Need Help With Title.

[Jmunk]

I bought a Alumacraft back in January and The guy bought the boat two months prior to be buying it and he never put the title in his name, so he didn't have to pay the personal property tax in Va (don't know why, I'm sure the tax would have been under $30). He bough the boat in maryland, so it was last registered in MD. I saw the title and it had his name filled in on the buyers spot and he had a bill of sale from the last owner. He was to get it put it his name and than mail it to me so I could get the boat registered. Now it is September and he has not got me the title, he keeps giving me exucses like, it is still at fish and game, or lost in the mail, or I filled the form out wrong. Am I able to go through MD and apply for a lost title, or anything like that ? How do I get a title for this boat, i don't think this guy is going to ever send it to me as stated.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Need Help With Title.

contact an attorney, never buy a boat with out clear title. i would have held the money until title cleared.

 

[shamus2]

Re: Need Help With Title.

yeah, maybe he didn;t actually own the boat.....

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Need Help With Title.

So you saw the title. Did you at least get a photocopy of the title and Bill-of-Sale with his name on them?
What does he mean by "or I filled the form out wrong."
What form?

Did the last seller give you a bill of sale?

In Florida, you can have the Department that issues boat registrations print you out all of the names of people who have ever registered the boat in Florida.

Maybe you can do the same with Maryland and Virginia?

Maybe you have a LEO friend that can run the registration numbers on the boat and find out if it has been reported stolen. Or at least obtain the name and address of the currently registered owner.

Then maybe you can go directly to that guy and he can obtain a new title so he can sign it over to you directly?

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: Need Help With Title.

I'm in Va too and just went thru that with a boat I bought in Ga. Ga doesn't title their boats so all you have is the registration. I had to have a copy of that to get a Va title. It seems since it had a current registration he never bothered to put it in his name. I had to threaten with a lawyer to get any action but finally got it. It took Ga 2 months to process the paper work. There is a process where you can get a title. It involves certified letters and a bunch of crap but it can be done. The instructions can be found on the VDGIF web site.

 

[rbryant1492]

Re: Need Help With Title.

There are a few companies that will let you sell them the boat and title it and and sell it back to you.
I would just be sure that the boat is not stolen and you have tried to get the title from the owner before you spend the money for that.

 

[narukami]

Re: Need Help With Title.

I agree with Tashasdaddy.

I am an attorney, and I would never have allowed the transaction to be completed without clear title being transferred at the same time as the money and boat. If the Seller didn't have clear title at the time, your money could have been placed in escrow until the title could be delivered, showing your good faith. Then, if the Seller balked at that, red flags should have been waving furiously in your head.

It doesn't sound like you have any evidence that the seller actually holds title. You say you saw his name on the title and Bill of Sale, but without copies, who knows what it is you saw. My guess is you don't have any proof of the Seller's identification, either. I don't mean to be pessimissitic, but I hate to think of the legal hassles and additional expenses you might have if it turns out the boat was stolen. Best wishes for a happy resolution without too much hassle. Good luck.