Is Your Business a Work of Fiction?

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H O R N S W A G G L E D — T H E S E A T O W F R A N C H I S E W A T C H D O G

E P I S O D E 1 2 • M A R C H 2 0 2 6 • F L O R I D A F I C T I T I O U S N A M E S E D I T I O N

⚓ E X C L U S I V E I N V E S T I G A T I O N

They Own Your Name.

Do You Know That?

Florida public records reveal Sea Tow Services International has quietly ( or not so quietly ) registered the fictitious names of at least eleven Florida franchises — placing corporate headquarters between every franchisee and their own business identity.

B Y T H E H O R N S Wa G G L E D C R E W • P U B L I S H E D M A R C H 2 0 2 6

Dear Frochisers and Fellow Travelers of the Deep, In the ancient tradition of buried treasure, Sea Tow has buried something important in Florida's public corporate records — something that may fundamentally change how you think about the business you believe you own. We dug it up. Pull up a dock line and sit down. A search of the Florida Division of Corporations database — the Sunshine State's public registry of business filings — reveals that Sea Tow Services International, Inc. has registered the fictitious business names for at least eleven Florida-based Sea Tow operations. These names are not owned by the franchisees and not the local operators. Sea Tow's own corporate entity.

First, a Navigation Lesson: What Is a Fictitious Name?

In Florida, when a person or company does business under a name that is different from their own legal name, they are required by law — specifically Florida Statute §865.09 — to register that name as a "fictitious name" (commonly called a DBA, or "Doing Business As") with the Florida Division of Corporations.

The registration requirement exists to protect consumers.

When you search for "Sea Tow Tampa Bay," the state wants you to be able to find out exactly who is operating that business. It is a matter of public transparency and accountability.

⚖️ F L O R I D A L A W B A S I C S

Florida Statute §865.09 requires that fictitious names be registered by the actual owner of the business using that name. Registering a fictitious name establishes a legal claim to that operating identity within the state.

The registered owner is the entity that has the legal right to use and control that name in commerce. If that entity transfers, suspends, or cancels that registration, the name can no longer legally be used in Florida without a new filing.

Here is where it gets interesting — and deeply troubling — for Sea Tow franchisees operating in Florida.

The Eleven: Sea Tow's Florida Name Registry

The following fictitious names are all registered to Sea Tow Services International, Inc. with the Florida Division of Corporations, filed between March and October of 2022. Examine the table carefully — especially the "Owner of Record" column:

FICTITIOUS NAME COUNTY FILED

OWNER(S)

OF RECORD

Sea Tow Tampa Bay Hillsborough 3/21/2022

Sea Tow

Services

International, Inc.

Sea Tow Panama City Bay 4/29/2022 Sea Tow Services International, Inc.

Sea Tow Marco

Island Collier 4/29/2022

Sea Tow

Services

International, Inc.

Sea Tow Naples Collier 4/29/2022

Sea Tow

Services

International, Inc.

Sea Tow Destin Escambia 5/2/2022

Sea Tow

Services

International, Inc.

Sea Tow Port St. Joe Multiple 5/2/2022

Sea Tow

Services

International, Inc.

Sea Tow Pensacola Multiple 5/2/2022

Sea Tow

Services

International, Inc.

Sea Tow Key West Monroe 10/18/2022

Sea Tow

International +

Aquanaut

Salvage of the Florida Keys, Inc. ★ Sea Tow Lower Keys Monroe 10/18/2022 Sea Tow International + Aquanaut

FICTITIOUS NAME COUNTY FILED

OWNER(S)

OF RECORD

Salvage of the Florida Keys, Inc. ★ Sea Tow Islamorada/Marathon Monroe 10/18/2022 Sea Tow International + Aquanaut Salvage of the Florida Keys, Inc. ★ Sea Tow Central Florida Lakes Multiple 10/26/2022 Sea Tow International + ES Florida Holdings, Inc.

★ ★ These four were filed as CANCELLATION/RE-REGISTRATION events, meaning a prior registration existed and was cancelled to be replaced with Sea Tow's. Someone previously held these names. Then they didn't. 11

FLORIDA NAMES REGISTERED TO SEA TOW CORP

2022

YEAR OF MASS REGISTRATION

FILED AS CANCELLATIONS OF PRIOR NAMES

The Implication: What This Means for "Your" Business

Let's be painfully direct here, because this isn't a technicality. This is the core of your business identity in your state.

