"s o" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all,

I planned on buying an old small fiberglass boat with an outboard on it
for about $400. The seller has no title or paperwork whatsoever. I
called dmv and they said bring in a bill of sale(like an invoice) and
they'll decide whether I could register it. Has anyone had similar
experience? how else can I get it registered? thanks.

s o


Don't know about California, but many states, including mine (MA) won't
allow registration or issuance of a title without a seller's title. True for
boats and autos/trucks. It used to be that if it was more than some
number of years old, you could register and title with a bill of sale. No
longer. No good reason for this, except it's another way to make sure
everybody has paid sales taxes, over and over and over.

It seems like there used to be a title requirement exception if the boat was
less than so many feet (11?) , but I think that rule has gone by the wayside
also.

RCE