boat and motor title

[dkinslow]

I am new to this website and I don't know if I am in the correct forum or not about my issue. I was given a Marlin 16' open bow boat with a Force 125 engine on it. This boat has been sitting for quite awhile and the deck had rotted. I have removed all of the old wood down to the fiberglass and I am currenly replacing the deck. I am just waiting on some decent weather to finish it. Believe it or not I have enjoyed working on this boat and have taken great pride in the work that I am doing. Now for my problem. There is no title for the boat or motor and I can't locate the owner. I went to the Texas Parks and Wildlife office and I was told that if this was an abandoned boat then the TPW department will pick up the boat and I will have to buy it back at auction. Has anyone here had this problem or know a good solution? Any help would be gratefult. Thank you in advance.
Dean

[rasorinc]

Check nearby states what their policy is. Then register it in another state and re-register it in your state next year. Another thought--Have the coast guard inspect it and give you a certificate of approval to further prove your claim of ownership--Also get a bill of sale from whoever you got it from or just develope one if it is not stolen. Don't
trust the state people they seem to make problems where none exist. Stan

[dkinslow]

Thanks Stan. I have some friends in Arkansas and I will check with them about the title laws there. Appreciate the help.
Dean

[rasorinc]

The states info on boat registration should all be on line.

[PAR]

You can try to fool the state, which is fraud and punishable or you can do it the right way. It's not abandoned it was gifted to you, just not legally yet.

On the transom, in the upper right hand corner will be the boat's HIN (Hull Identification Number) and on the bow will be the state's registration number (the TX number). With this information you can find who it was last registered to. Contact them as they are the legal owner of the boat, not you, until you apply for a new title transfer. This can be done with or without registration. They will have to provide an affidavit attesting to the boat being "gifted" to you or it could simply be a bill of sale for a $1, which can make things easier in some states.

Sometimes the state can be real pains in the ass about this sort of thing. All they really want is the money for a title transfer, renewed registration, knowledge that the title is clear, that any liens have been settled and that you aren't trying to retitle a stolen boat or use a good HIN on a stolen boat (transplanted transom).

Don't tell them that 'ol Jim Bob told me I could have it if I dragged it off. That means you've stolen a boat or at the very least picked up an abandoned boat that wasn't yours to take. What you can tell them is you found it on your property and dragged back to the barn to fix up. You don't know how it got there, but it just showed up one day.

If all else fails (it happens) make the boat as ugly as possible. Use some hot pink house paint, maybe with some purple splashes here and there. I mean a child only a mother could love, especially on the freshly done work. Then report it abandoned, and buy the "worthless piece of junk" from the county. You'll get a clean, new title which you can register when you want, after a week or two of stripping off the pink paint job.

To make the paint come off easy, wax the crap out of the boat (automotive stuff works fine), before painting. You should be able to use a pressure washer to remove the "ugliness" once you get it back home again.

There are services you can use that will get you a title, like www.getnewtitle.com or you can enter the HIN into a sight like www.boathistoryreport.com and find the history of the boat.

[dkinslow]

Very interesting. Since I am unable to find the legal owner I will have to pay for a title. The guy who's property I hauled the boat from told me good luck fnding the owner because he did not know where he was and probably had warrants. I think paying the $350 for a title would be the easiest way to go. The first lesson I learned was to buy a boat with a clean title. Thanks for everyones help on this one.