When customers in Tampa Bay search for marine towing services, they search for "Sea Tow Tampa Bay."

When the Coast Guard refers boaters to a member service, they use the local franchise name. Your membership cards say it.

Your vessels say it.

Your advertising says it.

Sea Tow Lower Keys is your business, right?

Except — according to the Florida Division of Corporations — it belongs to Sea Tow Services International, Inc., headquartered in Southold, New York. "You paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the right to operate a business. But who owns the name of that business in the state where you operate?"

If Sea Tow terminates your agreement tomorrow, they still own the fictitious name registration for your territory.

They can hand it to a new operator — or operate it themselves — without so much as a filing fee. You, meanwhile, would be legally prohibited from continuing to operate under that name, even if you had customers who depended on you and equipment you'd purchased at great expense. The registered owner of a Florida fictitious name controls its use. Period.

And in this case, that owner is not you.

Why Would Any Franchisee Agree to This?

That is precisely the question we'd like every current franchisee to sit with today. Did you knowingly transfer or relinquish your right to register your own fictitious name? Did you agree — in writing, with legal counsel present — that Sea Tow International would hold the business name registration for your territory?

Was this disclosed to you before you signed your agreement?

Or did it simply... happen? Did paperwork get filed on SunBiz on your behalf — or without your knowledge — and now the entity you pay royalties to also holds a legal claim over the name you trade under?

Was the fictitious name registration disclosed in any franchise agreement or disclosure document you received?

Did you sign anything specifically authorizing Sea Tow to register your operating name with the State of Florida?

Were you informed that Sea Tow — not you — would be the legal owner of record for your franchise's name?

What happens to that registration if your franchise agreement is terminated — voluntarily or otherwise?

Has your attorney reviewed this registration and explained its implications for the value of your business?

We don't know the answers for every operator on this list. But we know you should. A Pattern Worth Noting: The 2022 Mass Filing All eleven of these registrations were filed within a seven-month window in 2022 — March through October. The timing is striking.

This was not a gradual, ad-hoc administrative process.

This was a coordinated, systematic effort to register these names under corporate ownership. What happened in 2022 that prompted Sea Tow to move so decisively to secure these name registrations?

We'll let you draw your own conclusions.

But it's worth noting that 2022 was also a period of escalating legal proceedings in the Eastern District of New York — proceedings in which questions about the nature of Sea Tow's franchise relationships were front and center.

📋 T H E C A N C E L L A T I O N / R E - R E G I S T R A T I O N P A T T E R N

Four of the eleven registrations — Sea Tow Key West, Sea Tow Lower Keys, Sea Tow Islamorada/Marathon, and Sea Tow Central Florida Lakes — were filed specifically as CANCELLATION/RE-REGISTRATION events.

This means someone else held these fictitious names before Sea Tow International moved to take them over. The prior registration was cancelled, and Sea Tow's ownership was registered in its place.

If you previously held one of these registrations and surrendered it, we'd be very interested to know the circumstances under which that happened.

Are They Coming for Your Name Too?

If you are a Sea Tow franchisee operating in Florida — and your name is not on this list — we have a simple question for you:

How do you know?

The Florida Division of Corporations is a public database.

You can search it right now, today, at search.sunbiz.org.

Look up your franchise's operating name.

See who is listed as the registered owner.

It takes about thirty seconds.

If you find that Sea Tow Services International is listed as the owner of the fictitious name under which you operate — and you didn't knowingly agree to that — you have a very important conversation to have with a franchise attorney before your next payment to corporate is due.

🚨 F O R F R A N C H I S E E S O U T S I D E F L O R I D A

Every state with fictitious name, DBA, or assumed name registration requirements has a public database. This is not a Florida-only issue. If you operate in any state under a name that includes "Sea Tow [Your Territory]," we strongly encourage you to search your own state's corporate database to verify who holds the registration for that name. The pattern documented here in Florida may well extend to other states. We are looking. You should too.

The Bottom Line

You paid for a territory.

You built a business.

You hired crews, purchased vessels, maintained equipment, and cultivated customer relationships — all under a name you believed was yours to use.

