paying taxes in another state does not change your Florida tax bill. A friend of mine just moved here from Md and he bought a new car before he left. They titled it in Md and then transferred title to Florida within a month. They had to pay full Florida tax on it. They were ****ed. The tax collector said it would not have made any difference if they had titled it here directly. If Md still charged the tax they would have to pay both. You bring a car here, you pay the full tax. I am guessing boats are the same. Florida has so many newcomers they need to pay for the impact on resources. Um....I don't think so. If there is a difference between states, as in one state charges 5% tax on a vehicle and the second state charges 6%, then they can charge the extra 1%. They can't charge an additional 6% - Federal Tax Code. I know someone who will tell you another story. Of course. A state has absolutely no obligation to recognize a tax paid in another state. That's not true. Then again, you have a friend. I suggest you call any tax collector's office in Floirida and ask. You know what - I'm going to do that. Just to be a dick. :) |
Venice, FL bad water cop
wrote:
On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 21:49:26 -0500, wrote: On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 23:00:16 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote: wrote: BTW I am not sure how boats work but I know paying taxes in another state does not change your Florida tax bill. A friend of mine just moved here from Md and he bought a new car before he left. They titled it in Md and then transferred title to Florida within a month. They had to pay full Florida tax on it. They were ****ed. The tax collector said it would not have made any difference if they had titled it here directly. If Md still charged the tax they would have to pay both. You bring a car here, you pay the full tax. I am guessing boats are the same. Florida has so many newcomers they need to pay for the impact on resources. Um....I don't think so. If there is a difference between states, as in one state charges 5% tax on a vehicle and the second state charges 6%, then they can charge the extra 1%. They can't charge an additional 6% - Federal Tax Code. I know someone who will tell you another story. A state has absolutely no obligation to recognize a tax paid in another state. I suggest you call any tax collector's office in Floirida and ask. I just read that they do give you a credit (on the DMV web site) so I will have to find out exactly what they were bitching about. Does this mean I don't have to call Florida this morning? |
Venice, FL bad water cop
Since this turned into a FL tax discussion, get the info. straight
from the tax man's mouth: http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/taxes/sut_boat_owner.html |
Venice, FL bad water cop
Keith wrote:
Since this turned into a FL tax discussion, get the info. straight from the tax man's mouth: http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/taxes/sut_boat_owner.html Yep. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
"Keith" wrote in message ups.com... Since this turned into a FL tax discussion, get the info. straight from the tax man's mouth: http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/taxes/sut_boat_owner.html In my case the boat had an outboard motor and was a separate line item on the invoice, the motor, all 13 grand worth, was not taxed. Did the gal at the tax office make a mistake? She told me if it wasn't titled, it wasn't taxed. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
On Feb 21, 6:52?pm, wrote:
Yiu are not paying "sales tax" on a car. It is excise taxes and impact fees.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - The discussion began with references to use tax, which is a form of sales tax charged to people who purchase items out of state and then register them in their home state. License fees are a different issue. "Excise tax" is collected annually in most states, as part of the license tab fee. I would agree completely that states do not give any credit for license fees paid in any other state, but even the Florida DMV's web site says that it gives full credit for sales tax (or use tax) paid in the original state of purchase. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
wrote in message ... On 22 Feb 2007 06:00:27 -0800, "Chuck Gould" wrote: On Feb 21, 6:52?pm, wrote: Yiu are not paying "sales tax" on a car. It is excise taxes and impact fees.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - The discussion began with references to use tax, which is a form of sales tax charged to people who purchase items out of state and then register them in their home state. License fees are a different issue. "Excise tax" is collected annually in most states, as part of the license tab fee. I would agree completely that states do not give any credit for license fees paid in any other state, but even the Florida DMV's web site says that it gives full credit for sales tax (or use tax) paid in the original state of purchase. All I know is when you go to the tax collectors office to title an out of state car you better bring your checkbook. I had to pay 6% of the bluebook on a 10 year old truck I brought here from Md. What year? When I moved to Florida in 1992 I had to pay an Impact Fee. As I recall it was not based on the value of the car, but a set fee, around $500 if I remember correctly. A year or two later the fee was found unconstitutional(?). I received a full refund. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
Is this the guy?
