Title and registration issues

[Doodie99]

So i picked up my Mainship Mark 1 in September after a 19+ years out of the water and unsure when it was registered last. Unfortunately the former owner has failing health and his mind is going so asking questions was hit or miss. He said it had coast guard documentation but the paperwork location was unknown. I know now that not checking into it further was a bit of a mistake but he was known for 30+ years at the Yacht club. Turns out the Coast guard has no record of it, Mass has no record of it, my State (Mass) requires a Title and Bill of sale or former registration from non-title state and Bill of sale. I only had a Bill of sale a and i found a copy of the Previous bill of sale form the owner pre 1992. After about 38 e-mails back and forth with the Mass EP i got an inspection of the Vessel and it was determined it was most likely never registered since 1992. I am pleased to say that the Mass EP was very nice to deal with.

 

[Chuck34]

Have you searched the vessel really good to see if there is a CG document number etched into a stringer or bulkhead?
I’ve seen numbers in really odd places…you really have to search everywhere.

 

[BandB]

As advice to others, never pay for a boat without receiving the title or documentation. Use a documentation, title and escrow company if necessary, but money doesn't go to seller without the title.

 

[CharlieO.]

So were you able to get a registration?

 

[Doodie99]

So were you able to get a registration?

My 38th email was the Mass EP giving me instructions to send the paperwork the inspector got plus the check and she will process it.

 

[CharlieO.]

Ok, you could have just crossed the border to Vermont for registration.

Glad it worked out for you.

 

[Doodie99]

I was thinking of going north for a registration.
All the states north of me it would have been easy to register but Mass has a 60 day rule at a home port so i think it should be registered here if i could do it.
That was my next option if Mass failed to give me the registration.

 

[CharlieO.]

Yes, plenty of people register in Vermont with just a bill of sale and a HIN/VIN check, then take the Vermont paperwork and register it in their home state. Cars, boats, motorcycles- it doesn't matter as long as it is 15 years old or older.
Glad you got it straightened out.

 

[jleonard]

Yes, plenty of people register in Vermont with just a bill of sale and a HIN/VIN check, then take the Vermont paperwork and register it in their home state. Cars, boats, motorcycles- it doesn't matter as long as it is 15 years old or older.
Glad you got it straightened out.

Yes, my next door neighbor called it "the Vermont loophole". He did that last year to get a 4 wheeler registered here in Florida. All by e mail and snail mail.
But I recall him saying it had to have the VT registration for a year before he could register it in FL.

 

[Chuck34]

My 38th email was the Mass EP giving me instructions to send the paperwork the inspector got plus the check and she will process it.

Did you search the bowels of the boat for a hidden CG doc #?

 

[Doodie99]

Did you search the bowels of the boat for a hidden CG doc #?

I looked everywhere, The Mass EP inspector also looked and there is no numbers we could fine except the HIN number on the back.

 

[bgillroy]

Sounds to me like that old owner in failing health and foggy in the brain nonetheless remains a remarkably crafty fellow indeed and a good actor too.

 

[Doodie99]

my gut feeling is he bought the boat and it was registered to the previous owner in NH or in MA but it was beyond title dates back then and he did not want to pay Mass sales tax so he either registered it in Maine, NH or VT and lost it. or did not want to admit that he did not pay the sales tax.

 

[Slider70]

I had a similar occurrence when buying a boat and trailer that was said to be registered in Alberta. I lived in BC. Turned out I could not register the boat trailer. To be fair the seller told me up front that he was unable to register the trailer as the BC government (Provincial insurance here in BC) would not allow it because there was no record of the trailer with the Alberta Government?

I too tried to register the trailer but couldn't unless I could produce the previous two bills of sale, which I couldn't. I asked if the trailer might be stolen. They said no (question how they would actually know this?) but still demanded the two bills of sale?

I lived beside the lake I was boating on so at that time ignored the trailer plate requirement. On selling the boat and trailer the buyer now had the two bills of sale and could registered the trailer. You gotta love Government!

I guess I could have simply forged a previous bill of sale and pay the tax but not my style.

 

[koliver]

I had a similar occurrence when buying a boat and trailer that was said to be registered in Alberta. I lived in BC. Turned out I could not register the boat trailer. To be fair the seller told me up front that he was unable to register the trailer as the BC government (Provincial insurance here in BC) would not allow it because there was no record of the trailer with the Alberta Government?

I too tried to register the trailer but couldn't unless I could produce the previous two bills of sale, which I couldn't. I asked if the trailer might be stolen. They said no (question how they would actually know this?) but still demanded the two bills of sale?

I lived beside the lake I was boating on so at that time ignored the trailer plate requirement. On selling the boat and trailer the buyer now had the two bills of sale and could registered the trailer. You gotta love Government!

I guess I could have simply forged a previous bill of sale and pay the tax but not my style.

As an added bonus, without registration, the BC gov had no way to assess PST, so you saved 7% of the cost of the trailer.