While living in AZ. I sold a van that the new owner took to California.
Since plates went with the vehicle, I left them on.

Do not EVER give someone else your plates. Some states require you to
relinquish the tags upon transfer (or expiration, etc). Giving them to
someone else invites just this sort of problem.

I "forgot" to tell her that California
was looking for her for the parking tickets but after getting the title, I
wrote to California and gave them her address and that was the end of
that.

Given the insanity that is Kalifornia I wouldn't be surprised if she had
some recourse against you for failing to inform her of that. grin But
it's good to hear they actually stopped bugging you for it.

Clams Canino wrote:
"Tom G" wrote in message news:70Xzg.4082

And in Wisconsin, to the North, they aren't even registered or titled.
Furthermore, the only recourse the towing company would have against you
is
to obtain title to the trailer and boat in lieu of storage and towing
fees.
Therefore, it may be that the only reason the police are even bothering
you
is to give notice that the next step unless you wish to pursue the issue
is
to let the towing company proceed. You might call the towing company,
tell
them your story and offer to send them a quit claim to any ownership you
might have in the trailer/boat. It might make it easier for them to
acquire
title. Be sure however to make it clear that you aren't acknowledging
that
you even have any ownership interest anymore.

While the "not a motor vehicle" argument needs to be researched.... in NH
title to said towed vehicle is far from only recourse.

-W

After you sold it, was the trailer ever registered legally by the new
owner?

basskisser wrote:
Clams Canino wrote:
"Tom G" wrote in message news:70Xzg.4082

And in Wisconsin, to the North, they aren't even registered or titled.
Furthermore, the only recourse the towing company would have against you
is
to obtain title to the trailer and boat in lieu of storage and towing
fees.
Therefore, it may be that the only reason the police are even bothering
you
is to give notice that the next step unless you wish to pursue the issue
is
to let the towing company proceed. You might call the towing company,
tell
them your story and offer to send them a quit claim to any ownership you
might have in the trailer/boat. It might make it easier for them to
acquire
title. Be sure however to make it clear that you aren't acknowledging
that
you even have any ownership interest anymore.

While the "not a motor vehicle" argument needs to be researched.... in NH
title to said towed vehicle is far from only recourse.

-W

After you sold it, was the trailer ever registered legally by the new
owner?

Michigan now makes the seller of stuff (car, boat, bike, etc) retain
proof of sale for 18 months -OR- they must accompany the buyer to
Secretary of State to make sure the ownership is transferred. That is
done just for this abandonment reason; the state wants to nail anyone
that dumps a vehicle.. But in your case: 3 years later, yikes. Guess
I should plan on saving my proof of sale receipts a little longer.

I suggest you explain the situation to the chester nh police and see
where they go from there. I would do it in a polite letter and keep a
copy. They may decide that pursuing you a thousand miles away is not
worth their trouble given you are not really the responsible party.

Variations of this happen fairly regularly with wrecked and close to
valueless vehicles. People buy them with some intention of doing
something that never happens. What official paper work there is all
continues to have the original owner's name. Eventually some of these
vehicles get abandoned and the local authorities track the original
owner down. Best bet is to save copies of b-of-s forever.
Particularly in cases where there are reasons for the new owner to not
immediately retitle.

gprimerib wrote:
basskisser wrote:
Clams Canino wrote:
"Tom G" wrote in message news:70Xzg.4082

And in Wisconsin, to the North, they aren't even registered or titled.
Furthermore, the only recourse the towing company would have against you
is
to obtain title to the trailer and boat in lieu of storage and towing
fees.
Therefore, it may be that the only reason the police are even bothering
you
is to give notice that the next step unless you wish to pursue the issue
is
to let the towing company proceed. You might call the towing company,
tell
them your story and offer to send them a quit claim to any ownership you
might have in the trailer/boat. It might make it easier for them to
acquire
title. Be sure however to make it clear that you aren't acknowledging
that
you even have any ownership interest anymore.

While the "not a motor vehicle" argument needs to be researched.... in NH
title to said towed vehicle is far from only recourse.

-W

After you sold it, was the trailer ever registered legally by the new
owner?

Michigan now makes the seller of stuff (car, boat, bike, etc) retain
proof of sale for 18 months -OR- they must accompany the buyer to
Secretary of State to make sure the ownership is transferred. That is
done just for this abandonment reason; the state wants to nail anyone
that dumps a vehicle.. But in your case: 3 years later, yikes. Guess
I should plan on saving my proof of sale receipts a little longer.

"basskisser" wrote in message

After you sold it, was the trailer ever registered legally by the new
owner?


No, thus the lack of a paper trail......

