Obtaining title for my boat...

109jb

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
1,590
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.

Thief steals boat. Thief does not register boat. Thief sells boat. New buyer tries to register boat. Now new buyer is in possession of stolen property. Where is the thief in that? He is somewhere with money that isn't his. You think the cops are going to spend any time trying to find him??
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,771
Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

It makes perfect sense to those who understand "why" boat, cars, trucks, cycles, and basically anything with a motor is titled. Why people cannot get PROOF OF OWNERSHIP through their heads is beyond me. Follow the rules and there is no problem. Not transfering title (registering) a boat when you buy one is simply a way to get around paying registration and license fees. Only when you sell it does all of this come home to roost. On the other hand, people continue to BUY improperly registered vehicles and then run into issues when they try to register it. If a seller (the actual registered owner) cannot provide you with a Certificate of Title or Bill of Sale then walk away or be prepared for a paperwork nightmare.
 

Home Cookin'

Fleet Admiral
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
9,715
Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

Forseti I predict you are in for a long journey, especially if your "seller" doesn't want to get involved. Maybe they will hook you up with the donor and you will get lucky. Otherwise, I predict you may find telling a white lie or two in the registration process is your only choice.
 

109jb

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
1,590
Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

It makes perfect sense to those who understand "why" boat, cars, trucks, cycles, and basically anything with a motor is titled. Why people cannot get PROOF OF OWNERSHIP through their heads is beyond me. Follow the rules and there is no problem. Not transfering title (registering) a boat when you buy one is simply a way to get around paying registration and license fees. Only when you sell it does all of this come home to roost. On the other hand, people continue to BUY improperly registered vehicles and then run into issues when they try to register it. If a seller (the actual registered owner) cannot provide you with a Certificate of Title or Bill of Sale then walk away or be prepared for a paperwork nightmare.

Amen brother.

I look at it this way. If I buy something it is MY RESPONSIBILITY to make sure the transaction is conducted in accordance with the laws of BOTH the selling state AND the state where I am going to register/title/keep it. If something goes wrong I have nobody to blame but myself.

As a matter of fact, my current boat I had a problem with and who's fault was it?? MINE!!! I bought my 16' Sea Ray in Wisconsin and brought it home to Illinois. I took the sellers word for it that the boat only had Wisconsin registration and no title. Well, there was a title for the boat and I didn't get it. I can ***** all I want about how the states titling laws are ridiculous, but the fact of the matter is that I knew I was going to look at it, I had time, and I didn't even research whether Wisconsin titled boats like that. If I would have spent 5 minutes on the Wisconsin DNR website I would have known. It was all my fault, no question about it. I got it straightened out but the problems I had I brought on myself.
 

paultjohnson

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 29, 2010
Messages
1,560
Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

I must say that D.M.V. workers are the most miserable and rude people on the planet.

I hear ya brother . Ive wasted many a lunch break trying to stay legal. Go to the DMV and I swear if those people moved any slower they would be going backwards or slip into a coma. 50 people in line and watching them bs amongsts themselves and putz around you would think the place was vacant. Absoulutly NO sence of urgency IMHO!!!! I appologize to the exceptions to this rule, I just havnt seen any...except at a privetly run [non govt] license center...
 

JoLin

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 18, 2007
Messages
5,146
Re: Obtaining title for my boat...

It makes perfect sense to those who understand "why" boat, cars, trucks, cycles, and basically anything with a motor is titled. Why people cannot get PROOF OF OWNERSHIP through their heads is beyond me. Follow the rules and there is no problem. Not transfering title (registering) a boat when you buy one is simply a way to get around paying registration and license fees. Only when you sell it does all of this come home to roost. On the other hand, people continue to BUY improperly registered vehicles and then run into issues when they try to register it. If a seller (the actual registered owner) cannot provide you with a Certificate of Title or Bill of Sale then walk away or be prepared for a paperwork nightmare.

It really is as simple as that. If the paperwork don't match the boat, or the paperwork don't match the seller... or the seller don't have the paperwork, why the heck are you pursuing it? What, there aren't any other boats to buy? You have nothing better to do than spend months and years fighting with the State?

I'd rather be boating.

My .02
 
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