Obtaining title for my boat...

[HollaGeo]

I bought a 15 foot Checkmate (1975) without proper paperwork. As I begin the process to obtain the paperwork, I must say that D.M.V. workers are the most miserable and rude people on the planet. I realize what I did wrong and am trying to fix the problem.

 

[HollaGeo]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

I found a company on the internet that finds lost titles. Thoughts???

 

[jayhanig]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

I found a company on the internet that finds lost titles. Thoughts???

I know folks who have used them successfully for motorcycles but I don't know about boats. Here's a link to one I've seen used:http://www.broadwaytitle.com/how.htm

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

move to a state that doesn't have boat titles... problem solved!

 

[bosn buddy]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

I had a similar problem. I bought a boat from a Mr. "A". DMV said boat did not belong to Mr. "A" but did belong to Mr. "B". I wrote to Mr. "B" and asked did I have his boat? He wrote back with a copy of Bill of Sale and transfer of title to Mr. "A". DMV was satisfied and I got a clear title

 

[DuckHunterJon]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

Went through this earlier in the summer, except no money changed hands until it was cleared up. The seller never registered it and as such, couldn't sell it. I tried contacting the previous owner, he wanted nothing to do with it. The only way out of it was to have the seller register it (he wasn't happy about paying sales tax, but then, he didn't want to not sell the boat either). All in all, took almost 3 months to fix, but finally got the boat and enjoyed it for the remainder of the summer.

Depending on the state your are in, you could be in for a long, arduous process - or you could be screwed. Some states are easier than others, but none are easy. Good luck.

 

[Ebola]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

If there is a title on the boat, I don't think that would work. It would probably show up as being owned by someone other than you friend.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

It's all about what the clerk had for breakfast that day.

The absurd process is tempting honest men to falsify government documents.

 

[HollaGeo]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

The D.M.V. is mailing me an abandoned boat package. What that entails and what that can do for me is still a mystery. I'm gonna do everything required as per D.M.V. We'll see where it gets me...

 

[jayhanig]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

It's all about what the clerk had for breakfast that day.

The absurd process is tempting honest men to falsify government documents.

Well, they bring it on themselves by making it so difficult for honest men to get what they need. As far as I'm concerned the worst part is that you have to do this sort of thing not because you are dishonest but because the guy you bought the boat from is. But in the end, you're the one who is being punished rather than the bum too cheap to register his boat.

 

[HollaGeo]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

I think there should be criteria. If you are trying to get a title for a newer boat that's worth $30K, I can understand. If you are trying to get a title for a 1975 boat that worth's a few hundred bucks, they should hand you over a title. I am sure the end result is going to be me getting a title for a 15 foot boat and titling and registering my boat as such. Any of you got a title???

 

[109jb]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

I think there should be criteria. If you are trying to get a title for a newer boat that's worth $30K, I can understand. If you are trying to get a title for a 1975 boat that worth's a few hundred bucks, they should hand you over a title. I am sure the end result is going to be me getting a title for a 15 foot boat and titling and registering my boat as such. Any of you got a title???

Ummm no, I don't agree at all with the above statements. By that reasoning a title would be useless and the old "possession is.." argument would come into play. A 1975 boat that's worth a few hundred bucks? I sold one last year in not particularly excellent shape for $1400. So now extend this same thinking to cars. If its a 1975 car that's only worth a few hundred bucks it shouldn't have a title either, right? Well I have a 1970 car that is worth more than my 2003 truck. How does the clerk at the DMV or DNR, or whatever know the value of a specific vehicle?

What if someone steals my 1975 boat and then sells it. With your logic, the new buyer goes and gets a title on my stolen boat, and the thief gets the money, no problem right. Things like boats and cars are titled and have unique identification numbers for a reason.

Either it has a title or it doesn't, not an expiring one. What needs to happen is that states need to be uniform in what is and isn't titled, and buyers, myself included, need to know what paperwork is needed when buying a boat or just pass it by.

 

[jayhanig]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

What if someone steals my 1975 boat and then sells it. With your logic, the new buyer goes and gets a title on my stolen boat, and the thief gets the money, no problem right. Things like boats and cars are titled and have unique identification numbers for a reason.

Shouldn't it be possible to determine whether the boat, car, or trailer is stolen? Assuming it's not, THEN they ought to show some flexibility in granting a new title.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

The whole problem is that the title laws now apply to every boat with a motor, and also that clerks are not allowed to use common sense and bend some rules.

There is a reason that there are titles on automobiles and not on riding lawn mowers. In my opinion, a small boat, with or without a motor, is like a riding lawn mower. No reason we can't buy, own and sell them without titles and registration. And the "what if it's stolen" argument applies to anything you own.

For boats under 14', more than 20 years old, or less than $800, the clerks ought to be able to accept a sworn statement from the applicant that his seller did not give him a title/registration. Or the seller has to sign a bill of sale so stating, or that it ws lost. I seriously doubt this will cause a burgeoning black market in 12' jon boats.

We went through hell trying to register a bunch of old jon boats at the hunt club when they changed the requirement from < 10 hp to all motors. And without registration, you can't get insurance. What a waste of time and effort.

 

[109jb]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

I'm not saying every boat should have a title. The post I was replying to basically said a old cheap boat's title shouldn't mean anything, but what is an "old, cheap" boat. If the state enacted a length limit like many have then thats fine but think about the ramifications. Wisconsin for example does not title motorboats under 16 feet, they only register them. This makes sense because there isn't a lot of money in stealing and selling those 15' boats, but if no boats had titles then that $10,000 20' bowrider is a lot easier to steal and sell for the thief. With a title, that boat could not be registered and is a lot less likely that the common thief could sell it.

As for the lawn mower, how many lawn mowers sit outside next to the garage on a trailer, and how many are tied to a slip miles away from a person's home.

 

[109jb]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

Oh yeah. Forgot to mention that the REAL problem is that states are not uniform in how they do it. Wisconsin does it different than Illinois who does it different than Florida. If the states were uniform in their approach then most of this problem would go away.

 

[HollaGeo]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

The ultimate solution is not to sell a boat if you don't have the right/proper documentation. I got myself into this situation and as a grown man, I have to fix this. I received the abandoned boat package in the mail today. It'll take me weeks to fill this in. Make no sense...

 

[HollaGeo]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

I still stand by my comment. Even if you stole the boat, you would still have to give the D.M.V. your name, D.L. # and a H.I.N. #. Report the boat stolen, give the H.I.N. to the police, and D.M.V. traces it back to the theif.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

How many people buy a used boat from a private party without ever knowing the sellers name?
It real matters not if your state requires titles or not.
And it does not matter how complicated it is to get new title work via the state.
The problem lies with buyers unknowingly buying the boats that do not have the proper paperwork.
Therefore the state makes it a major headache to obtain the proper paperwork.
They figure the word will eventually get around that you need to have a clear title, just like it is for motor vehicles.

Alabama just implemented a new law that a scrapyard cant take in any motor vehicle for scrap unless it has a clear title upon entering the scrapyard.

 

[Forseti]

Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

I have a question regarding a jet ski trailer. I live in Florida and I saw on Craigslist a FREE jetski and trailer "for parts" so I called. The people that had it was a church and they say it was donated back in early 2007 and they just want it gone because its been sitting. I went and got it and the ski is old and trashed but the trailer is a 2003 magictilt and way better than the one my ski is on. I called he church to see about some sort of bill of sale for the trailer and they dont want to do one ...... how would I go about getting the trailer in my name since I dont know the original owner and the church wont to a bill of sale ?