Sunken 30-Foot Fishing Boat Behind $1.1M Foreclosed Home Has Neighbors In Affluent Florida Community In Uproar; Legalities Leave City's Hands Tied

In Hallandale Beach, Florida, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports:

• A 30-foot fishing boat that went down more than a month ago is still tangled in legal red tape. The city has been trying to figure out how to get rid of the unnamed vessel, now almost completely submerged behind a foreclosed home in the affluent Golden Isles neighborhood. Neighbors, many living in mansions and with mega-yachts docked nearby, are outraged by the barnacle-encrusted hulk visible from the Sunset Drive bridge. "It's a real mess, major mess," said Marvin Wellen, who lives next door to the foreclosed, $1.1 million home in the 500 block of Oleander Drive. The owner of the house, who also co-owned the boat, is missing.

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• According to property records, Deutsche Bank National in California took possession of the house in February. It is partially boarded up, and a cloud of mosquitoes hovers over the dark, mucky pool. Police and neighbors said rain helped sink the boat after someone snatched its batteries and water pump.

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• Nearly every city department has worked on the problem. They called the U.S. Coast Guard, but officials said the vessel isn't blocking marine traffic or posing any hazards, so they can't help.

For more, see Down with this ship: Hallandale Beach and neighbors want sunken vessel removed (City and neighbors want to get rid of a sunken boat).

See also, WFOR-TV Channel 4: Neighbors Wants City To Remove Sunken Eyesore; or for Channel 4 video, see Unusual Foreclosure Eyesore Battle.