TOPIC: Registration blues

As some of you know I aquired a 61 Elgin runabout with a running 59 Mark 78AE for free. I have found documentation tracing ownership from the california owner to the person who 'gifted' it to me. Then the signed form transfering the boat to me. The Mo DMV now told me that since the missouri owner did not apply for a title before he gifted it to me, that it now can never be registered or titled in Mo. I really 'fell in love' with this little boat, and was looking forward to restoring. By the way, the last CA registration had a CAZ prefix. That means a 'homebuilt'? Must have been Elgin kit that they sold in the 60's? I thought I read somewhere that Missouri homebuilts are registered if over 16 ft. This one is 14. Well, open for ideas to overcome thing snafu. Maybe give it to someone in a less restrictive state, then buy it back? Would like alternitive ideas thrown my way. THX Daniel

Too bad you don't live here- We just walk in with a signed bill of sale, pay our taxes, and walk out with a registration. Boats aren't titled here, nor are trailers.

The California 'Homebuilt' HIN likely was assigned at a later date, when someone tried to register the boat, and it didn't have a modern HIN on it. Some states require this- And assign a 'state' number to it in lieu of a manufacturers HIN. It is the same type of number that would be assigned to a homebuilt boat.

You might want to read through this thread- It could be a solution-

www.fiberglassics.com/glassic-forums/2-main-forum/31261-anybody-scrapped-an-old-glass-boat-lately.html

I suggest you have a chat with the State Boating Law Administrator. The BLA is the person who oversees all boating laws in the state. Every State has one. Having dealt with this kind of thing for many many years at CGHQ, I find it hard to believe the state does not have some procedure to register your boat. see http://nasbla.org/i4a/member_directory/feResultsListing.cfm?directory_id=3

Angott... Here in Mo the trailers are titles, the boats are titles, and every outboard you might put on it have to be titled seperatly. LOL

I fell your pain. I live in northern Nevada. I have a '56-57 Glasspar Club Lido and have been told by Fish and Game ( yes they handle boat titles ) that NO there is NOTHING you can do to title this boat.@@@@**. I really, really like the boat and want to redo it and put it to use. I'm now looking into a lien title in California and transfer it to here. It will be a few months before I know if it will work. Seems dumb to me, they could be collecting some money and we could keep these classics going into the future. BURACRATS BAH!!

When I got my cruiser this summer I got the right person at the DMV here in MN. I had some of the paperwork and a bill of sale with the wrong member of the married couples signature on it.

The DMV gal said "she will have to sign here" and kind of winked at me, and looked away. After I had "her" sign it in those few moments while DMV person was shuffling papers, all was registered in my name. I think they might not work things that way if the boat wasn't a worthless piece of crap that might sink, but for junkers, the rules can bend a little. I think at one point I said "do you seriously think I would risk jail time for a $100 boat, and equally crappy trailer"?

Do you want to haul your craft up here and let me work my magic on it? In MN anything under 16 does not need a title.

Morning Hugo,

Do you have a relative in a more boat friendly state? If you do, I would have him/her get the boat titled and then transfer it to you.

The police state of PA is just like NV, evidently. I had a conversation with a rep of the PA Fish and Boat Commission who was the very worst example of professionalism regarding a boat that was probably never titled but had been registered. The PO had died and the boat abandoned at a marine repair facility by his son in 1988 - before PA even issued titles. After being screamed at and threatened with the storm troopers kicking in my door, I ended the call and wrote the governor about her behavior. The kicker of the whole call was I remained very respectful of her and her position, as I was not going to lower myself to her level.

There needs to be more user-friendly legislation to alleviate this loophole. The boating community didn't make this problem and 99.99999% of us are totally honest people who want to do things on the straight and narrow. The fault is with the current laws and the arrogant state employees that enforce them overzealously.

kind of going through same thing here in Illinois... purchased boat...no paper work..last registered in Michigan.
Bought w/o paperwork
Had DNR CPO come out for inspection, he blessed me me off.
I filled out all my paperwork, and sent it in.
It all came back with an explanation that I need to have Michigan registration card with my paperwork/
So now I need to go through MICHIGAN to try and get resolved.

I only posted this question once, seems I have 2 seperate listings here. Like I said in the first one. Thanks to everyone who have given advice, I apprieciate your help. Tomorrow I fly out for the holidays. I wish everyone here Happy Holidays, Best of health and life in the coming year, for you and yours. See Y'all in 3 weeks.

I only posted this question once, seems I have 2 seperate listings here. Like I said in the first one. Thanks to everyone who have given advice, I apprieciate your help. Tomorrow I fly out for the holidays. I wish everyone here Happy Holidays, Best of health and life in the coming year, for you and yours. See Y'all in 3 weeks.

If you just knew someone in Kansas you could sell them the boat and motor for a $1.00 then they could sell it back to you for a like amount with a bill of sale. That is all you need to register it in MO. The trailer might be another problem.

Handy Dan; The trailer was a piece of cake. Bought it from a gentleman in Arkansas. He just signed the tile and it is mine in Mo now. As for the boat. I have paperwork showing transfer of ownership to me, just not a title. My paperwork shows transfer to 3 owners, me being the 3rd, since 1984. But in MO they say "If it never was titled, it can never be". Yup, silly stuff.

Handy Dan; The trailer was a piece of cake. Bought it from a gentleman in Arkansas. He just signed the tile and it is mine in Mo now. As for the boat. I have paperwork showing transfer of ownership to me, just not a title. My paperwork shows transfer to 3 owners, me being the 3rd, since 1984. But in MO they say "If it never was titled, it can never be". Yup, silly stuff.