Title problem

[jrcanoe]

Went to buy a boat yesterday. I asked if seller had Title in hand and he said yes. Should of added in your name to the question. So we get to the notary and I find out boat and trailer were traded to a guy for work done on his house. Then the carpenter traded the boat and motor to the seller for a tractor and 400$ which the seller has a bill of sale explaining. The notary said noway and that the seller had to get the person whose name is on the title to show up with ID. The seller is suppose to call me if he can work this out, but I don't have much hope. I wish I could find a work around because it was a really good deal if I could get every thing legal and in my name.

[Carioca]

We have here in Ca, a form for lost title, just lose your paper and use that if your state has it.

[C Buchs]

In Washington State, I've had to file for lost title before (on a car). They give you a sheriff's title for I think it was two years. After that you get the actual title. I don’t think you can sell until you have the actual title. I’m sure it varies by state. Google lost title and/or sheriff’s title. Hopefully, you can find something for your state. I did a quick search and the first result is http://www.dmv.org/pa-pennsylvania/repl ... -title.php which looks pretty good. The second result is a service to help you for a fee. I would avoid this one.

Good Luck…Jeff

[Russ]

Sounds like you should knock off more on the price for the dirty title. I'd be very careful with this purchase.

In our state, it's possible to get a new title under conditions.

1) A bond must be purchased for the value of the boat/car/whatever
2) The title is not permanent until after 2 years and no contest
There may be more involved, like some kind of search for stolen property.

Make the seller work for it. Good thing the notary was honest (they have to be) else it could get messy if the story doesn't check.
We had a member here with a similar title problem. Turned out the "owner" "found" the boat abandoned. I don't remember the outcome.

[jrcanoe]

It would be easier if the trailer had never been titled in Pa. I brought my current boat from Michigan where they don't title trailers under 3000lbs I just had to show a bill of sale and a copy of Michigan law. But had the boat title signed and notoriesed in Michigan. Not sure if this boat ever was titled in Pa. The title the seller had the notary said was for the trailer even though it had the numbers for both the trailer and boat on the title. I should have known a deal to good to be true would be to good to be true and not gotten my hope up!

[grady]

Not sure if your state will require a inspection or not but for the trailer, I once bought a motorcycle trailer with no paperwork. Went in and said I build a motorcycle trailer and needed a license for it. Boom walked out with the plates. It would be hard to convince the coast guard you built the boat tho.

[Catigale]

Tell the seller to get a good title in his name so he can transfer to you.

[81venture]

Send me a pencil etching of the hull ID # on paper and $75 and i will get you a clear NC title for the boat no problems
Trailer I cannot help with, but I have a few boats and only ONE trailer tag that i move to whatever trailer i am towing at the time, including my trash trailer

No problem on the boat though

do it all the time

[Russ]

Send me a pencil etching of the hull ID # on paper and $75 and i will get you a clear NC title for the boat no problems
Trailer I cannot help with, but I have a few boats and only ONE trailer tag that i move to whatever trailer i am towing at the time, including my trash trailer

No problem on the boat though

do it all the time

You could start a business. I know of some here. We have no sales tax; that will setup a "corporation" for $75 and register your boat/RV whatever without paying sales taxes. Also, we have no inspection so you can slap those plate on and be totally legal. I have friend who did this with his $200k+ RV

--Russ

[81venture]

You could start a business. I know of some here. We have no sales tax; that will setup a "corporation" for $75 and register your boat/RV whatever without paying sales taxes. Also, we have no inspection so you can slap those plate on and be totally legal. I have friend who did this with his $200k+ RV

--Russ

Not a Business....just a little loophole I know about here in NC. If the boat was NEVER registered in NC EVER I can take a pencil etching of the hull ID, $75 Registration fee, and a handwritten letter that I get notarized stating the boat was not registered in NC and came from a private lake in NY (could be anywhere, but we actually DID have a property in NY where the lake was private and no #'s where required.) It works with older boats, and I have become quite good friends with the little dude at NC wildlife. I bring him Rye bread and heinz Sweet pickles (can't get here) that my mom sends for me to give him. So when I show up he assumes I have been back up to see my folks and he believes that we "owned" the lake and when it was developed most of the boats ended up on my grandfathers farm and I have been bringing back every so often. I have titled at least 5 older boats with "hopeless title situations" so far

I couldn't do it with say a 2016 $100k boat, but old 70's and 80's etc they don't bat an eye.

The title would be in MY name, but then I can easily sign it over, and legally, to him.

Just offering to help a forum member.

[Ponaldpe]

Not a Business....just a little loophole I know about here in NC. If the boat was NEVER registered in NC EVER I can take a pencil etching of the hull ID, $75 Registration fee, and a handwritten letter that I get notarized stating the boat was not registered in NC and came from a private lake in NY (could be anywhere, but we actually DID have a property in NY where the lake was private and no #'s where required.) It works with older boats, and I have become quite good friends with the little dude at NC wildlife. I bring him Rye bread and heinz Sweet pickles (can't get here) that my mom sends for me to give him. So when I show up he assumes I have been back up to see my folks and he believes that we "owned" the lake and when it was developed most of the boats ended up on my grandfathers farm and I have been bringing back every so often. I have titled at least 5 older boats with "hopeless title situations" so far

I couldn't do it with say a 2016 $100k boat, but old 70's and 80's etc they don't bat an eye.

The title would be in MY name, but then I can easily sign it over, and legally, to him.

Just offering to help a forum member.

That makes me wonder if other States have a law on the books that works the same, just none of us know about it yet.

[81venture]

Each state is indeed different

I get away with the boat registration thing on OLDER boats...However if it is registered before in NC for example that trick won't work, but there are other ways in that case. In this members case it would simply be as easy as $75 and a handwritten letter.. I don't HAVE to tell him it came from my old childhood lake house, just what i always say..one came from Ohio, etc..

SC for example, going from memory, does not require trailer tags, so I know some folks here who have used that, and a friend in SC, in order to get the paperwork to title an old abandoned trailer for the least amount of fuss..

I am not advocating illegal behavior, but in the interest of saving old boats I bend the rules a little sometimes...

cheers
dave

[Ponaldpe]

Each state is indeed different

I get away with the boat registration thing on OLDER boats...However if it is registered before in NC for example that trick won't work, but there are other ways in that case. In this members case it would simply be as easy as $75 and a handwritten letter.. I don't HAVE to tell him it came from my old childhood lake house, just what i always say..one came from Ohio, etc..

SC for example, going from memory, does not require trailer tags, so I know some folks here who have used that, and a friend in SC, in order to get the paperwork to title an old abandoned trailer for the least amount of fuss..

I am not advocating illegal behavior, but in the interest of saving old boats I bend the rules a little sometimes...

cheers
dave

Well said.

[Catigale]

Don't do this guys. When you get to the point of swearing out false affidavits instead of going the more tortuous routes you can get yourself into big, big trouble.

In the paper and file era, you could play this game. In the era of big data, no.

When dealing with a boat of unknown provenance there is always a chance it's had a brush with LE. That can lead to a lot of electronic scrutiny.

[dlandersson]

Agreed. What is your honor worth?

Don't do this guys. When you get to the point of swearing out false affidavits instead of going the more tortuous routes you can get yourself into big, big trouble.

In the paper and file era, you could play this game. In the era of big data, no.

When dealing with a boat of unknown provenance there is always a chance it's had a brush with LE. That can lead to a lot of electronic scrutiny.