The Florida public record tells a different story. In the Sunshine State, eleven franchise operating names are registered not to the operators who built them — but to a corporation in Southold, New York that has simultaneously argued in federal court that it doesn't operate franchises at all.

They own your name. They deny you're a franchisee. And they collect a percentage of your gross revenue.

Call it what you want. We call it Hornswaggled.

— The Hornswaggled Crew Watching the waterways. Reading the filings.

How to Check Your Own Registration

Florida: Visit search.sunbiz.org → Fictitious Name Search → enter your franchise's operating name.

Other States: Search "[your state] fictitious name search" or "[your state] DBA search" — most states maintain public databases of business name registrations. Look for who is listed as the registered owner.

If you find something that concerns you, contact a qualified franchise attorney in your jurisdiction. The FTC Franchise Rule, state franchise registration laws, and state business name statutes each have different protections — and different deadlines for asserting them. Satire & Legal Disclaimer: Hornswaggled is a publication of commentary and investigative analysis regarding matters of public record. All fictitious name records cited in this edition are drawn from the Florida Division of Corporations public database and are public documents. This newsletter does not constitute legal advice. If you have concerns about your franchise agreement, fictitious name registration, or legal exposure, consult a qualified franchise attorney licensed in your jurisdiction. The analysis and editorial conclusions contained herein represent the views of the author and are protected commentary on matters of public record and ongoing federal litigation.

⚓ YES, WE HAVE MERCH

Great to wear for depositions or annual meetings.

Hornswaggled • The Sea Tow Franchise Watchdog • Episode 12 • March 2026 All facts drawn from public court records, regulatory filings, and the Florida Division of Corporations. Ahoy, Mateys and Landlubbers Alike, Ye be askin' who be Hornswaggled?

Aye, that be a question worthy of ponderin', though we may or may not be obliged to give ye a straight answer.

(Ah - before we forget, if this message got to you in a bottle floatin' on the internet and you want the scoop directly from the crow's nest, respond to this email and we will add ya to the list!!!)

We may or may not be:

A single scallywag with a quill and a grudge

A motley crew of seafarin' souls who've been hornswaggled by corporate buccaneers Yer neighbor at the annual meeting, sippin' grog and takin' notes Someone dockin' at a certain harbor on Hummel Avenue as ye read this very scroll Current crew members who've grown weary of sailin' under a tattered flag Former hands what got marooned after years of loyal service Landlubbers with access to the ship's log Ghosts in the rigging what see all and say nothin'... until now Our Mission Be Crystal Clear (even if our identities be foggier than Point Judith): We sail these troubled waters to inspire thoughtful questions about yer business, yer future, and whether the ship ye be sailin' on has sprung more leaks than the captain be admittin'.

We may or may not have witnessed—or been keelhauled by—what some might call a "Frochise" business model (that be a franchise what acts more like a noose than a partnership, savvy?).

We believe the time has come for true transparency to be the new corporate culture. No more hidin' behind the legal fog.

Ye be heading for a legal Malstrom and Ye ought to know when to batten down and make fast the deck tackle.

No more makin' honest sailors walk the plank whilst the officers in the great cabin count their doubloons.

A Word on Our Tales:

Some of our yarns may feature composite characters—a bit of this captain mixed with that first mate, perhaps a dash of a deckhand thrown in for flavor. We do not acknowledge, confirm, or deny that these characters represent any person, living or dead, drowned or saved, real or imagined.

They be as fictional as mermaids... or as real as the Kraken, dependin' on who ye ask. About the Dangers of Our Trade:

Far too many brave souls risk their lives in the marine towing and salvage business.

They battle storms, rogue waves, and vessels in distress—and that be hard enough without also fightin' battles from within their own fleet.

When the greatest danger comes not from Poseidon himself, but from the corporate quarterdeck, something be terribly wrong with how we chart our course. Our Sources and Methods:

All information we provide be based on publicly available documents—court filings, federal records, treasure maps left in plain sight (also known as corporate filings), and such.

We be but humble researchers with library cards and internet connections. IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS (The Boring But Necessary Stuff):

⚓ Document Accuracy:

We not be responsible for any errors, omissions, or deviations from the public record. We caution all readers to read the source documents for themselves. Don't take our word for it—verify with yer own eyes, savvy?

