Abandoned property (fishing boat and trailer)

[David Kelly]

I have a complicated situation that I will try to summarize... A friend of mine had renter that left a boat and trailer on the property. My friend tried to get tenant to remove boat and trailer because my friend need to put the house on the market Tenant said they couldn’t move it for a variety of reasons and told the landlord to have it towed away and that they didn’t care about it anymore. My friend (the landlord) told him that he had 10 days to remove it (according to NC law and the lease that they’d signed) then it’d be towed. On the 11th day it was removed from property. Here’s where I come in. I loaned my friend some tools and my van, to do the home repairs in prep for house on the market (friend lives in PA -and I offered this) Unfortunately, the van got broken into - vandalized :) He had a high deductible so paid some cash and offered for me to take the boat instead of some random tow truck company. I have zero official documentation only documentation from conversations he and I both had with tenant via text and the signed lease (plus emails between tenant and landlord wherein he states he’s intentionally abandoning the boat and trailer). Tenant apparently never registered the boat in NC. last registered in New Hampshire. To top it off, there appears to be no stamped serial number on the boat trailer. I’ve called the manufacturer in Spokane Washington and asked where to look for it (they only do stickers In two places and neither were there. No stamps In The Metal either. Silly. Anyway, would like to either use or sell the boat. Would prefer to have proper documentation. Any advice?