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pb...703060410/1029 Paul On Feb 20, 7:47 am, "Keith" wrote: There is a guy there that routinely hassles transiting boaters with no FL registration. Never mind that you can pass through FL without FL numbers, he will give you a ticket anyway. Here are some comments and people to write if this concerns you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As a soon-to-beVeniceresident, who never knew anything about this "till now, I just sent a letter to theVeniceGondolier expressing my concern. I urge all of you to take a moment to contact and register a protest.Veniceis too beautiful a stopover to be deemed not worth the trouble because of some capricious cop. Jeff Sharkey -----Original Message----- From: To: ; trawlers-and- Sent: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 4:58 PM Subject: T&T:VeniceWater Patrol Bob, I had an experience with this fellow in 2002. Very rude and assertive. I started saying "Yes Sir" every other breath and that saved me a ticket. I was passing throughVeniceon my way to Maine with a federally registered boat but no state registration. At that time it was not possible in Texas, where I lived, to have a boat with both state and federal registration. He didn't care, saying "Well, you're not in Texas anymore and what I say goes." This fellow is nationally infamous. I am sure that he causes many boats to bypassVenice. Doc -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is the e-address to the mayor ofVenice, Fl... Let him know what you think of overly aggressive water cops and the effect on his tourism industry. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Matt Mattson Subject: GL:VeniceWater Cop To: , , , , , , Cc: Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed To: Mr. Fred Hammett, Mayor, City ofVenice, FL Ms. Vicki Taylor, Vice Mayor, City ofVenice, FL Mr. Bill Wilson, Council Member, City ofVenice, FL Mr. Jim Woods, Council Member, City ofVenice, FL Mr. John Simmonds, Council Member, City ofVenice, FL Mr. John Moore, Council Member, City ofVenice, FL Mr. Rick Tracy, Council Member, City ofVenice, FL Dear Mr. Mayor & Council Members: Although I would love to stop, and refuel and eat at one of my favorite seafood places of all at the inlet, I will be passing your fine city on my trip and refuel and re-provision at Ft. Meyers before crossing the Okeechobee Waterway. The reason: the word is out (and I'm afraid confirmed) that a certain patrol officer (well known) harasses all who stop with out of state registrations. I do not know if you are aware, but there are a large volume of vessels that do the "Great Loop Cruise" each year (Great Lakes Mississippi Florida & across to the Intracoastal New York & back to the Great Lakes) and getting larger, but more and more will be bypassingVenicedue to comments like this: This guy got me in 2002. I went down and FL registered my boat even though it was not allowed in Texas at the time. You don't talk back to this dude unless you want to be in a heap of trouble. I know what everyone calls him, but what is his name? Doc -- ANOTHER: I spoke to the Fl Revenue guys at their booth at the Miami Boat Show. They knew all about the guy inVeniceand chuckled about his activities. I have a unique situation where I am a FL resident, bought the boat out of Florida, Documented it out of my vacation house in NC though it has never stayed there more than a few days, kept the boat out of Florida for 10 months, then bring it back for a few months each winter FL DOR guy said I never have to pay sales tax and since I am not in FL for more than 90 days I do not have to register it. He suggested that loopers keep a receipt from Mobile and environs to show to theVenicecop. In that case he knows that you are in Fl since a few days ago. _______ and many many more . . . I can't speak for the rest of the Great Loop List or the other Great Loop forums, but until this problem gets resolved, easier to buy my 700 gallons elsewhere so I'll keep motoring on down. Regards: Matt Mattson C-Dawg-E -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copy of my letter to the Mayor. Thanks for the address. Dear Mr. Mayor, Last year we docked at the Crows Nest Marina for a two day stay. We love theVenicearea and try to make it a regular stop a couple times a year. After we tied up and were relaxing in our salon we were paid a visit from the water patrol. He demanded documentation which, according to the laws, we didn't need. He didn't want to hear it and told us he could seize our boat etc. etc. After a long speech to us as well as our guests, very embarrassing and rude I might add, and giving us a ticket, he left. If it were not so late in the day and looking forward to a great meal at The Crows Nest we would have left. To make this long story short, I contacted our attorney and he sent a letter interpreting the law along with our check. End result, we received a refund for the ticket. We loved our stops atVenicebut I think we will by-pass your lovely city