# Boathouses, Docks, Swim rafts legal question



## Zorba (Jan 24, 2007)

Do the owners of boathouses, docks, and swim rafts have exclusive rights to their use? Could I fish or swim from someone's dock? Dive off someone's swim raft? Fish in somebody's boat house? Or, am I trespassing? I understand that I would be trespassing if I gained access from their private property but, I'm talking about gaining access by water. This would be in Great Lakes and connecting waters.

Had a guy tell me I was trespassing cause I paddled in his boathouse and it got me thinking of the subject. Thanks.


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## Zorba (Jan 24, 2007)

C'mon. Over a hundred views and no one has an opinion on this? 

What if a piece of property bordered a park? And the property owner erected his own personal picnic table in the park adjacent to his property. Would he have exclusive rights to his picnic table? I see this scenario being no different that a dock. Am I wrong?


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Contact the DNRs legal department for a better answer than just an opinion.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Personally I would hesitate going into someone's boat house. A good way to get shot!


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## ibthetrout (Sep 24, 2003)

The Law forum generally frowns on opinions. This is suppose to be the place for answers. Since you asked, I think it's a dick move in most scenarios and I suspect you know that.

To add something more constructive to the discussion, I wonder if it will have anything to do with "attaching" the structure to the property. Riparian rights have always been a little bit confusing. But I thought only the owner of the property could do something like that, making the structure technically private property.

I think as long as you paddled into the boathouse and stayed in your boat and did not touch anything you technically would not be trespassing. Paddle into it and get out and walk around inside and I think you have crossed the line. I am assuming the boathouse is parked in front of the owners property.


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## spartannation (Jan 14, 2016)

ibthetrout said:


> The Law forum generally frowns on opinions. This is suppose to be the place for answers. Since you asked, I think it's a dick move in most scenarios and I suspect you know that.
> 
> To add something more constructive to the discussion, I wonder if it will have anything to do with "attaching" the structure to the property. Riparian rights have always been a little bit confusing. But I thought only the owner of the property could do something like that, making the structure technically private property.
> 
> I think as long as you paddled into the boathouse and stayed in your boat and did not touch anything you technically would not be trespassing. Paddle into it and get out and walk around inside and I think you have crossed the line. I am assuming the boathouse is parked in front of the owners property.


I tend to agree with this. No different than climbing aboard a pontoon moored off shore. I do have another question, though. There is a property owner on a northern Michigan lake that runs a rope with floats from his swim raft to his dock. Not sure if this is to make it easier to get to the raft or to keep boats from trolling between the two. Been like that for years so either it's legal or no ones reported it.


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## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

Riparian rights allow the landowner/waterfront owner to anchor a dock or a swim platform on his 'bottomland'..The dock and swim raft are private property. The person that has an area roped off for his own use is not allowed to do that unless he has a permit for a designated swim area. Lot of rules for a designated swim area. Think- public beach, camp, etc. Boats can navigate between shore and a swim platform at a no wake speed. I'm sure someone would be upset, but it's legal.


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## spartannation (Jan 14, 2016)

Not an area roped off for swimming, a rope running from the end of the dock about 50 or 75 feet to the swim raft. We fish this lake several times a year and always have to go out around this one raft.


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## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

Seems that would be an issue for the CO or Marine Patrol to address with the property owner. That would be a safety /navigation issue.


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## GIDEON (Mar 28, 2008)

Why would anybody paddle into someone else's boat house?


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## spartannation (Jan 14, 2016)

bobberbill said:


> Seems that would be an issue for the CO or Marine Patrol to address with the property owner. That would be a safety /navigation issue.


Yeah, thats what I think,too. I just never wanted to be a snitch.


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## Duckhunter66 (Nov 24, 2013)

In my opinion the boat house and docks are tied to land by a ramp or platform thus being an extension of the land...however floating non attached diving dock/rafts maybe another take. But I am sure if you contact Law Enforcement there take would be if its not yours ..stay off.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

Duckhunter66 said:


> In my opinion the boat house and docks are tied to land by a ramp or platform thus being an extension of the land...however floating non attached diving dock/rafts maybe another take. But I am sure if you contact Law Enforcement there take would be if its not yours ..stay off.


Inland lakes in michigan the landowner owns the bottom rights to the land in front of the property. So you can float a raft and anchor it on the bottom with no issue. It is private property and no one can use it without permission. You also cannot get out of your boat and swim on someone else's bottomland without permission. Entering a boat house without permission would be no different than entering a barn or shed without permission.

