question[s] about buying boats with no titles
 

mgg wrote:
FWIW, CA issues titles for both boat and trailer.


Same in Illinois. and that to me is the difficult decision on buying an
out of state boat and/or trailor where a title isn't required by the
origional residential state.

I know I can check in with the IL. DMV about a trailer transer and
various state laws, but in IL we don't have a "title" to a boat/craft.
Its a "Water Conservation Certificate" issued by the Dept. of
Conservation.

Getting info from our local office is like 1) finding hens teeth, 2)
then pulling them.

question[s] about buying boats with no titles
 

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 19 Oct 2006 23:14:35 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

OK, I've seen a lot of people selling boats with "no" titles. What's
the deal? Do people just lose them?

There is a little known trick in FL that I have seen used
successfully. First register the boat in a non-title state like
Georgia, and then transfer it again, requesting a new title.


In MA, we got away with avoiding excise taxes for years if the boat was
documented. Finally though, they caught up with us. From what I understand
they sent tax guys out to marinas who walked around taking down boat names,
hailing port names and then checking the CG records (public information).
That year we got letters from both my town of residence and from the town
the boat is in, both demanding excise tax payments.

I just noticed that the CG no longer maintains the on-line documentation
search and it has been moved to a site maintained by NOAA Fisheries, Office
of Science and Technology.

http://www.st.nmfs.gov/st1/CoastGuard/VesselByName.html

Eisboch

question[s] about buying boats with no titles
 

On 19 Oct 2006 21:29:48 -0700, wrote:


mgg wrote:
FWIW, CA issues titles for both boat and trailer.


Same in Illinois. and that to me is the difficult decision on buying an
out of state boat and/or trailor where a title isn't required by the
origional residential state.

I know I can check in with the IL. DMV about a trailer transer and
various state laws, but in IL we don't have a "title" to a boat/craft.
Its a "Water Conservation Certificate" issued by the Dept. of
Conservation.

Getting info from our local office is like 1) finding hens teeth, 2)
then pulling them.

Until the late 1990s Pennsylvania did not require titles on jetskis
(and I assume certain small boats). I had two jetskis with no title.
Then I bought a Seadoo via ebay that was in NY which had no title
requirement. I got a notarized bill of sale (I also went with the
owner to his bank and wrote the payoff check to the bank so I knew
they had no lein on it). In Pa they were now requiring titles
(unbeknownest to me) so they tried to give me a hard time, but a
loacal notary and licensing service put all of the paperwork through
and got the new title. I have lived in two states (PA and WV) and in
both there are title service companies that people use to transfer
titles when doing private vehicle sales. These companies tend to know
all of the ins and outs of titling in the stae and for a relatively
minor fee can get these things through the process. I don't know if
such services are regularly available in IL, but if so I would bet
that they can get you through the red tape rather easily.

Dave Hall

question[s] about buying boats with no titles
 

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On 19 Oct 2006 16:02:30 -0700, wrote:

OK, I've seen a lot of people selling boats with "no" titles. What's
the deal? Do people just lose them?

There are states that don't issue titles for boats - CT is one of
them.

As is Georgia

question[s] about buying boats with no titles
 

In nc a title is optional on a boat. A registration is required and
does have to have the hull id number. There is the option of paying
more and getting a title as well as a registration. Three year
registrations are available as well and that's the route I take. The
registration also includes a sticker to go on the boat. Dept of
wildlife deals with boats in nc. They share registration info with
local government who generally treats the boat as taxable personal
property.

Trailers in nc are treated as vehicles and any over a quite small size
require title, registration, and tags. The dmv people handle all that.

I managed to get away without renewing my boat trailer tags for 10
years before I was caught by a park ranger that must not have had
enough to do. He went through the parking lot at th elocal ramp and
then sat and waiting for people to retunr on their boat and try to
leave. Then he would pull you over still in the state park land which
operated the ramp with flashing lights and all. I went to court with
my new registration and the ada say very good and that was the end, no
fine. I figure a trip to the court house was worth 10 years worth of
not paying for tag renewal. Funny thing is I've been all over nc, sc,
and va with the boat and it took 10 years for anyone to decide it was
worth stopping me.

Dave Hall wrote:
On 19 Oct 2006 21:29:48 -0700, wrote:


mgg wrote:
FWIW, CA issues titles for both boat and trailer.


Same in Illinois. and that to me is the difficult decision on buying an
out of state boat and/or trailor where a title isn't required by the
origional residential state.

I know I can check in with the IL. DMV about a trailer transer and
various state laws, but in IL we don't have a "title" to a boat/craft.
Its a "Water Conservation Certificate" issued by the Dept. of
Conservation.

Getting info from our local office is like 1) finding hens teeth, 2)
then pulling them.

Until the late 1990s Pennsylvania did not require titles on jetskis
(and I assume certain small boats). I had two jetskis with no title.
Then I bought a Seadoo via ebay that was in NY which had no title
requirement. I got a notarized bill of sale (I also went with the
owner to his bank and wrote the payoff check to the bank so I knew
they had no lein on it). In Pa they were now requiring titles
(unbeknownest to me) so they tried to give me a hard time, but a
loacal notary and licensing service put all of the paperwork through
and got the new title. I have lived in two states (PA and WV) and in
both there are title service companies that people use to transfer
titles when doing private vehicle sales. These companies tend to know
all of the ins and outs of titling in the stae and for a relatively
minor fee can get these things through the process. I don't know if
such services are regularly available in IL, but if so I would bet
that they can get you through the red tape rather easily.

Dave Hall