Use Tax When Buying a Boat

[bluetriguy]

If you are buying a boat in California you might also want to check and see if the City/county in which the boat is located has any rights to property taxes on the boat as well. The county property tax collectors can be just (if not more) ruthless than the state.

The property tax is in addition to any other taxes (sales/use)... and the county can seize the vessel if those taxes are not paid - which could cloud your ownership of the vessel if you ever went back into a California port...

[prof_mariner]

...Along with the Harbor "police" banging on your cabin 2am. to check permits and such...

That reminds me of a funny story that happened to me while anchored in South San Diego bay one evening a bunch of years ago. It wasn't too much before midnight when some loud tapping against the hull woke me. My first reaction was that it might be some flotsum bobbing in the water against the hull or the harbor police to check my anchor permit. But when I reached the cockpit I was greated by two Navy SEAL trainees who wanted to let me know they wanted to use my boat as part of a night training excercise. I said "sure" without even bothering to ask what exactly they had planned to do. Cool, eh?

Sorry for the OT diversion...