This question will be answered soon. I am Robert from Columbus Ohio my wife and I had a yacht in south Florida stolen in June 2006. The group of individuals that stole yacht are representatives of the ocean key resort in key west. The yacht appraisal value was $160,000 - $210,000 before boat was stolen. The case is simple this yacht was used at the hotel marina for our sunset/snorkeling business. After we purchased the business hotel concierges were screwing us out of thousands of dollars by sending their sunset/snorkeling business to local competitors who were paying deep cash commission's to these people under the table.(and hotel allowed it) After hurricanes(sept-oct- o6) and major damages to docks of hotel we decided to sell yacht because of hotel problems. In mid November of 05 after hurricane damage was almost repaired we notified hotel of moving boat to sell . The new hotel manager Steve Boswell who just took over begged us to stay and because no tourists would be coming for a while and our complaints to him about concierges screwing us he begged us to stay and would give us 6 months free rent to help recover money lost from his staff. That would give us until June 1, 2006. Then we would have to sign a one year lease if problems with hotel concierges was resolved. Remember rent for a slip at hotel is $3000 month hotel never furnished us a lease or even a copy of lease after begging for one for months. At the end of may 06 we moved boat to my house in Cudjoe Key Florida 23 miles up coast from hotel to get ready to sell .(because hotel manager never fixed problems with concierges he promised.) We had boat parked in bay out front of my house because large yacht of this size was to big to take down our small canal. This would give us a day or two to find large dock to store it until we sold it. The next day my employee Andrew got up went out looking for dock to store yacht. Later that day he walked out to check yacht and it was gone. After calling many people looking for yacht he was told boat was taken from bay by hotel representatives. Upon his arrival to verify boat was at hotel he not only witnessed boat chained up at dock but was also partially dismantled. After verifying this story and looking at boat himself we filed police report. The Monroe county sheriffs deputy took my report along with Andrews . Later that evening in his report he went to hotel and verified the yacht was there and it was chained up and dismantled. The report said he went in and hotel representatives told him back money was owed for rent(civil matter) but could not provide any legal paperwork. The deputy left a yacht of this value in their possession just on their word. Now lets stop a moment here and look at this picture. The hotel has a CIVIL MATTER for back rent owed and nothing else. The statute they claim stealing boat was ok is 328.17 under this statute one must have possession of boat to claim, it does not allow one to go steal yacht then bring back to their possession. This does not allow one to lie to state police officer who was on yacht at time it was stolen.( At end of story I will post blog site giving more detail of this matter) After stealing yacht and trying to extort me by demanding an outrageous amount of money to get yacht back. I refused to pay $60,000 dollars to them they threatened to sell my yacht because I owe no rent. In November 06 yacht was sold by hotel to a Jacksonville man looking for this type yacht(fixer upper) for his cruise business. On his way home from key west man was notified by me outside Miami on way to Ft. Lauderdale Ft. That he was on stolen yacht that belonged to my wife and I. The gentleman paid $71,000 cash to hotel for yacht they allowed severe damage to while in their possession. He was planning to fix it up. After my phone call he was in Ft. Lauderdale Florida on his way home. He stopped at marina and called a maritime attorney in Miami who told him instantly under Florida law I was right it was a stolen yacht. The man advised Jacksonville man to get an attorney closer to his home and he called a maritime attorney in Jacksonville Florida. The attorney advised him immediately to park boat at marina and get in car and head to his office immediately. The next morning I got call from Jacksonville man and his attorney advising me the boat was stolen under Florida law and constitutes a grand theft. (now here is an attorney representing man who just paid $71,000 for yacht) He told me before even calling me he called Alan Eckstein the hotels attorney in key west who helped in sale of yacht to advise him he made a major mistake and this was grand theft. This attorney who does not even specialize in this law argued with attorney that he didn't break the law from what this attorney told me. After a few weeks hotel that sold this man a yacht and guaranteed him getting coast guard certification on vessel was told by Jacksonville mans attorney the coast guard would not change over our certification without court papers or sale receipt from wife and I. At this point they knew they screwed up and refunded full amount of sales price to Jacksonville man. I was in contact with Ft. Lauderdale police and sheriffs department during this whole ordeal because boat was now left in their jurisdiction. The police at both groups could not do much because crime was committed in another county, filed as a civil matter, and out of their jurisdiction. Also Monroe county sheriffs and state prosecutor would not do anything because of heavy influence this group has on them. For months I begged anyone I could for help and nobody could help because they either did not handle this kind of crime or it was out of their jurisdiction. I called last week(12-19-06) and spoke to an officer with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement agency in Miami. Within 15 minutes he told me marina that had yacht in Ft. Lauderdale was holding boat illegally (which hotel attorney in key west advised him to do). He also told me if the hotel in key west had no court papers allowing them to go out of their marina and take this yacht originally it was considered grand theft under Florida law. The next day(12-20-06) I got a call (same office)from a special agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and within 15 minutes told me if there were no court papers to