Bought boat, no Hull number now what? NC

[ridnlow]

Hi all, just purchased a project boat, 23 foot center console, that was stolen, was recovered , then sold through a police auction, but had not hull numbers etc, and no title? I am in North Carolina and curious where do I go now? I have the parts to start fixing it up, someone told me to do a home built title for it. Thanks for any help to get on the water.

 

[Beefer]

Re: Bought boat, no Hull number now what? NC

I really know nothing about this, but, I would have thought the auction would have provided you with the documentation necessary to lawfully title/register, especially since it was a police recovery vehicle. Some bill of sale stating it was a recovery vehicle or something. Wouldn't there be a record of the hull number in the police file? Sorry I' m no help...

 

[jdlough]

Re: Bought boat, no Hull number now what? NC

Don't know how legal this is but,

I bought a 30 year old rental skiff in MD. Had no hull number; it's an old plywood boat. The guy wrote me a bill of sale. He then scratched in a maybe 13 digit random number into the hull with a penknife, and wrote that number on the bill of sale. I registered it (paying about 75% of the $100 boat's purchase price), and all official authorities seem happy with this.

2 years later the boat sank. I'm mostly sure Government Karma was not involved.

Jim

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Bought boat, no Hull number now what? NC

call the wildlife folks about a registration... in nc boats are licensed through the wilflife resources commission..

http://www.ncwildlife.org/fs_index_05_boating.htm


good luck with the trailer - the folks in Raleigh are ridiculous about getting a trailer licensed if you don't have a current and valid title to start with.

Hope that's helpful.

 

[ridnlow]

Re: Bought boat, no Hull number now what? NC

ok, I will try NC wildlife to see what they say. I have done a trailer, it was simple got it bonded called DMV inspector he signed papers giving new number for trailer and we stamped it on the trailer. So not sure at all about a boat hull.Thanks all

 

[Lucky Penny]

Re: Bought boat, no Hull number now what? NC

I can only assume that since it was a recovered stolen boat, the original owner settled up the the insurance company, and they just signed it over to the PD. Somewhere on the documentation you received from them there is a number. It may be listed as a serial number rather than a hull number. If it starts with letters (the first three) that is the hull number. Also, boat were not required to have HID's embossed on them until July 1977, boats older than that do not have HID. and only a few manufacters issued serial numbers.

In NC the wildlife folk can look up what ever numbers you have and get you pointed in the right direction.

 

[freddyray21]

Re: Bought boat, no Hull number now what? NC

Indeed. If it was bought at a police auction they should have given you all the papers to get it registered again. Since they know the boat was stolen then recovered as others have said they have the original hull numbers. The state can issue you a new one.

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Bought boat, no Hull number now what? NC

I've had a really pita time with a particular trailer... after getting new ncx number from inspector, stamping it on the trailer, etc... then another inspection and took to local dmv office to send off. first had space instead of dash on the paperork from ins co, then slash instead of dash, finally got dash between two numbers on bond from ins co, sent it in and the state says the bond paperwork "does not appear to be the original" and says they won't do anything else without the original, ins co says that's the original, I'm like wtf?!?!?!.... called, etc... back and forth. state: "doesn't look like the original", ins. co.: "it's the original". the folks in Raleigh at dmv have been absolutely no help and I'm almost ready to either 1. hire an atty to see if they can get it done, or 2. for the time and energy I've had to put into it and the additional hassle, just buy another used trailer with a title and cut this one up and take it to the dump.

I was so frustrated after the impasse that I left it go for some months, started back in on trying to figure it out a coiuple of weeks ago and was due to hear something from someone in the state office last week... will try again tomorrow

sorry to digress / hijack the thread - struck a nerve when i think of how much time and energy I wasted following the appropriate official instructions from one reasonably incompetent person to another. The state inspector was GREAT, it was the people in Raleigh that were absolute ____s. The lady at the local dmv office that had been trying to help was looking like she was ready to fling her telephone through the window more than once....... she was madder than i was at several points...

my experience with nc state dmv has bordered on absurd in two instances... wildelife commission has always been great / easy to deal with.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Bought boat, no Hull number now what? NC

Don't know how legal this is but,

I bought a 30 year old rental skiff in MD. Had no hull number; it's an old plywood boat. The guy wrote me a bill of sale. He then scratched in a maybe 13 digit random number into the hull with a penknife, and wrote that number on the bill of sale. I registered it (paying about 75% of the $100 boat's purchase price), and all official authorities seem happy with this.

2 years later the boat sank. I'm mostly sure Government Karma was not involved.

Jim

A bill of sale worked in MD w/o a title ?

 

[ridnlow]

Re: Bought boat, no Hull number now what? NC

Hi all, thanks for the info, I will try to get the info from the guy I bought it from, all I got was a notarized bill of sale for a hull, with no Hull ID numbers anywhere, the boat is cut up pretty bad, missing everything inside and a 4X5 square cut out of the floor etc, I will see what I can dig up. I think he said he doesn't have any contact or anything from the guy he got it from, so who knows where this will lead me.
Thanks

 

[eavega]

Re: Bought boat, no Hull number now what? NC

I bought a boat in NC with no title. The route that was suggested to me by the NC Wildlife Resource was to try to get the vessel titled and registered under the rules for abandoned vessels, which would seem to apply in this case. You have to get proof that you made a reasonable attempt obtain title from the last owner of record (in my case, the previous owner was deceased, so my proof was sending a certified letter to the person's last known address, and having it returned as undeliverable). I would assume that the police would have some kind of record as to who reported the boat stolen, etc. Once I had the returned letter in hand, it was merely a form that had to be filled out, then Wildlife Resources assigned a hull number to the vessel and it was then registered and titled to me.

-E

 

[fwmud]

Re: Bought boat, no Hull number now what? NC

Have you tried looking on the stern of the boat?
Face the stern of the boat and look on the left hand side for a stamped number.
You may find that helpful.

 

[ridnlow]

Re: Bought boat, no Hull number now what? NC

hi, yes I did looked all over no hull, the original was ground off, so I guess I will go home built boat , since I have to replace the floor, the rear section where the motors mount, etc.