Alabama § 33-5A-5 - Disposal of Certain Abandoned and Derelict Vessels.

§ 33-5A-5. Disposal of Certain Abandoned and Derelict Vessels.

(a)(1) The agency, without a court order, may sell by negotiation, dispose of as junk, donate, or destroy an abandoned or derelict vessel that is not redeemed within 30 days if the vessel, as determined by an independent appraiser, is worth less than the cost of selling the vessel. For purposes of this section, the cost of selling the vessel means the total estimated cost, as determined by the agency, of the vessel’s seizure, removal, storage, advertisement, appraisal, auction, and court costs.

(2) The appraiser may be a boat seller or a licensed marine surveyor and must have at least one year of experience in the sale, purchase, or appraisal of vessels.

(b) Prior to the sale, disposal, donation, or destruction of the vessel, the agency shall advertise the vessel once in a public advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the vessel was located.

(c) Prior to the sale, disposal, donation, or destruction of the vessel, the owner or lienholder may redeem the vessel by paying all costs incurred in the seizure, removal, storage, appraisal, and advertisement of the vessel.