go take yacht it definitely was grand theft. As I explained why they claim taking boat was ok he said it doesn't matter that's all civil. At that point he told me his options one in which he would call sheriff of Monroe county and ask him to get original police report changed from civil matter to grand theft. He told me if they refused he had the authority to file it as grand theft but wanted to give sheriff first opportunity. The next day I believe it was Thursday (12-21-06) to my amaze the special agent along with head attorney from his office three way talked to me and my wife by phone. This officer went from grand theft for sure to IM not sure. At this point my wife and I were amazed. The special agent and attorney tried every avenue to get out of grand theft charges even asking me why I would just be happy if I got boat back. (and everything else basically forgotten.) In tears my wife and I told them NO WAY would we allow a crime like this to be ignored. I told them in murder cases or felony crimes your office handles would you ask a mother of a murdered daughter if she would be happy to recover body and nothing else happen even knowing who committed the crime. I in now way consider this the same as a murder crime but I do consider grand theft and destruction of property very serious. On Wednesday 12-20-06 I spoke to Ft. Lauderdale sheriff department sergeant who even though it was not in his jurisdiction took the time to investigate even pulling police report from Monroe county. We talked for a long while and even though he could not do anything out of his jurisdiction told me himself that him and another sheriff sergeant who was working with him on investigation were sure this was black and white grand theft(unless they had court authorization at time boat was taken). I told him a special agent at F.D.LE was in touch with me and told me it was grand theft also and he was going to get matter resolved even if it meant him filing the charges, the deputy sheriff sergeant said they were the people that had state wide jurisdiction and was happy I found the right people to take care of this matter. I also got call Friday night(12-25-06) from Ft. Lauderdale city police sergeant who has been watching my yacht for me because his marine unit was located next door to the marina where my boat was . He told me he talked to bob the marina owner and he told the sergeant he received letter from hotel attorney Alan eckstein by fax telling him my boat was not to be released to anyone unless he authorizes it. The sergeant said he asked to see the letter. After seeing letter right then the sergeant said before calling me he called Alan Eckstein hotel attorney to advise him the letter was illegal (which is what they have done the whole time its been illegal from the beginning)and without any court papers he could not demand my yacht be held . During conversation I asked him about legality of them taking yacht in the first place? He said after all his current knowledge of case if the hotel and attorney had no court papers allowing them to come take possession of vessel it was definitely grand theft under Florida law. At this point we have three sergeants in Ft. Lauderdale saying grand theft definitely. They all say only thing to change this would be hotel having court papers allowing them to take yacht at time of incident. I believe the F.D.L.E. should make arrests immediately on all persons involved in theft. I also believe the hotel management who told them to take boat should also be charged. The special agent and their attorney also went as far as to say they didn't think state attorney in key west would file charges against these people?. IM so amazed how a theft and property and destruction of this magnitude could be ignored. IM asking everyone to read my full blog story below it goes into greater detail. And please remember this, I was born at night but not last night. To everyone involved I promise to bring this to full justice if the matter is not fully resolved by arrests being made. To everyone following this story including media people under Ohio law it allows one person to have knowledge of a taped phone conversation. I being that person have taped calls from most people above I also have full taped conversations with the f.w.c and their head attorneys in which you will see not only a cover up from them but also lies. I also have full taped conversations from F.W.C head members sergeants etc. Who run various offices throughout Florida saying they do not just give yachts away to anyone who just gives them a story like hotel did without showing court papers or title to vessel. (you will see what I mean when you read first blog) I understand the officer who did this is new to the agency just out of academy I can forgive that but to not do anything about it and cover it up and push it off as a civil matter is criminal. I intend to show the people of Florida not only was a felony crime covered up by some agencies involved. That is just a small list of taped conversations I have. With all the groups I have on tape and people I will call as witnesses will show there are officers and agencies who failed to do their jobs. I will easily be able to prove my case in any court of law. I will give the Florida Department of Law Enforcement a chance make a decision on my case before tapes will be available .I feel they will make the right decision and all this can end here before many people get embarrassed not only in the media but in a federal court of law where I will take this if it doesn't get resolved here.
final important note..
During the conversation with F.D.L.E special agent and their attorney on 12-21-06 (as mentioned above) toward end of call I asked attorney for f.d.l.e if I could ask a hypothetical question she said yes. My question was this, I understand you haven't got a hold of attorney yet from hotel to get their story but if you talk to him and they have NO papers from any court allowing them to take yacht is this grand theft? She paused and answered yes it is. I know the f.d.l.e will find out there were no court papers allowing them to take yacht I want to see if they uphold law and don't allow these people to influence them. I will keep everyone posted.
please read much more detailed story at this blog site
ocean key resort key west commits grand theft
