Issue with registering trailer in spring?

[JoshOnt]

I bought a used boat in the fall and only used it once afterwards so I did not register the trailer then but planned to in the spring. The bill of sale was lost in a small fire along with other documents that didn't fit in my safe. I do however have the trailer registration for it. Looking up the requirements it appears that there is a portion on the back of it that you have to have signed by the seller with my information on it. I had no idea I thought I only needed the paper. I have tried to contact the seller thinking the number I had was his cell, turns out it is not. He was moving (divorce caused his to move and sell the boat) so I have no way of contacting him to get another bill of sale nor him to sign the current trailer registration. How screwed am I? Will I have to just use it without the transfer to my name?

 

[oldjeep]

Hard to say without knowing what state you are in. Best bet is always to contact the licensing authority, tell them your story and ask them how to proceed.

 

[Starcraft5834]

as Jeep said, call the issuing authority. there is generally a remedy for most anything..

 

[alldodge]

If Ontario doesn't require a license then don't worry about it. Where I'm at we have titles for the trailers but they don't require a license, so no registration.

 

[JoshOnt]

If Ontario doesn't require a license then don't worry about it. Where I'm at we have titles for the trailers but they don't require a license, so no registration.

Here it is the plates have to be in your name and that is where I run into the issue. I have for the past 3 years used previous boats without getting the plates in my name without issue but I figured since this is a boat I actually plan to keep unlike the last few, I should register it.

 

[redneck joe]

Can you still contact the seller?

 

[JoshOnt]

Can you still contact the seller?

I have no way of contacting the seller, the number I have in my phone is for his old home, I did have him call me from his cell though so I am going to see if I can go that far back in call history. I am trying to sort though my scanned files that were backed up off site and hoping I might find a copy there

 

[smokeonthewater]

Seems to me that by your own admission you have made a habit of ignoring the proper procedures... Skipping out on paying your share and it has now caught up and bitten you in the hiney...

You'll likely find a way out but only after jumping through some hoops.... Maybe learn a lesson and in the future pay the taxes and register when you purchase.

Go to your licensing agency, explain what you have done and inquire on the correct procedure... If they don't know ask for a supervisor and work your way up the food chain until you find the solution or a dead end.

 

[redneck joe]

I have no way of contacting the seller, the number I have in my phone is for his old home, I did have him call me from his cell though so I am going to see if I can go that far back in call history. I am trying to sort though my scanned files that were backed up off site and hoping I might find a copy there

Many time you can log on to your cell account and download history

 

[JoshOnt]

Seems to me that by your own admission you have made a habit of ignoring the proper procedures... Skipping out on paying your share and it has now caught up and bitten you in the hiney...

You'll likely find a way out but only after jumping through some hoops.... Maybe learn a lesson and in the future pay the taxes and register when you purchase.

Go to your licensing agency, explain what you have done and inquire on the correct procedure... If they don't know ask for a supervisor and work your way up the food chain until you find the solution or a dead end.

There was no need to pay the taxes when I bought it since the grace period allowed me to use it just after I bought it and I took it from there to where it is stored now. Paying in the spring is not a bad idea nor is it skipping out on paying it, just delaying paying it so I can collect the 2% interest on it.

 

[smokeonthewater]

But of course there were all the other boats you said you "used without getting plates in your name".....

If you had been doing it right all along you'd have gotten it right this time.... The point isn't to beat you up but rather to illustrate that if you go to the correct gov office at the time of purchase you have a much better chance of getting it right and a much better chance of an easy remedy if there's a problem....

You have been cutting corners and it bit you.

 

[JoshOnt]

But of course there were all the other boats you said you "used without getting plates in your name".....

If you had been doing it right all along you'd have gotten it right this time.... The point isn't to beat you up but rather to illustrate that if you go to the correct gov office at the time of purchase you have a much better chance of getting it right and a much better chance of an easy remedy if there's a problem....

You have been cutting corners and it bit you.

I know I have been cutting corners but that has allowed me to be on the water. Being young and limited on cash you cut lots of corners even safety ones (ran a boat that sunk for a year and a half after we got it back up). I am at a point where I was not going to cut corners but I figured there would not be an issue with registering it in the spring as it made no difference functionality wise. Registered before it goes on the water is registered either way. I could have been in the exact same situation if the fire happened the week after I got it. Here you have a grace period (far as I know) so no rush on it, I did consider doing it within the first couple weeks but decided against it to save on money as I had just drained by usable savings on a much nicer boat than I had.

