State Rep. Alicia St. Germaine today led the Michigan House in approving legislation aimed at modernizing state law to better support Michigan’s boating industry.

St. Germaine’s plan is designed to create a more practical and timely process for addressing unpaid storage fees and abandoned vessels, reflecting the realities faced by Michigan’s marina and boatyard operators.

“It’s about bringing the law in line with how these businesses operate day to day,” said St. Germaine. “Marina owners and boatyard operators are small business owners, not storage warehouses for abandoned property. They need a process that is fair, predictable, and workable.”

Under current law, marina and boatyard owners are required to wait up to 180 days before initiating a lien process on abandoned or delinquent vessels, even while continuing to incur the costs of storing and maintaining them. House Bill 4708 would allow the lien process to begin after 60 days of nonpayment when no prior lienholder exists, while maintaining the 180-day timeline in cases where a prior lienholder is involved.

“In many cases, it takes eight months or more for a marina to complete the process and remove an abandoned boat from their facility,” St. Germaine said. “This bill doesn’t eliminate due process, it simply shortens the timeline so the process takes closer to six months instead of dragging on unnecessarily.”

“This legislation is about Small Businesses,” St. Germaine said. “Michigan ranks #2 in the nation for total registered boats, just behind Florida. That’s a massive seasonal industry with limited dock and storage space, especially in communities like ours around Lake St. Clair. We’re protecting small businesses and making sure bad actors don’t take advantage of local Marinas and boat repair shops. I hope the Senate will punch the throttle on this one!”

House Bill 4708 received overwhelming bipartisan support in the House, advancing it to the Senate for further consideration.