until we Know the over zealous officer is gone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I received the following email from aVeniceFl. News paper, and they would like to talk with some people who have had experience with the Water Nazi. If you have direct experience, please contact this gentleman,and maybe something can be done. In a message dated 2/19/2007 12:12:11 P.M. Central Standard Time, writes: Can you elaborate on the conduct you refer to? We'd like to make an inquiry about this but have little to go on. Specific actions would be easier to question. Bob Mudge EditorVeniceGondolier Sun THanks -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I personally think the last one is the most important... get the press on the case and you've got a leg up. If you've had any experiences with this a--hole, please write the paper, and also the city council. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
Here is another article
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pb...NEWS/703040804 On Mar 6, 9:49 am, "Paul" wrote: Is this the guy? http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pb.../20070306/OPIN... Paul On Feb 20, 7:47 am, "Keith" wrote: There is a guy there that routinely hassles transiting boaters with no FL registration. Never mind that you can pass through FL without FL numbers, he will give you a ticket anyway. Here are some comments and people to write if this concerns you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As a soon-to-beVeniceresident, who never knew anything about this "till now, I just sent a letter to theVeniceGondolier expressing my concern. I urge all of you to take a moment to contact and register a protest.Veniceis too beautiful a stopover to be deemed not worth the trouble because of some capricious cop. Jeff Sharkey -----Original Message----- From: To: ; trawlers-and- Sent: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 4:58 PM Subject: T&T:VeniceWater Patrol Bob, I had an experience with this fellow in 2002. Very rude and assertive. I started saying "Yes Sir" every other breath and that saved me a ticket. I was passing throughVeniceon my way to Maine with a federally registered boat but no state registration. At that time it was not possible in Texas, where I lived, to have a boat with both state and federal registration. He didn't care, saying "Well, you're not in Texas anymore and what I say goes." This fellow is nationally infamous. I am sure that he causes many boats to bypassVenice. Doc -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is the e-address to the mayor ofVenice, Fl... Let him know what you think of overly aggressive water cops and the effect on his tourism industry. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Matt Mattson Subject: GL:VeniceWater Cop To: , , , , , , Cc: Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed To: Mr. Fred Hammett, Mayor, City ofVenice, FL Ms. Vicki Taylor, Vice Mayor, City ofVenice, FL Mr. Bill Wilson, Council Member, City ofVenice, FL Mr. Jim Woods, Council Member, City ofVenice, FL Mr. John Simmonds, Council Member, City ofVenice, FL Mr. John Moore, Council Member, City ofVenice, FL Mr. Rick Tracy, Council Member, City ofVenice, FL Dear Mr. Mayor & Council Members: Although I would love to stop, and refuel and eat at one of my favorite seafood places of all at the inlet, I will be passing your fine city on my trip and refuel and re-provision at Ft. Meyers before crossing the Okeechobee Waterway. The reason: the word is out (and I'm afraid confirmed) that a certain patrol officer (well known) harasses all who stop with out of state registrations. I do not know if you are aware, but there are a large volume of vessels that do the "Great Loop Cruise" each year (Great Lakes Mississippi Florida & across to the Intracoastal New York & back to the Great Lakes) and getting larger, but more and more will be bypassingVenicedue to comments like this: This guy got me in 2002. I went down and FL registered my boat even though it was not allowed in Texas at the time. You don't talk back to this dude unless you want to be in a heap of trouble. I know what everyone calls him, but what is his name? Doc -- ANOTHER: I spoke to the Fl Revenue guys at their booth at the Miami Boat Show. They knew all about the guy inVeniceand chuckled about his activities. I have a unique situation where I am a FL resident, bought the boat out of Florida, Documented it out of my vacation house in NC though it has never stayed there more than a few days, kept the boat out of Florida for 10 months, then bring it back for a few months each winter FL DOR guy said I never have to pay sales tax and since I am not in FL for more than 90 days I do not have to register it. He suggested that loopers keep a receipt from Mobile and environs to show to theVenicecop. In that case he knows that you are in Fl since a few days ago. _______ and many many more . . . I can't speak for the rest of the Great Loop List or the other Great Loop forums, but until this problem gets