Abandoned Boat Parked On Shoulder Of Route 50 For 2 Months: Police

BOWIE, MD — For at least two months, a boat has been parked on the shoulder of exit 13A off Route 50 near Bowie. No owner has claimed the boat, which Maryland State Police say seems to have been illegal dumped on a state road's right of way.

“Boat disposal is definitely a challenge for owners and the industry,” David B. Kennedy, the manager of government affairs for BoatUS, the nation's largest organization representing the interests of boat owners, told WUSA.

The boat does have an identification number on its hull and pieces of a Virginia registration on it. The penalties for illegal dumping in Maryland can be up to a $30,000 fine and five years in jail, WUSA reported.

Police plan to call in a salvage truck to remove the boat, according to a state police spokesperson.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources provides reimbursable grants and assistance to public agencies in the removal of abandoned boats and hazardous debris from state waters. According to the Maryland DNR, the last known registered owner shown on the certificate of title issued under §8-715 of the Annotated Code of Maryland is considered prima facie owner of a boat at the time it was abandoned and the person who abandoned it.

The Maryland DNR states that any person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor. Upon conviction, the person is subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both.

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