Sec. 15-140o. Seizure of vessel. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 15-140o. Seizure of vessel. (a) Any peace officer authorized to enforce the provisions of sections 15-129, 15-133, 15-133b, 15-133c, 15-140e to 15-140u, inclusive, 15-154 and 15-156 who arrests an operator for a violation of subsection (d) of section 15-133 or section 15-140k, 15-140l, 15-140m or 15-140n may take the vessel operated in such violation into such peace officer's custody and shall cause the same to be taken to and stored in a suitable place. There shall be no liability attached to such peace officer for any damages to such vessel while in such peace officer's custody. All charges necessarily incurred by such peace officer in the performance of such duty shall be a lien upon such vessel. The owner or keeper of any marina or other place where such vessel is stored shall have a lien upon the same for the storage charges and if such vessel has been stored for a period of not less than sixty days, such owner or keeper may sell the same for storage charges owed thereon, provided a notice of intent to sell shall be sent to the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, and the owner of such vessel, if known, five days before the sale of such vessel. If the owner is unknown, such sale shall be advertised by such marina owner or keeper in a newspaper published or having a circulation in the town where such marina or other place is located three times, commencing at least five days before the sale. The proceeds of such sale, after deducting the amount due such marina owner or keeper and all expenses of the peace officer who placed such vessel in storage, shall be paid to the owner of such vessel or such owner's legal representatives, if claimed by such owner or owners at any time within one year from the date of such sale. If such balance is not claimed within said period, it shall escheat to the state.

      (b) Any vessel that is operated by a person who is arrested for a violation of section 15-140n, in connection with such operation, or for a violation of section 15-140l, after being involved in a boating accident, may be impounded for a minimum of forty-eight hours after the arrest. Any vessel involved in a boating accident that results in death, serious physical injury, a missing person or property damage in excess of two thousand dollars may be seized for the collection of evidence and held until the investigation of the boating accident or any related court proceedings are concluded. Any trailer utilized by the operator to transport such vessel may also be impounded to facilitate transport and handling of such vessel.

      (P.A. 89-388, S. 15, 27; P.A. 91-408, S. 7; P.A. 03-244, S. 4.)

      History: P.A. 91-408 amended Subsec. (a) to include a violation of "subsection (d) of section 15-133"; P.A. 03-244 amended Subsec. (a) to include references to peace officer and make technical changes and amended Subsec. (b) to provide for the seizure of a vessel for a minimum of 48 hours, to include such seizure when the operator is arrested for operating the vessel while intoxicated, to add provisions re seizure if the vessel is involved in an accident resulting in death, serious physical injury, missing person or property damage in excess of $2,000 and re impounding of trailer and to make conforming and technical changes.