resolved, easier to buy my 700 gallons elsewhere so I'll keep motoring on down. Regards: Matt Mattson C-Dawg-E -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copy of my letter to the Mayor. Thanks for the address. Dear Mr. Mayor, Last year we docked at the Crows Nest Marina for a two day stay. We love theVenicearea and try to make it a regular stop a couple times a year. After we tied up and were relaxing in our salon we were paid a visit from the water patrol. He demanded documentation which, according to the laws, we didn't need. He didn't want to hear it and told us he could seize our boat etc. etc. After a long speech to us as well as our guests, very embarrassing and rude I might add, and giving us a ticket, he left. If it were not so late in the day and looking forward to a great meal at The Crows Nest we would have left. To make this long story short, I contacted our attorney and he sent a letter interpreting the law along with our check. End result, we received a refund for the ticket. We loved our stops atVenicebut I think we will by-pass your lovely city until we Know the over zealous officer is gone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I received the following email from aVeniceFl. News paper, and they would like to talk with some people who have had experience with the Water Nazi. If you have direct experience, please contact this gentleman,and maybe something can be done. In a message dated 2/19/2007 12:12:11 P.M. Central Standard Time, writes: Can you elaborate on the conduct you refer to? We'd like to make an inquiry about this but have little to go on. Specific actions would be easier to question. Bob Mudge EditorVeniceGondolier Sun THanks -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I personally think the last one is the most important... get the press on the case and you've got a leg up. If you've had any experiences with this a--hole, please write the paper, and also the city council. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
Yea, that's him. The paper spun the article like he's some sort of
hero collecting taxes from nee'r do wells. Note the part about his issuing warning tickets to totally legal boaters? Now why the hell does he do that? How would you like to be issued a warning ticket for NOT speeding? He absolutely is rude and harrasing, pulling over boaters that are totally legal and registered in their own home state, still issuing warning tickets. Best thing as we have told the mayor and CofC there, is to just avoid the Venice area completely and spend your cruising $$ elsewhere. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
On 7 Mar 2007 05:02:30 -0800, "Keith"
wrote: Yea, that's him. The paper spun the article like he's some sort of hero collecting taxes from nee'r do wells. Note the part about his issuing warning tickets to totally legal boaters? Now why the hell does he do that? How would you like to be issued a warning ticket for NOT speeding? He absolutely is rude and harrasing, pulling over boaters that are totally legal and registered in their own home state, still issuing warning tickets. Best thing as we have told the mayor and CofC there, is to just avoid the Venice area completely and spend your cruising $$ elsewhere. If he gave me a "warning" while I was legal, he'd be in a world of legal hurt. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
On Mar 7, 5:02?am, "Keith" wrote:
Yea, that's him. The paper spun the article like he's some sort of hero collecting taxes from nee'r do wells. The facts as outlined in the article don't justify any sort of outrage at all. The guy wrote a walloping total of 255 tickets last year, less than one per day. Note the part about his issuing warning tickets to totally legal boaters? Now why the hell does he do that? No, there was no portion of the story that said this cop was issuing warning tickets to totally legal boaters. Here's the factor that may have escaped your notice: In the state of Florida, all boats on the waters are required to carry some sort of state registration. That registration can be from any state. If a boater lives in a state where registration is not required or is considered optional and arrives in Florida without a valid state registration on his boat he or she is in violation of Florida state law. How the hell does that make them "totally legal"? Yes, they are totally legal in their own state but they're not totally legal in Florida. If you go to another state or country, it's customary to obey any local laws that may be different than the laws in the state or country you came from. In Florida, state law reuires all vessels to be registered in *some* state. The warning tickets were issued to people who lived in states where registration was not required or was optional. According to the newspaper, boaters who received warning tickets could continue boating in Florida for another two weeks- so the issue of a vacation being terminated by a lack of proper out-of-state registration is almost moot. How would you like to be