Marine salvage act

[Derek Smith]

Can anyone help wth regards to the legislation for land based salvage.

I am specifically talking about rights to 150 or so 8' x 8" x 4" planks of lovely hard wood washed up on a beach, oddly enough near to where I walk my dog of a morning. All purely hypothetical of course.

[martinmac]

The law states that you can take them but must make all reasonable attempts to contact the owner. With expensive stuff this will usually involve the insurance company.
In this case it will be pretty much impossible to work out who they are owned by and in this modern age with recycling I would have thought you would be acting in the public interest to tidy up.

[JulianHJ]

Derek Smith said:

Can anyone help wth regards to the legislation for land based salvage.

I am specifically talking about rights to 150 or so 8' x 8" x 4" planks of lovely hard wood washed up on a beach, oddly enough near to where I walk my dog of a morning. All purely hypothetical of course.

Hi Derek,

We've been briefed on this - it's cargo from the Ice Prince. You have to contact the official Receiver of Wreck (in Weymouth apparently) within 28 days.

It is an offence to conceal or keep possession of cargo and refuse to surrender it.

A few of the Sussex councils are closing the beaches to prevent the public salvaging the wood (Worthing for example).

Private contractors are apparently handling the clean up.

HTH

[Derek Smith]

JulianHJ said:

Derek Smith said:

Can anyone help wth regards to the legislation for land based salvage.

I am specifically talking about rights to 150 or so 8' x 8" x 4" planks of lovely hard wood washed up on a beach, oddly enough near to where I walk my dog of a morning. All purely hypothetical of course.

Hi Derek,

We've been briefed on this - it's cargo from the Ice Prince. You have to contact the official Receiver of Wreck (in Weymouth apparently) within 28 days.

It is an offence to conceal or keep possession of cargo and refuse to surrender it.

A few of the Sussex councils are closing the beaches to prevent the public salvaging the wood (Worthing for example).

Private contractors are apparently handling the clean up.

HTH

Thanks for that. I probably won't bother but it's nice to know in future. I've got cockerteils so frequently scavange the beaches for cuttle bones but I put them in a plastic bag. 150 planks of wood - with lots more visible out to sea - is a bit too much.

I did actually read the marine salvage act some years ago and knew that salavaging the wood at sea would give me a lein on it. But I must have skim read the rest.

It looks a nice bit of wood. It must be quite heavy as it floats very low in the water.

[JulianHJ]

There's nearly three thousand tonnes of the stuff.

A couple of links here:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-13014...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7189617.stm

[Chrisgr31]

JulianHJ said:

Derek Smith said:

Can anyone help wth regards to the legislation for land based salvage.

I am specifically talking about rights to 150 or so 8' x 8" x 4" planks of lovely hard wood washed up on a beach, oddly enough near to where I walk my dog of a morning. All purely hypothetical of course.

Hi Derek,

We've been briefed on this - it's cargo from the Ice Prince. You have to contact the official Receiver of Wreck (in Weymouth apparently) within 28 days.

It is an offence to conceal or keep possession of cargo and refuse to surrender it.

A few of the Sussex councils are closing the beaches to prevent the public salvaging the wood (Worthing for example).

Private contractors are apparently handling the clean up.

HTH

Hmmm and are the private contractors being paid to handle the clear up? Although I suppose the cost is paid by the insurers?

[JulianHJ]

Chrisgr31 said:

JulianHJ said:

Derek Smith said:

Can anyone help wth regards to the legislation for land based salvage.

I am specifically talking about rights to 150 or so 8' x 8" x 4" planks of lovely hard wood washed up on a beach, oddly enough near to where I walk my dog of a morning. All purely hypothetical of course.

Hi Derek,

We've been briefed on this - it's cargo from the Ice Prince. You have to contact the official Receiver of Wreck (in Weymouth apparently) within 28 days.

It is an offence to conceal or keep possession of cargo and refuse to surrender it.

A few of the Sussex councils are closing the beaches to prevent the public salvaging the wood (Worthing for example).

Private contractors are apparently handling the clean up.

HTH

Hmmm and are the private contractors being paid to handle the clear up? Although I suppose the cost is paid by the insurers?

Must be acting on behalf of the insurer/Receiver of Wreck

[streaky]

Chrisgr31 said:

JulianHJ said:

Derek Smith said:

Can anyone help wth regards to the legislation for land based salvage.

I am specifically talking about rights to 150 or so 8' x 8" x 4" planks of lovely hard wood washed up on a beach, oddly enough near to where I walk my dog of a morning. All purely hypothetical of course.

Hi Derek,

We've been briefed on this - it's cargo from the Ice Prince. You have to contact the official Receiver of Wreck (in Weymouth apparently) within 28 days.

It is an offence to conceal or keep possession of cargo and refuse to surrender it.

A few of the Sussex councils are closing the beaches to prevent the public salvaging the wood (Worthing for example).

Private contractors are apparently handling the clean up.

HTH

Hmmm and are the private contractors being paid to handle the clear up? Although I suppose the cost is paid by the insurers?

And what's the betting it ends up in landfill? - Streaky

[Balmoral Green]

streaky said:

And what's the betting it ends up in landfill? - Streaky

It does make you wonder if the cheapest and most satisfactory clear up solution would be to let the public help themselves. It's probably not commercially worthwhile for the legitimate owners to recover it now anyway, soiled as it is.

[JulianHJ]

Balmoral Green said:

streaky said:

And what's the betting it ends up in landfill? - Streaky

It does make you wonder if the cheapest and most satisfactory clear up solution would be to let the public help themselves. It's probably not commercially worthwhile for the legitimate owners to recover it now anyway, soiled as it is.