As far as the question about running the rope out to the raft that would be up to the discretion of an officer. Docks are legal as long as they are "reasonable". So if a dock impedes safe travel on a lake a landowner can be forced to remove it. That is to keep a person from extending his dock to the middle of a lake just because. I would assume his rope that ties off a raft would fall under those same rules. He can legally have a dock and he can legally have a raft as long as he is not impeding boat traffic in an unsafe manor.


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## Duckhunter66 (Nov 24, 2013)

DirtySteve said:


> Inland lakes in michigan the landowner owns the bottom rights to the land in front of the property. So you can float a raft and anchor it on the bottom with no issue. It is private property and no one can use it without permission. You also cannot get out of your boat and swim on someone else's bottomland without permission. Entering a boat house without permission would be no different than entering a barn or shed without permission.
> 
> As far as the question about running the rope out to the raft that would be up to the discretion of an officer. Docks are legal as long as they are "reasonable". So if a dock impedes safe travel on a lake a landowner can be forced to remove it. That is to keep a person from extending his dock to the middle of a lake just because. I would assume his rope that ties off a raft would fall under those same rules. He can legally have a dock and he can legally have a raft as long as he is not impeding boat traffic in an unsafe manor.



Inland , yes but he said connecting waters of the Great Lakes so that what my answer was based off of...but either way, again if you know its not yours you should stay off.


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## Udhoop (Jun 23, 2021)

GIDEON said:


> Why would anybody paddle into someone else's boat house?


Cause they are ******* and just wanting to prove it?


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## Udhoop (Jun 23, 2021)

bobberbill said:


> Seems that would be an issue for the CO or Marine Patrol to address with the property owner. That would be a safety /navigation issue.


A swim rope running from the end of a dock to a raft would not be considered a navigational hazard unless said raft was in the middle of a narrow straights. We run one to our raft and it has nothing to do with fisherman. It has to do with an ahole driving a pontoon boat between our raft and dock (maybe 25 ft apart) while our 8 year old twin granddaughters were playing on the raft.


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## toto (Feb 16, 2000)

Ibthetrout is correct. Since the land owner owns the bottom soil of the lake, to the center of the lake, it stands to reason that the dock is now private as well. With that in mind, the property owner has that right, and two it becomes appertament to the property meaning, it is part of the property in a sense. 

In you original post you said the Great Lakes and connecting waters, if that is true in speaking of the great lakes, it could get a little murkier on the laws, but I would suspect trespass. But the question really is, if it were your stuff, would you want someone doing what you did?


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## usedtobeayooper (Feb 13, 2008)

Legal or not, why would someone enter someone else's boat house? Would you also walk into someone else's garage and expect them not to be upset? In that scenario, any owner is going to instantly assume you're up to something nefarious. Whether the law allows or explicitly prohibits it, really shouldn't even matter in that scenario in my opinion. It's just common sense and decency to stay out unless invited.

As for the dock and/or raft, probably less intrusive, but c'mon man. Go ahead and cast a lure or two under it, sure... but why would you even want to stop, anchor or moor up, and then climb onto someone else's stuff...?

EDIT: Just adding a note to highlight how old the OP's post was... didn't catch that the first time.


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## toto (Feb 16, 2000)

Hey thanks yooper, I didnt catch the date either.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

usedtobeayooper said:


> Legal or not, why would someone enter someone else's boat house? Would you also walk into someone else's garage and expect them not to be upset? In that scenario, any owner is going to instantly assume you're up to something nefarious. Whether the law allows or explicitly prohibits it, really shouldn't even matter in that scenario in my opinion. It's just common sense and decency to stay out unless invited.
> 
> As for the dock and/or raft, probably less intrusive, but c'mon man. Go ahead and cast a lure or two under it, sure... but why would you even want to stop, anchor or moor up, and then climb onto someone else's stuff...?
> 
> EDIT: Just adding a note to highlight how old the OP's post was... didn't catch that the first time.


I am down in south carolina fishing lake hartwell at the moment. Boat houses/ 
Floating canopies are in front of every house. Half sit empty with no boat. Many of these structures are extravagant double deckers with electricty covered porches ceiling fans etc... Everyone heads into a random house when bad weather hits to ride it out. Nobody seems to care. People are super friendly and they seem more than happy to let you seek shelter in their house.


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