issued a warning ticket for NOT speeding? He absolutely is rude and harrasing, pulling over boaters that are totally legal and registered in their own home state, still issuing warning tickets. Not so, according to the newspaper account. Warning tickets are not issued to boaters who are in compliance with the law by having their boat registered in their home state. Warning tickets are issued to boater who are, (or who claim to be) from out of state and have no state registration for their boat. Enjoying the privilege of using the public waterways for private recreation means that we have agreed to be boarded for safety checks and to make sure that our papers are in order. My boat is documented, and has no state title. Even so, my state requires that I pay an annual tab fee (several hundred bucks) and post a sticker in my pilothouse window or on the hull. We are often inspected pretty closely by water patrolmen in varioius communities, and more than once have been asked to show our registration papers that correspond with the sticker in the pilothouse window. Best thing as we have told the mayor and CofC there, is to just avoid the Venice area completely and spend your cruising $$ elsewhere. If you want to stir up a lot of outrage, at least get your facts straight. How dumb do you suppose everybody is? After a newspaper account that dubunks a lot of your accusations is posted here you then say "See, everything I claimed is right there in the newspaper article!" The cop sounds like he's got some issues with his policing style. Who the heck carries a duffle bag filled with law books? But he's not ticketing people who are "totally legal". State laws differ. If I'm allowed to have medical marijuana in California, I wouldn't expect to get away with it in FLA. :-) Don't like the Florida state law that requires boats to be registered in some state or another? Then don't take your boat there- or if you live in Florida ask your state legislature to change it. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
"Chuck Gould" wrote in message oups.com... On Mar 7, 5:02?am, "Keith" wrote: Yea, that's him. The paper spun the article like he's some sort of hero collecting taxes from nee'r do wells. The facts as outlined in the article don't justify any sort of outrage at all. The guy wrote a walloping total of 255 tickets last year, less than one per day. Better hit the math books again Chuck. The *average* work year is some 240 days. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
On Mar 7, 9:01�am, "JimH" wrote:
Better hit the math books again Chuck. *The *average* work year is some 240 days. Slacker. :-) You're giving this guy 30 days per year paid leave and every weekend off? Maybe so, public employee and all.... Using your numbers, he's all the way up to 1.06 tickets per day instead of "less than one". The material fact is that he's not some sort of out-of-control ticket writing robot slapping a citation on everything in sight. He's enforcing the Florida law that says your boat must be registered in some state, and that state can be somewhere other than Florida if that is where you live. He's handing out warning tickets to out-of- state boaters who come from states that don't require boat registration, when if he wanted to be a real stickler he would be entirely justified in writing them an actual citation. The folks who receive a warning ticket have two weeks to either finish their vacation in Florida and go back home -or figure out how to get a state registration, (presumably from Florida), for their boat. The guy sounds like a bit of a jerk, with the lawbooks and all, but I suspect he carries those as a result of confrontations with folks who don't know the law or who feel that the laws of the State of Alabama (or wherever) just ought to apply in Florida. Why would we not want to obey the laws of states and countries where we are visitors? Makes no sense to me to do otherwise. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
"Chuck Gould" wrote in message ups.com... On Mar 7, 9:01?am, "JimH" wrote: Better hit the math books again Chuck. The *average* work year is some 240 days. Slacker. :-) You're giving this guy 30 days per year paid leave and every weekend off? ==================== Umm........no, I am giving him 20 days per year paid leave. 5 days/week (heck, that can even include weekends for those of us with an open mind) x 52 weeks less 20 days vacation, paid holidays and sick leave = 240 work days. Try the math again Chuck.....you can use your fingers and toes if that helps you. ;-) |
Venice, FL bad water cop
Chuck, you're basing all your writing on that article, which was