Either way, I did do the searching of the off site files and turns out the bill of sale was one of the files I thankfully did have there.

 

[JimS123]

I know I have been cutting corners but that has allowed me to be on the water. Being young and limited on cash you cut lots of corners even safety ones

Being young has nothing to do with it. Its a matter of good judgement and accepting personal responsibility. A few bucks for a trailer registration is less than a tank of gas, so it has little effect on being on the water.

When I was young I was also limited on cash. Boating was a luxury. If need be I waited a little longer or worked a little harder.

When I got my first boat I was a teenager living with my parents. If my Dad had seen I was not being safe he would have insisted I sell the boat, or simply do without until I could afford it. His house, his rules. That kind of parental guidance helped me when I was a parent. My 2 boys learned from their Grandpa.

After being an avid boater for over 60 years, its sad when I see irresponsible boaters out there. If they want to hurt themselves, I guess its their perogative. The problem is that they put a lot of other good people at risk.

I certainly hope cutting corners does not mean boating without adequate insurance...

 

[alldodge]

There was no need to pay the taxes when I bought it since the grace period allowed me to use it just after I bought it and I took it from there to where it is stored now. Paying in the spring is not a bad idea nor is it skipping out on paying it, just delaying paying it so I can collect the 2% interest on it.

Don't see an issue, it's legal to do so you did it. If it wasn't for a fire there would be no issue. Everybody gamble's and some times you get snake eyes, some times not. I see most the rest of what your hearing is just noise. It's easy to switch off, unsubscribe to the thread or sit back and watch to see who lets the bone go first

Have a great boating day, spring will be here soon

 

[evinrude enthusiast 93]

in my state u only have to insure a boat that is over 16ft and u only have to register a boat that has a motor if u have a john boat with ors or a trolling min u don't need to be registered or titled. the trailor on the other hand does.

I'm in a similar boat atm I had a 17 ft boat given to me but my neighbor doesn't have the title to the trailer here in ny u can modify the trailer and register it as a home made trailer a lot of people do it given it doesn't have pre existing vin and is not stolen property

 

[jbcurt00]

JoshOnt is in Ontario, Canada

 

[JoshOnt]

in my state u only have to insure a boat that is over 16ft and u only have to register a boat that has a motor if u have a john boat with ors or a trolling min u don't need to be registered or titled. the trailor on the other hand does.

I'm in a similar boat atm I had a 17 ft boat given to me but my neighbor doesn't have the title to the trailer here in ny u can modify the trailer and register it as a home made trailer a lot of people do it given it doesn't have pre existing vin and is not stolen property

In Ontario they are a bit more strict than they are down there in the states. We are not required to have insurance here on under 16ft either but I want liability because of tubing with friends and extended family. Sure it is not needed but rather have it than not and get sued.

As for the trailer, I have gotten an electronic copy now so I am good but the rules around homemade trailers are different. Here you have to prove it was completely homemade or was a different type of trailer and was modified to the current type.

 

[evinrude enthusiast 93]

yeah I'm not soo sure the whole process bc iv never personally had to re register a trailer that I didn't have the title for but I have friends that have done it and ik its possible. as for the insurance I don't tube or anything like that I just fish with my brother and father and we only fish our local small lakes and ponds. so I don't insure mine and most the time in the past its been in canoe. just recently did I obtain my 14ft alpex. haven't even gotten it out yet hopefully this year

 

[JimS123]

Here you have to prove it was completely homemade or was a different type of trailer and was modified to the current type.

Not sure about now, but in NY it used to be that way as well. I registered my first trailer in 1968, and it truly WAS homemade. I had to show receipts for the tires, axle, tube steel for the frame, etc. It took several trips to the DMV before they accepted my proof.

 

[smokeonthewater]

in my state u only have to insure a boat that is over 16ft and u only have to register a boat that has a motor if u have a john boat with ors or a trolling min u don't need to be registered or titled. the trailor on the other hand does.

I'm in a similar boat atm I had a 17 ft boat given to me but my neighbor doesn't have the title to the trailer here in ny u can modify the trailer and register it as a home made trailer a lot of people do it given it doesn't have pre existing vin and is not stolen property

the laws in NY are irrelevant to the O/P AND you have them wrong... if you have a trolling motor on your boat it DOES have to be registered in NY