Absolutely. Wood that has been well and truly soaked for a few days in sea water? Fill yer boots.

Or not as the case may be. I guess they don't want another Branscombe.

[Chrispy Porker]

Er this piece of driftwood is quite big then.

[Derek Smith]

Balmoral Green said:

streaky said:

And what's the betting it ends up in landfill? - Streaky

It does make you wonder if the cheapest and most satisfactory clear up solution would be to let the public help themselves. It's probably not commercially worthwhile for the legitimate owners to recover it now anyway, soiled as it is.

I had a caller passed through to me by an exhausted controller. It seems that a council worker had made what he called a citizen’s arrest of a woman whom he caught stealing wood from the side of the road. Simple enough, one might have thought, but it was a bit more complex than that.

The wood turned out to be trees blown down in a gale. The council worker had been detailed to cut up the trees and then burn them where they fell. A woman, who wanted the wood to burn herself on a closed fire that ran her central heating, had been caught ‘red-handed’ by this chap loading them into the back of her Volvo 9-series estate. This had not been difficult as she had pulled up about 20 feet from the chap, had said hello and then started loading.

I asked the obvious questions but got nowhere so I phoned the local council offices and got through to this bloke’s boss who said that they can’t let the public take the wood as some of it was quite valuable and could be used to make name plaques for houses. I said that the woman wanted if for burning and got the reply that this would add to global warming and smog (in the Ashdown Forest. They get a lot of it there.) I pointed out that the council worker was under instructions to burn the wood where it fell. He said he would prefer to let it rot. I pointed out that this too would add to carbon emissions. We had quite a discussion about that.

I told the worker to let the woman go and attend a police station to make a report. He refused. I spoke with the woman and said that we’d send a police officer. He turned up, was totally bemused, cautioned the bloke for lighting a fire within 50’ of the centre of the carriageway, and then let the woman go. I got a phone call from the council boss who said that by allowing the woman to get away with all that wood we were encouraging anarchy. I asked him for a value on the wood stolen, one that took into account the fact that it was being burned in any case. He said that wasn’t the point, it was the council’s wood. I pointed out that the woman lived in the council’s area, paid her rates so, one would assume, had some rights to the wood in any case. I never did get a Christmas card from the chap.

It’s a strange world.

[Balmoral Green]

Surprised that didn't turn into a 'Council worker reports theft, gets cautioned himself, Police are muppets' story.

[JulianHJ]

Derek Smith said:

Stuff

Ahh, the joys of working with the public!

Edited by JulianHJ on Sunday 20th January 22:12

[Chrispy Porker]

O/T but True.

Someone brought a lost cat to the station and I was instucted to take it to the Dogs Home.

Jobsworth at the door said 'have you got the form?'
Me. 'What form?'
JW ' the lost dog form'
Me ' it isn't a dog, it's a cat.'
JW ' Can't take it without a form'
Me 'I don't have a form for cats, only dogs'
JW ' that does not matter I need the form'
Me ' Wait one moment'

I then got a form for lost dogs under the Dogs Act 1906.
Everywhere on the form where it said 'Dog' I struck through and put 'Cat'
Under 'Breed' I put 'Cat'

I then gave my handiwork to JW.

He was happy then.

[Red Devil]

Chrispy Porker said:

O/T but True.

Someone brought a lost cat to the station and I was instucted to take it to the Dogs Home.

Jobsworth at the door said 'have you got the form?'
Me. 'What form?'
JW ' the lost dog form'
Me ' it isn't a dog, it's a cat.'
JW ' Can't take it without a form'
Me 'I don't have a form for cats, only dogs'
JW ' that does not matter I need the form'
Me ' Wait one moment'

I then got a form for lost dogs under the Dogs Act 1906.
Everywhere on the form where it said 'Dog' I struck through and put 'Cat'
Under 'Breed' I put 'Cat'

I then gave my handiwork to JW.

He was happy then.

You couldn't make it up

[Chrisgr31]

Derek Smith said:

The wood turned out to be trees blown down in a gale. The council worker had been detailed to cut up the trees and then burn them where they fell. A woman, who wanted the wood to burn herself on a closed fire that ran her central heating, had been caught ‘red-handed’ by this chap loading them into the back of her Volvo 9-series estate. This had not been difficult as she had pulled up about 20 feet from the chap, had said hello and then started loading.

I asked the obvious questions but got nowhere so I phoned the local council offices and got through to this bloke’s boss who said that they can’t let the public take the wood as some of it was quite valuable and could be used to make name plaques for houses. I said that the woman wanted if for burning and got the reply that this would add to global warming and smog (in the Ashdown Forest. They get a lot of it there.) I pointed out that the council worker was under instructions to burn the wood where it fell. He said he would prefer to let it rot. I pointed out that this too would add to carbon emissions. We had quite a discussion about that.

This incident took place on Ashdown Forest? You used to be able to take wood from Ashdown Forest, just needewd to tell them in advance. However I note from this http://www.ashdownforest.org/docs/Wood%20Permit%20... the regulations changed last year.

[Derek Smith]

Chrisgr31 said:

This incident took place on Ashdown Forest?

It was near Broadstone Warren scout(?) camp. I'm not too sure of the geography around there. Is that still Ashdown Forest for the purposes of the Forestry Commission?

[cptsideways]

So if I'm out windsurfing off portland & get a hurt by said lumps of wood (quite probable) who'd liable for my injuries? Bet they would'nt be claiming the stuff then.


PS: This is hypothetical, won't catch me out there right now

[streaky]

cptsideways said:

So if I'm out windsurfing off portland & get a hurt by said lumps of wood ...

Don't worry, the Bill will deal with it - Streaky