obviously written with a spin to make him a hero. The outrage is caused by his abusive behavior to boaters, his writing tickets to boats for no good reason, and his general harassment of boaters passing through the area, as well as FL residents. Here are a few comments from others: ____________ OK I read the article and I don't understand something. If your from out of state and your legally registered or documented in accordance with the laws of your state then your permitted to travel in the state of FL for up to 90 days. If that is the law then why does this guy issue a warning ticket to out of state boats when there is no evidence or proof you have violated that law? I live in FL I document and register and pay sales tax on my boats as required by state law. Yet I have been boarded three times by this guy to check paper work no violations were ever found. This guy has never checked fire extinguishers or life jackets or anything else he is focused completely on registrations. There are thousands of laws that we all have to abide by I understand that. Any police officer at any time can pull you over in your car and check for license registration insurance etc that's legal. But if an officer in one particular town was doing that over and over again with no outward signs of any violation He is no longer serving the public good but instead satisfying his own obsession or fetish. __________________________________________________ __ You folks should remember you don't have to be from out of state to be treated like a criminal in Venice. I'm a FL resident proudly displaying my up to date decal and officer Fetish has boarded me three times. Any boat from anywhere is fair game to the obsessed in uniform. _______________________________________________ Lousiana does not have boat registration. So what happens if you're from LA and pass through Venice? You get a ticket. TX has registration. So if you're from TX, registered there and have a Federal documentation, what happens if you pass through Venice? You get a ticket. Seeing the pattern? Even if you don't get a ticket, you get stopped and harassed. None too nicely or professionally either. Now how can FL tell you that your boat must be registered in some state? Do they write the laws for the other 49 states? I think not, and there is no Federal law requiring state registrations. Again (link provided earlier) you can be from another state and cruise in FL for 90 days straight or 181 total within a year and not have to register in FL. He doesn't care... you can be there 5 days and you get the ticket anyway. Just revenue generation. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
On 8 Mar 2007 01:43:23 -0800, "Keith"
wrote: But if an officer in one particular town was doing that over and over again with no outward signs of any violation He is no longer serving the public good but instead satisfying his own obsession or fetish. You answered your own question. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
On Mar 8, 1:43?am, "Keith" wrote:
Now how can FL tell you that your boat must be registered in some state? Do they write the laws for the other 49 states? I think not, and there is no Federal law requiring state registrations. Again (link provided earlier) you can be from another state and cruise in FL for 90 days straight or 181 total within a year and not have to register in FL. He doesn't care... you can be there 5 days and you get the ticket anyway. Just revenue generation. There's no doubt that this guy has a problem with his policing style, or else he wouldn't have so many people upset with him. There is no federal law requiring state registrations, but each state has the right to set its own standards. It isn't ridiculous for a state to declare that if you are going to operate a boat on its waters you need to be able to identify who owns the boat. Short of raising a hand and saying "It's mine, officer", the accepted norm for that would be a state registration. You reference to the 181 days is not inconsistent with this water cop's enforcement activities. You can boat in Florida with a boat that is registered in any state. *After* you have boated there for 91 straight days or 181 within a given year, Florida wants you to get a Florida registration- and that is very consistent with other state laws that I am aware of. But even on the first day of use in Florida, the boat has to have a registration from some state. Because the State of Florida requires that a boat be registered in *some* state to be used on Florida waterways, the watercop is simply doing his job when he cites a boat that has no registration from any state. Unless the author of the linked newspaper article was lying, the watercop only writes a warning ticket to owners of boats who live in states where there is no state registration requirement. Under the terms of the warning, the boaters still have two weeks to get their boat out of Florida or get a registration. A Florida resident who is boating without a registration doesn't have the excuse "I come from a state where they don't require boats to be registered", and gets a ticket. Consider a parallel situation with automobile license plates. If you were driving around in FLorida, Michigan, or any other state with either no license plates or with tabs that had expired 2-3 years ago you wouldn't think it unusual at all to be stopped by a cop. There proably isn't a federal law that requires states to license automobiles, either, but telling the Michigan cop that your Montana plates may be 2 years out of date but since you're not in Montana it doesn't matter won't get you very far. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
