Atlantic on E-Bay in Morehead

[Man Hatt'n']

I am seeking information about Atlantic brand boats, specifically the 34 express. A buddy of mine and I seem to be the winning bidders for one on E-bay, item 150327088026. Any and all input on these boats in general and this boat in particular would be appreciated. Thanks. Howard in Holland, Michigan

 

[SeaEric]

Hargrave designed, built in Palatka Florida, small family owned company. Two brothers owned it as I recall. They were nice boats and seem to have held up well. I sold a 47 FBMY last year. She surveyed well and ran well.

 

[Sparky1]

Was that company bought out and taken to Taiwan?

That was the story I got from a guy who supposedly bought the company and moved it. Then again, some of his other stories were just that... stories.

 

[Bertramp]

They were designed by the Scoponich family. I saw one in Sag Harbor,NY 2 summers ago ... it had been totally customized and was gorgeous. You might be able to get more info from Scoponich (builder of the fighting chairs) in Palm Beach area. They may even still make them.

 

[Bertramp]

if boat is in any kind of decent condition, you did VERY well on this buy. My dealings with the Scoponich family on Long Island have always been positive and they don't hang their name on junk !!

 

[34Hatt]

If that boat is anything like the pictures show well WOW!!!!

At that price you can't lose Good Luck with it!

 

[Man Hatt'n']

Well, a very interesting update - Last night while my boat buying buddy and I were discussing payment, etc., I see the same boat come up on Yachtworld, listed as a 1985! I asked my buddy (who did the actual bidding for us) WASSUP? He called me back this morning, said the seller was cancelling the E-bay deal and the boat was being sea-trialed today on an offer of $54K. Man, what a world. I suppose we could push and shove some kind of breach of contract suit, but believe me, I have had enough of lawyers and courts and dead-beats to last my lifetime, even if I live to be a thousand years old, ten years from now. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks. Howard

 

[Sparky1]

PM foleyjt and see if he's interested in helping you out.

http://www.samsmarine.com/forums/showthread.php?p=118734#post118734

 

[yachtsmanbill]

What a shame Howard !! Some bastards just plain dont care. I'd let it go too. Its not worth the hassle IMHO. Look around for another yacht... theres a million of them out there! ws

 

[jim rosenthal]

I think the Atlantic brand was on more than one kind of boat. There were some trawler-type boats designed by Hargrave that were called Prairies, and I though the molds and rights to them were bought and they were then called Atlantics. I may be wrong on this. Eric?

 

[Sparky1]

What a shame Howard !! Some bastards just plain dont care. I'd let it go too. Its not worth the hassle IMHO. Look around for another yacht... theres a million of them out there! ws

Hell, if nothing else I'd rattle this guy's cage as he entered into a binding contract and you bought the boat. According to what I saw on eBay, this auction was not ended early which should have been the case if the guy had a change of heart.

Send him an email with a link to the other eBay fiasco I posted for you. Maybe that will do it. It's worth a shot if you really want the boat at the agreed sales price.

 

[shark 1007]

Howard

I'm in Orlando Fl, but practice law and would be delighted to help in any way I can. That sort of behavior irritates me to no end.

Be happy to send a letter or something, no charge. I would think the broker ought to be put on notice of the prior transaction.

Roger Helms cell phone 407-383-0724

 

[Vincentc]

Sorry you missed such a good deal. I appreciate your disappointment. However, did you take time to read the seller's entire description of the sale? I believe he stated that he reserved the right to pull the boat from the auction at any time for any reason, or words to that effect. You might want to take a look before going further.
Regards,
Vincent

 

[shark 1007]

I disagree, I think he has a deal and I don't believe you can end an auction after it is over. It's a basic offer/acceptance analysis. If he withdrew the auction right before it closed, you'd have a point.

If you were the winning bid, he needs to have 5K within 48 hours according to the description.

 

[Vincentc]

Shark,

I does not appear clear just how the auction was ended.

How does one interpret the condition “I reserve the right to end the auction at anytime for anyreason.” You make good points regarding offer and acceptance and the $5k payment in 48 hours. Who made and what was the offer, when / how was it accepted? Ebay bid law sounds like an interesting niche.

I do not claim to know the facts. I wonder where jurisdiction and venue would lie for this potential dispute? Does Ebay have rules governing these questions? I don’t claim to know the answers and certainly am not extending advice. The post did not mention the above condition, and assumed he was not aware of it.

Regards,
Vincent

 

[shark 1007]

I don't know the facts either, but if they won the auction, that means they were the winner. If it hadn't been withdrawn by then, I think they have a deal. I'm not sure for jurisdiction/venue. Not enough to be federal, possibly residence state of seller or buyer, since offer to sell made nationally, you'd have argument for that, I'd suspect.

Ebay does have rules on when you can withdraw I recall. I just don't think you can make an offer to sell, accept bids, have a winnning bid and then say "nevermind"

After it's over, it's not an auction, it's a deal. That's the function of reserves. These cases are fact dependant, of course.

Roger

 

[Bertramp]

I've done lots of buying and selling on E-bay. The right to accept a different offer ended when the time expired on the auction. If seller ended early (and the ended auction would state that), seller is in clear. If auction ended on it's own and you were hight bidder, you have a binding contract. I would contact the listing broker on yachtworld and make them aware of the scenario and that the boat might have some legal issues. At that point, I think the broker will react.
If seller was a schmuck in this deal ... let him squirm a bit.
Seller might kick you a few bucks just to make his other sale go through without a hitch.
sorry you missed on a good boat

 

[Man Hatt'n']

I am again amazed at the amount of good thought and advice available at this forum! Randy, it strikes me that you are very good at thinking on your feet. Does that have anything to do with getting into a lot of situations that require it? Your insight was much appreciated. Roger, merci beaucoup for your very kind offer. After some thought, I think it best to just let it go. Trying to force performance while the seller is in possession of the boat could lead to a less than happy resolution. Please know that I really do appreciate your generous offer to assist. The seller has our contact information and we stand ready to perform if he should find his conscience back. Thanks everyone for your comments and thoughts. Best Regards, Howard in Holland, MI

 

[Sparky1]

Thanks for the compliment... I think. As for me getting into situations that require my being good at thinking on my feet, practice makes perfect.

Good luck with the boat thing.

 

[Brian Degulis]

I'm not sure about how leagaly binding the whole Ebay thing is. My buddy sold his boat 3 times on Ebay and never got a dime from any of the high bidders. Ebay told him all they would do is post a negative comment in the info available on the bogus bidders. I don't know much about it but I don't think an Ebay auction would be considered a binding contract simply because no ones signed anything and no money has been exchanged.

Brian