Salvage costs

CurrentSea

CurrentSea

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Does anyone know how this works? I was told by someone that seatow is billing absurd amounts to recover boats. Jobs that take like a hour are being billed at like $9200. They get away with this because it's considered salvage work and they have crane rental.

My concern is where does this come from. If they bill insurance will insurance take this off the top line agreed value policy of my boat if total loss or does it come out of a different bucket. If it comes off top then I am essentially paying this and that is a huge overcharge.

I agreed to no number, estimate, or anything. I provided the name of the insurance company and claim #. I asked that they call me prior to anything but they called me after it was out of water.
 
My understanding is that a stated value policy is just that. Any recovery, damage to others property, fuel spills, etc. is the responsibility of the insurance company. It does not come off the top of the stated value.
 
Dave,
I see that your boat was hauled out. If you did not authorize it then you should not be responsible. If your insurance negotiated this then I would think they are responsible. If your marina let them haul it out without your authorization, it is there responsibility. This may help when dealing with salvage issues so you don't get burned.

http://www.safesea.com/salvage/law/anderson/anderson_contracts.html
 
There was no contract.
They called me, I gave insurance info and asked them to call me when starting work.
I signed nothing.
I agreed to no cost.
They called at around 10 in the morning after it was out, so if they started at daybreak, it took less than 3 hours. I also don't think they needed crane as I was in the water already, all they had to do was pump and float. then tow to haul out, then the marina haul out took over. I am covered for towing by seatow plus I also have emergency towing on my policy.

If I get paid agreed value, then I am ok, if they subtract the seatow charges then I will be really pissed.
No issue with them getting paid for their work but not on my nickel and not at an absured charge. I certainly see the effort that goes into some boats, but mine was easier.
 
Dave,
I missed that you were already out of the water and then edited my comments.

I would call you insurance agent and the salvage company. and ask why the boat was hauled and who authorized it. The only issue that could happen is salvage company may put a lien on the boat if not paid as there might be a discrepancy on the price and haul out. It is amazing how someone will feed off another during a crisis.
 
Yeah, I saw that. Did I also throw in they stole my anchor and 4 gallons of synthetic oil from my boat!
I know it was there because I saw it and locked the door, they popped the lock to pump out salon and grabbed the oil which was wet but sealed! Kind of consider it their tip, but still pisses me off!
 
Dave I helped to clean up at my yard and I had to cut or remove several anchors because they were tangled on other boats bow rails or other hazards. I did my best to make sure the anchors stayed with the boats. If the boat was in the water and posed an environmental risk I don't know if you would need your permission to haul it.
 
quote:
Originally posted by CurrentSea

Yeah, I saw that. Did I also throw in they stole my anchor and 4 gallons of synthetic oil from my boat!
I know it was there because I saw it and locked the door, they popped the lock to pump out salon and grabbed the oil which was wet but sealed! Kind of consider it their tip, but still pisses me off!

Click to expand...


They may not have intended to 'steal' the oil. Don't know the whole story, but it sounds like your boat was sunk, or took on a lot of water? When they were dewatering they likely saw those tens of thousands of dollars in fines, if even one of those oil jugs were to leak, and pulled it out of there real quick. I doubt it was just looting and pillaging on their minds.

Or maybe it was. Just thought I'd throw a more optimistic possibility out there.
 
Thanks, but there was 3 jugs of open oil in there that they left, so I think they prefered the sealed ones!
That's a pillage!
 
NOT to hi-jack this thread....I have a question....would they salage a boat that would not cover their costs ? If they did....could they sue for the balance due ?
 
I think the insurance company negotiates the cost. Like hospitals only the individual pays retail.
A letter to the owner of seatow asking to understand about the oil is in order.
 
Sounds like $200.00 a foot(LOA)for salvage. That's about double what a first class, professional, marine salvage company with proper insurance, experienced crew, skilled riggers and magical crane operators would charge an underwriter for hurricane salvage on a "No Cure, No Pay" basis in the Gulf of Mexico area. That would be for the boat to be delivered to a predetermined waterfront location "afloat, upright and able to remain afloat without continuous pumping" or "securely set ashore in an upright and stable manner".

Don't worry about the salvage cost. The insurance company will be on the hook for the Salvage and/or Wreck Removal cost regardless. Because of your insurance contract(Policy) you are charged with acting as a "Prudent Uninsured" to minimize the loss. That means with all things being equal and for some reason you did not have insurance coverage at time of the loss (Sandy) would you also need to incur the cost in question? Sure you would, so now the discussion becomes is the cost of salvage "Fair and Reasonable" for the scope and nature of the work involved. The salvage company will have to defend that bill, not you.

As the clean up progresses Marine Salvage cost will decrease as the amount of available work the Salvage Companies (and the Boat Butchers) are chasing decreases. There will come a time in the future where salvage cost will increase when all of the out of area crews/rigs return to their home area and only the local guys are left.

Chances are the crew that effected the salvage are not "direct" employees of the Yellow assist boat company, they are most likely working for a sub-contractor and may in fact be "rent-a-drunks" from the local labor pool. You are lucky only the oil is missing.

One old salvor that I know takes the 120 volt light bubs out the wrecks he salvages. He also takes any canned goods from the galley, that's how he feeds his crew. He really gets pissed when the labels fall off the cans.
 
L, do salvors commonly flat-rate hurricane salvage based on LOA down there? Most of the guys I've worked with and talked to up here base their claims on post-casualty value, even in the post-storm blitzes. Excepting, of course, the rb2@gr5t#*&buckets that are better off on the bottom, but are still worth a payday on the environmental liability side. Pre- and post-casualty are usually upside down on those jobs. One of them explained that the insurance company will always counter their first demand, whether it's high, low, or fair, so they submit high and settle fair.
 
quote:
Originally posted by CurrentSea

Thanks, but there was 3 jugs of open oil in there that they left, so I think they prefered the sealed ones!
That's a pillage!

Click to expand...


Yeah, that sounds like a pillage.

Oh, well, gotta at least try for the bright side, right?
 
Yes on small (60' or less) yacht salvage. Lifting 25,000 to 50,000 lbs. boats is a walk in the park if you are properly equipped. Some salvors will do ten (10) boats a day at say $10,000 per boat. Commercial boats are different. The salvors up north must have gone to some "smart" school to be able to figure "post-casualty" value prior to effecting salvage. Some salvors I know have trouble with a 100' tape trying to come up with the LOA of a wreck.

Ya'll have to understand that salvage cost, post hurricane, is based on "What the Market will Bear" it is not based on an hourly or day rate.
 
I'm surprised that the USCG has not put a hold on salvage operations until all the gasoline/diesel/lube oil is removed from the all the wrecks. That is usually the first thing done. The local USCG hires every vacuum truck in the Eastern United States (paid for by the Super Fund) and proceeds to suck/remove every drop of fuel/oil from all the sunk/beached/stranded boats. You have no choice in the matter, the Feds just show up and remove the fuel. You find out when a red sticker is placed on the hull telling everybody the date of removal and which contractor did the removals.

If the boat is a Constructive Total Loss (CTL) the Wreck Removal and Sue & Labor Cost are paid in addition to the agreed value.

If the is boat found to be repairable, the Salvage and Sue & Labor Cost are included in the total cost of repairs.
 
Dave I spoke with sea tow and they told me my insurance company gave approval to remove my boat and they pay this above the agreed value.
Al
 
That is good news. Just give me my check. That's all I ask. Then I walk away.
 
Has the adjuster been there yet. I am still waiting. Motor is full of water, all the oil must have came up the dipstick and out. It is everywhere.
Al
 
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