Why Florida marinas run into this
Florida has the most marinas of any state and a rising backlog of nonpaying and abandoned vessels stuck in slips. The failure mode isn't billing — it's an incomplete lien search and a defective statutory notice.
What actually voids a nonjudicial sale
Under Fla. Stat. §328.17, a marina holds a possessory lien the moment a vessel takes a slip — but the sale path collapses if the notice or the search is incomplete. The common defects:
- Missing one of the five notice elements — the notice must carry an itemized claim, a vessel description, a payment demand with a deadline, a conspicuous "we will advertise it for sale" warning, and a sale date at least 60 days out (§328.17(5)).
- Posting only at the office — the notice must be conspicuously posted at the marina and on the vessel (§328.17(5)(a)(1)).
- An incomplete lien search — notice is owed to the owner, DHSMV security-interest holders, USCG documented-vessel mortgagees, UCC secured parties, and judgment lienholders. Skip the UCC or judgment search and you've missed a claimant.
- Ignoring an out-of-state HIN — a vessel registered outside Florida triggers a reasonable lien search in its jurisdiction of registry (§328.17(5)(a)(3)).
- Advertising too early — the sale ad runs once a week for two consecutive weeks, and the sale can't happen sooner than 15 days after the first publication (§328.17(8)).
What's in a Notice Completeness Pack
One vessel, one released pack. Everything you need to mail, post, and calendar — nothing you have to figure out.
Itemized claim
Your dockage and charges reconciled to the ledger, to the dollar, with due dates — the foundation of a valid notice.
Statutory notices
The five §328.17 elements drafted for the owner and each identified lienholder, on a field-locked template versioned to the statute.
Four-source lien search
DHSMV ownership, USCG abstract (if documented), UCC, and Florida judgment liens — assembled into a lienholder matrix with an evidence log.
Posting & certified-mail packet
Posting checklist for the marina and the vessel, plus prepared certified-mail labels for every recipient.
60-day calendar
A calendar file (ICS) with your 60-day window and, with the add-on, the newspaper-publication dates.
Specialist release
A trained notice specialist certifies completeness before anything ships. Optional Florida-attorney review on request.
How it works
Four stages: Intake → Evidence → Review → Release. Five business days from complete intake.
Intake
Upload the ledger/aging, slip agreement, vessel HIN and photos, and sign a limited authorization so we can order searches as your agent. We validate what's missing up front.
Evidence
We order the DHSMV, USCG, UCC, and judgment-lien searches in parallel and build your lienholder matrix from the results.
Review
Deterministic gates check all five notice elements, tie the amounts to your ledger, and screen for SCRA and out-of-state search duties. Anything ambiguous goes to a specialist.
Release
The notice specialist certifies the pack and delivers it to your portal. You mail the certified notices, post at the marina and on the vessel, and hold for 60 days. Send us the green cards and we log them.
Pricing
Flat fee, per released pack. Never hourly. Never a percentage of what you recover.
Delinquency Gap Scan
- Upload one aging account
- Scored statute-readiness report
- See your gaps before you pay a dollar
Notice Completeness Pack
- $399 founding · $499 standard
- $599–$799 documented / out-of-state / multi-lienholder
- Everything in "What's in the pack"
- 5 business days from complete intake
Sale Continuity Add-on
- Draft newspaper sale advertisement
- Sale-day document checklist
- Title-transfer exhibit list (§328.17(13))
- Used only after the 60-day window
Proof
We're a new operation and we won't fake it. These slots fill with real numbers as pilot packs ship.
Objections, answered
Are you a law firm or giving legal advice?
No. SlipLienClear is a documentation-completeness service. We prepare the notice and run the searches as your clerical agent; we don't advise whether you should sell, opine on lien priority, or represent you. For legal questions — or a high-value or federally documented vessel — we recommend and can arrange Florida-attorney review.
Are you debt collectors? Will you call the boat owner?
Never. We do not contact the vessel owner or debtor. You remain the lien claimant and the party who sends the notices. We stay on the documentation side of the line to keep you clear of FDCPA/FCCPA collector exposure.
My marina software already ages receivables — isn't that enough?
Aging software (Molo, DockMaster) is great at invoices and finance charges. It does not assemble the five-element §328.17 notice, run the four-source lien search, produce the posting checklist, or prepare the certified-mail packet. That's the specific gap we fill.
What if the boat is documented with the Coast Guard?
Then we order a USCG (NVDC) abstract to surface any preferred ship mortgage or lien claimant, in addition to the DHSMV, UCC, and judgment searches. Documented and out-of-state vessels fall in the $599–$799 tier because the search work is heavier.
How fast, and what do you need from me?
Five business days from complete intake. We need the ledger/aging, the slip agreement, the vessel HIN and photos, any prior notices, and a signed limited authorization to order searches on your behalf. You also attest that the amounts and dates are accurate.
Do you run the auction or handle the money?
No. We stop at the released pack (and, with the add-on, the newspaper ad draft and sale-day checklist). You conduct any sale, hold any surplus for the owner as §328.17(12) requires, and handle title transfer with the bill of sale we help you assemble.
The boundary, in plain terms
SlipLienClear provides documentation-completeness services. It is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice, and does not represent you in any legal matter.
SlipLienClear is not a debt collector and does not contact vessel owners or debtors. The marina remains the lien claimant and the party responsible for sending all notices and conducting any sale.
Attorney review is recommended for high-value or federally documented vessels and for any contested matter. This service does not guarantee any legal outcome or that a sale will be upheld.
Fees are flat, per released pack. SlipLienClear charges no contingency and takes no percentage of any recovered amount or sale proceeds.
Start a free Delinquency Gap Scan
Tell us about one delinquent vessel. We'll score its §328.17 readiness and send back a written gap report — before you pay anything.