Marine Industry Dispute Lawyer in Fort Lauderdale: Yacht Deals

Marine contracts follow different rules because federal admiralty law can apply alongside Florida law. Whether it applies depends on what the contract is for, not where it was signed.

The stakes here are large. Broward County is often called the refit and repair capital of the world, and the Marine Industries Association of South Florida counted 121,000 marine jobs and $9.7 billion in output there in 2020.

The line courts draw surprises people. The U.S. Supreme Court held that building a ship is not a maritime contract, but repairing a vessel already launched and in service is. Contracts to sell a vessel also fall outside admiralty.

So a refit fight at a yard on the New River may belong in federal court. A dispute over a used yacht purchase usually stays in state court.

We covered how maritime law applies to accidents on the water. Contract claims follow their own test.

Who Can Put a Lien on a Yacht for Unpaid Work?

A repair yard, parts supplier, or marina can hold a lien on the vessel itself. That lets them go after the boat, not just the owner.

Repair yards and suppliers

Under federal law, anyone who provides necessaries to a vessel at the owner’s direction, or at the direction of someone the owner authorized, holds a maritime lien and can sue the vessel directly.

Necessaries include repairs, supplies, towage, and dry dock use. You can read the federal maritime lien statute yourself.

The trap is authority. The law presumes certain people can order work, including the owner, a charterer, and an agreed buyer who has possession.

A captain who orders a new generator may bind the boat.

A friend who “signs off” on work may not. Yards should confirm who has authority before the first invoice.

Owners should know a crew member’s order can put a lien on their yacht.

Marinas and dockage

Florida gives marinas a possessory lien for storage, dockage, and repair charges, starting the day the vessel arrives.

If those charges stay unpaid 60 days after written notice to the owner and lienholders, the marina can sell the boat after advertising the sale for two straight weeks.

The owner or a lienholder can stop the sale by paying the lien and costs first. That is a short clock for an owner who lives overseas.

What Florida Law Says About Yacht Broker Deposits and Commissions

Florida requires licensed yacht brokers to hold deal money in trust and carry a bond. That gives buyers and sellers a path to recovery when a broker breaks the rules.

The law covers vessels over 32 feet used for pleasure or chartered to others. Under Florida’s yacht broker law:

Brokers must keep transaction funds in a trust account at a Florida institution with more than $5 million.
At closing, the broker must give both sides an itemized statement of price, charges, and credits.
A broker cannot act for both buyer and seller without written consent from each.
Anyone hurt by a broker’s fraud, deceit, or willful negligence can sue on the broker’s bond.

Here is the limit most people miss. A broker’s bond is $25,000, and the surety’s total payout in a year cannot go past that amount. If several clients are owed money, the bond may not cover everyone.

The law also does not require a license to sell a new yacht or your own boat. Commission splits between co-brokers often play out like other unpaid commission claims under contract law.

Partner, Charter, and Investor Fights in Marine Businesses

Many Fort Lauderdale marine companies are small partnerships. Think two captains running a charter outfit, or a mechanic and an investor sharing a shop.

When those relationships break, the fight looks like any business divorce, with a vessel in the middle.

Common examples:

A co-owner keeps charter cash off the books. If you suspect a partner is stealing, preserve booking records and bank statements now.
A seller hides hull or engine damage. That can move past breach of contract into common Florida fraud schemes courts see often.
A charter company rents slip space or a waterfront shop, and the landlord changes terms. Those cases follow the rules for other commercial lease disputes.

When a Fort Lauderdale Marine Industry Dispute Needs a Lawyer

You need a lawyer when real money, the vessel’s location, or the choice of court is at stake.

Waiting costs leverage, because yachts move and marinas can sell.

Start by gathering work orders, invoices, broker agreements, escrow records, texts with the captain, and the vessel’s title or documentation.

Our list of documents a lawsuit needs covers the general set. Then weigh cost against recovery. A small repair bill may settle with a demand letter.

A six-figure refit fight with the boat about to leave Port Everglades may call for fast action. Our framework for deciding whether to sue applies here too.

This article covers business disputes, not crew injuries. It does not replace advice on your specific contract.