Because the State of Florida requires that a boat be registered in
*some* state to be used on Florida waterways, the watercop is simply doing his job when he cites a boat that has no registration from any state. The state of FL has no right to require other states to do anything. If they want to get horsey about it, I imagine the other states on the Gulf Coast should reciprocate and immeditely ticket any FL boater that enters their water without a registration in their state. Most states recognize transients and welcome them and their $$. This cop is simply writing tickets to non-locals, knowing that 99% of them will just pay the fine, rather than returning later (possibly multiple times) to go to court to fight it. It's just another form of piracy. Your auto argument is moot, since every state require auto registration and plates. Again, this guy would give you a ticket just because you had an out-of-state plate. Same thing he's doing to boats. A few more comments by others: __________________________________________________ ___-- Here's the deal. The law is the law. When different municipalities or different officers are allowed to interpret the same law differently, chaos ensues. That's the problem that we have in Florida right now regarding the anchorage law snafu. Some municipalities seem to think that they are above the law and have decided to go their own way regardless of what the State Law says. I fully support the state's right to collect a use tax after 90 days but that's not what this guy is doing. He is making it up as he goes. As the good old boys say, "taint right". __________________________________________________ __- Wait, let me get this straight: We own a documented boat which is also registered in Maryland. We travel to Florida, and find ourselves in lovely Venice. This guy boards our boat and gives us a warning ticket because we MIGHT be staying in Florida for more than 90 days. (Or does he give us a regular ticket because we MIGHT be staying in Florida over the 90 days?) In either event he makes us very aware, either subtly or not so subtly, of the badge, and his power, and authority, which as a law- abiding citizen has never happened to me before because I've always had a good relationship with police of any sort. I feel guilty, even though I'm not. I feel persecuted. I feel bad. I don't NEED to be there. In fact if I have this straight then we certainly have no reason to go to lovely Venice in the first place, do we. Too bad. __________________________________________________ ___ Just for grins I went on the web site for the Florida Wildlife Commission. There is an ask it section where you can post a question about vessel registration. Maybe the folks in Venice, FL. should go to Myflorida.com and read what it says. Maybe reading the FWC web site should become part of their training. It clearly states the 90 day rule for visiting boaters. Of course this doesn't mean that this officer has to stop acting like a jerk. He can still stop vessels and harass cruisers from out of state. What I find hard to believe is he has kept his job for 26 years. Must be related to, or has pictures on someone that has the power to make sure he doesn't loose his job. __________________________________________________ ________ Not to mention dozens of "I just won't stop there any more" comments. HIt 'em in the pocketbook. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
On Mar 8, 7:42?am, "Keith" wrote:
Because the State of Florida requires that a boat be registered in *some* state to be used on Florida waterways, the watercop is simply doing his job when he cites a boat that has no registration from any state. The state of FL has no right to require other states to do anything. Nor are they trying to make any other states do anything. If you want to use a boat in Florida, the Florida law says it must be registered in some state. If none of the other 49 states wanted to register boats, Florida would not have the power to require them to do so. People who bring boats to Florida from states where there is no registration of boats or where it is considered "optional" are informed about the Florida law, let off with a warning, and told they have 2-weeks to finish up their visit to Florida *or* apply for a registration. Yes, yes, yes, the guy is a jerk. No doubt. But charges that he is ticketing people for operating "completely legal" do not appear to be true. Completely legal in one state isn't always completely legal in another.Example: for a long time, the drinking age in Idaho was 19 while it was 21 in Washington. If a cop caught a 19 year old kid chugging a beer in a Washington State Park, the defense "but I'm a resident of Idaho" wouldn't fly at all. Nobody gets a pass from obeying the law in one state simply because the law in their home state is different. Heck, same with fish and game laws. If you can keep a limit of 20 Xfish in Georgia but the state limit is only 12 Xfish in Florida, nobody would argue that they should be allowed to keep 20 Xfish while in Florida because he or she was a legal resident of Georgia. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
