Quote:
Originally Posted by Curm
Because the owner wants to sell the boat. A prospective buyer who is willing to pay for a survey is obviously interested.
The prospective buyer is also a "stranger with whom they have no contractual relation." Why is it ok to let one stranger inspect the boat but not another? The surveyor in this case is acting as the buyer's representative, just as a buyer's broker would be.
What the sellers really fear is a very knowledgable person examining the boat before some poor fish of a buyer has signed on the dotted line.
If the boat is in good condition, no owner should object.
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Precisely because my boat
is in good condition, I would definitely object.
The distinction I am drawing is between a situation where you have a contract with a stranger -- one which stipulates the obligations of all parties to that contract -- and one where you have no relation whatsoever with that stranger.
It's a common misperception that signing "on the dotted line" binds the buyer to pay the offered and accepted price. In a standard boat purchase agreement, it does no such thing. The agreed price is subject to renegotiation or even rescission CONTINGENT UPON THE OUTCOME OF THE SURVEY.
So if you are worried that you will get stuck with some major problem that the surveyor finds, your concerns are misplaced. You can re-negotiate or walk away entirely at your discretion.
In fact, getting the survey in advance would likely place you at a disadvantage in the price negotiations. Without an agreed sales price, you have no figure (except the asking price!!) against which to place the surveyor's repair estimates for any shortcomings that are detected in survey.