⚓ Satire and Commentary:

We may engage in satire, parody, and rhetorical flourishes for the purpose of provoking thought, which be our First Amendment right as a U.S.-based pirate crew. (Aye, even pirates can be patriots!)

⚓ AI Usage Disclaimer:

Some of our content may be created, enhanced, or assisted by artificial intelligence tools. We be livin' in the future, mateys, where even parrots be digital. Any AI-generated content should be considered part of our creative and analytical process.

⚓ AI Image Generation Disclaimer:

Images accompanying our publications may be generated wholly or partially by artificial intelligence.

These images be for illustrative, satirical, or commentary purposes only. They do not represent real people, real events, or real photographs unless explicitly stated otherwise.

No AI-generated image should be construed as documentary evidence. ⚓ No Legal or Financial Advice:

We not be lawyers, accountants, or licensed advisors of any sort.

We be storytellers, researchers, and question-askers.

Seek ye professional counsel for matters of law and coin.

So, who be Hornswaggled?

We be the voice in the crow's nest yellin' "Hard Alee!" when the corporate ship be headin' for the rocks.

We be the conscience that asks uncomfortable questions at midnight when the watch changes.

We be whoever needs to be, whenever truth needs tellin'.

Or perhaps we be nobody at all—just the wind whistlin' through the riggin', carryin' tales that needed to be told.

The only certainty?

We may or may not be watchin'.

We may or may not be listenin'.

And we may or may not have more stories to tell.

Fair winds and following seas, Hornswaggled We may or may not be a crew.

We may or may not be near ye right now.

We definitely be committed to transparency...

even if we be mysteriously opaque about ourselves.

"In a world of corporate plunder, sometimes ye need pirates to restore honor to the seas."

AI-GENERATED CONTENT DISCLAIMER

AI Involvement

This document was generated using Claude (Anthropic), an artificial intelligence language model, based on analysis of legal documents, court filings, and other materials provided in a project knowledge base. The AI synthesized information from these source documents to create a narrative analysis of the legal proceedings described herein.

Source Materials

The content is derived from:

Court documents filed in Case 2:20-cv-02877-WFK-SIL (U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York) Court documents filed in Case 2:25-cv-02145 (U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York) Legal pleadings, motions, memoranda, and orders Docket entries and case transcripts Attorney correspondence and discovery documents Analytical articles based on public PACER filings All dates, case numbers, document references, and quoted material are derived from these source documents to the best of the AI's ability to accurately represent them.

Not Legal Advice

This document is for informational and analytical purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, and should not be relied upon as such. The analysis, interpretations, and conclusions presented represent one perspective on complex legal proceedings and should not be considered definitive or authoritative. Readers should:

Consult with licensed attorneys for legal advice specific to their situations Independently verify all factual claims and legal citations Review original court documents and filings through PACER or other official sources Recognize that legal proceedings are ongoing and facts may change Limitations and Caveats 1. Interpretation Bias: The narrative structure and framing reflect editorial choices made in synthesizing the material. Other reasonable interpretations of the same documents may exist. 2. Document Access: The AI's analysis is limited to documents provided in the project knowledge base. Other relevant documents may exist that were not analyzed.

3. Temporal Snapshot: This document reflects information available as of October 31, 2025. Court proceedings continue to evolve, and rulings or developments after this date are not included. 4. No Attorney-Client Relationship: Nothing in this document creates an attorney-client relationship between any reader and any person or entity.

5. Verification Recommended: While efforts were made to accurately represent source materials, readers should independently verify all claims, especially before taking any action based on this information. Purpose This document was created to:

Provide a comprehensive narrative timeline of the legal proceedings Synthesize complex legal documents into accessible prose Highlight patterns and connections across multiple filings Support informed discussion of franchise law compliance issues Parties' Rights All parties named in this document retain their full legal rights. Nothing herein should be construed as prejudging the outcome of pending litigation. Courts of competent jurisdiction will make final determinations on all disputed matters.

Public Records

The legal proceedings described herein are matters of public record. Court documents referenced can be accessed through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system at https://pacer.uscourts.gov or by visiting the clerk's office of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Questions or Corrections If you believe any factual statement in this document misrepresents source materials or contains errors, please consult the original court filings for authoritative information.