On 8 Mar 2007 17:25:34 -0800, "Chuck Gould"
wrote: People who bring boats to Florida from states where there is no registration of boats or where it is considered "optional" are informed about the Florida law, let off with a warning, and told they have 2-weeks to finish up their visit to Florida *or* apply for a registration. There's the crux of the matter. A warning implies that one has broken a law and the law enforcement option is to issue a warning so that one doesn't (1) do it again or is notified that a problem exists and needs correction. What this guy is doing is judging intent ahead of time - if the reports are as stated. He can't do that - in fact, a case could be made for profiling if he does this on a regular basis. I'm surprised that somebody hasn't done so. It's a question of intent. He has the right to stop a vessel and ask, but if the owner presents documents that indicate it is owned by a person whose state of residence doesn't require registration or visible evidence of registration, he does not have the right to issue a warning for a law that has not been broken. A warning is an official law enforcement document - law enforcement officers and adminsitrations track warnings issued. In this case, to issue a warning, he would have to be able to prove that the vessel has been in Florida waters for longer than two weeks - which would be impossible to prove. He can't issue a warning for less than two weeks because no law has been broken. |
Venice, FL bad water cop
On Mar 8, 5:43�pm, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On 8 Mar 2007 17:25:34 -0800, "Chuck Gould" wrote: People who bring boats to Florida from states where there is no registration of boats or where it is considered "optional" are informed about the Florida law, let off with a warning, and told they have 2-weeks to finish up their visit to Florida *or* apply for a registration. There's the crux of the matter. A warning implies that one has broken a law and the law enforcement option is to issue a warning so that one doesn't (1) do it again or is notified that a problem exists and needs correction. Yes, indeed. I agree completely. The Florida State Law says that to operate a boat on the waterways in Florida it must have a valid registration in *some* state. (There is no need to get a FLA registration unless operating more than 90 days at a time or more than 181 days per year). People who operate unregistered boats in Florida have indeed broken a Florida State Law, even if the operation of a boat without a registration happens to be legal in whatever state they normally live in. The two week grace period is for people who have been given a warning ticket- but the offense occurs the first moment that an unregistered boat is operated. It's a simple as a speed limit, really. If I live in a state where the speed limit is 70 and get hauled over for doing 65 mph in some state where the limit is 55, the fact that where I come from the limit is 70 mph won't get too far off the ground in front of any judge in the country. People operating unregistered boats are in violation of Florida State Law. The purpose of the warning is to call that fact to their attention and alert them that they need to address the problem or get out of state within two weeks. What this guy is doing is judging intent ahead of time - if the reports are as stated. *He can't do that - in fact, a case could be made for profiling if he does this on a regular basis. *I'm surprised that somebody hasn't done so. It's a question of intent. *He has the right to stop a vessel and ask, but if the owner presents documents that indicate it is owned by a person whose state of residence doesn't require registration or visible evidence of registration, he does not have the right to issue a warning for a law that has not been broken. A warning is an official law enforcement document - law enforcement officers and adminsitrations track warnings issued. *In this case, to issue a warning, he would have to be able to prove that the vessel has been in Florida waters for longer than two weeks - which would be impossible to prove. *He can't issue a warning for less than two weeks because no law has been broken. No, I think you misread the news article. The citable offense is operating the unregistered boat in Florida *at all*, not operating it there for more than two weeks. Once the warning has been issued, the violator then has two weeks to correct the situation or get out of state. If a warning has been issued and the same guy gets caught 2 weeks later, he won't get another warning- he'll get the full meal deal. |
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