-W

jamesgangnc wrote:
I suggest you explain the situation to the chester nh police and see
where they go from there. I would do it in a polite letter and keep a
copy. They may decide that pursuing you a thousand miles away is not
worth their trouble given you are not really the responsible party.

Variations of this happen fairly regularly with wrecked and close to
valueless vehicles. People buy them with some intention of doing
something that never happens. What official paper work there is all
continues to have the original owner's name. Eventually some of these
vehicles get abandoned and the local authorities track the original
owner down. Best bet is to save copies of b-of-s forever.
Particularly in cases where there are reasons for the new owner to not
immediately retitle.

gprimerib wrote:

basskisser wrote:

Clams Canino wrote:

"Tom G" wrote in message news:70Xzg.4082


And in Wisconsin, to the North, they aren't even registered or titled.
Furthermore, the only recourse the towing company would have against you

is

to obtain title to the trailer and boat in lieu of storage and towing

fees.

Therefore, it may be that the only reason the police are even bothering

you

is to give notice that the next step unless you wish to pursue the issue

is

to let the towing company proceed. You might call the towing company,

tell

them your story and offer to send them a quit claim to any ownership you
might have in the trailer/boat. It might make it easier for them to

acquire

title. Be sure however to make it clear that you aren't acknowledging

that

you even have any ownership interest anymore.

While the "not a motor vehicle" argument needs to be researched.... in NH
title to said towed vehicle is far from only recourse.

-W

After you sold it, was the trailer ever registered legally by the new
owner?

Michigan now makes the seller of stuff (car, boat, bike, etc) retain
proof of sale for 18 months -OR- they must accompany the buyer to
Secretary of State to make sure the ownership is transferred. That is
done just for this abandonment reason; the state wants to nail anyone
that dumps a vehicle.. But in your case: 3 years later, yikes. Guess
I should plan on saving my proof of sale receipts a little longer.



Here, the *seller* is supposed to complete a part of the documentation ,
noting name & address of new buyer. This form is to be presented to the
Registry of Motor vehicles. For the last number of years, the 'plate'
is assigned to the individual, not the vehicle. You keep your plate and
transfer to your next vehicle.

"Clams Canino" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Richard J Kinch" wrote in message
. ..
Hire a lawyer. Not worth that? Pay the fees and fine.

You obviously don't know me - at all.

-W

Kinch is an ambulance chaser, waddaya expect him to say?

On Wed, 02 Aug 2006 04:48:06 +0000, Clams Canino wrote:



The last owner of
record of a motor vehicle found abandoned, as shown by the files of the
department, shall be deemed prima facie to have been the owner of such
motor vehicle at the time it was abandoned and to have been the person who
abandoned the motor vehicle or caused or procured its abandonment.

Prima facie has an interesting meaning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prima_facie

Have you called the Chester Police? I'm guessing a call, and sending any
documentation you might have, might be enough to make this go away.
Believe it or not, I have found putting a counter in front of a bureaucrat
makes them stupid, but they tend to retain their sense of justice. If a
call isn't enough, someone on the other end of the line, should be able to
give you the 35 steps needed to make it go away.

Not that that will do you a lot of good in CA.

I sold a 1970 Nissan pickup. Filed the appropriate DMV paperwork. About
two years later I get a nastygram from some property owner 120 miles away (but
near where the new owner was going to school) telling me to get my truck off
his property. Fortunately I worked with his mom.

I sold a Yamaha motoscooter. Filed the appropriate DMV paperwork. DMV
sent me a registration bill about nine months later. I got that one straightened out
by CA DMV's solution to all wierd problems. It's a form called "Statement of
Facts". It's more or less a blank piece of paper with a place at the bottom to
sign under penalty of perjury. It also straightened out an inheiritance problem.




"Calif Bill" wrote in message nk.net...

"Clams Canino" wrote in message nk.net...
Bill of sale was primarily so new owner could regiter said boat.
As luck would have it we did have a copy.
As **** luck would have it, wife *disposed* of said copy 2 weeks before this
all came down while she was weeding out the files of old stuff. She didn't
have to admit this.... heh

-W

"John Gaquin" wrote in message
. ..

"Clams Canino" wrote in message news:a8Wzg.1881

... This was three years ago. All I
remember was that I gave the guy a bill of sale and that he was from
Londonderry NH.


I gather you didn't keep a copy of the BoS?





In calif, you file a notice with the DMV when you sell a vehicle. Boats included.

On Wed, 02 Aug 2006 14:15:36 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

Tell them you dispute the
ownership and that you require pictures and the documentation to prove
that it MIGHT have been your boat that you sold to a citizen of NH who
then chose to junk the boat on their highway. After all, they have to
prove you owned it and how they came about this information right?

I like that one.