PA boat with no title

79Glastron

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Messages
256
I'm looking at buying a project boat here in PA. The owner bought the boat in NJ and had it over here for a number of years, it still has the NJ numbers and such on the bow. For some reason he lost or misplaced the title. What do I need to do to get a title after the sale? I heard I just need a notarized bill of sale and from there I can get a title and therefore register the boat in my name, right? BTW, the boat is an 80's Avanti about 19' (not a Studebaker), anyone ever hear of this company, I assume NLIB.
Thank for your help
 

Shizzy

Ensign
Joined
Aug 5, 2007
Messages
984
Re: PA boat with no title

Try going down to the DMV with the boat registration number and vin and asking there. when I went to register an old Canoe the lady's first question was what is the old registration number.
 

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767
Re: PA boat with no title

You're in Mechanicsburg. Head over to the Fish & Boat commissions main office on Elmerton Ave. in Harrisburg. They were VERY helpful when I bought my boat which was PA registered but had not been renewed in many years and was never registered by the person I bought it from.
 

The Famous Grouse

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 26, 2008
Messages
291
Re: PA boat with no title

Everything depends on the title laws in your state. You may be able to apply for a title yourself, or you may have to do as I ended up doing this spring and having to have the seller go back and file a "lost title" claim to get a new title.

This was an unholy mess and ended up taking 6 months. First the seller didn't believe me that boats even had titles. Then he finally applied for a title and found out he had a security interest that had never been cleared from the title. Then the credit union that was listed had merged with another. . . Blah, blah, blah, 6 months later I finally have the title.

Bottom line is in the future I'll be telling any seller that can't show a clean title in hand to get one and then call me. Sellers are going to have to get smart about this kind of thing if they expect to sell boats in this market.

Grouse
 

109jb

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
1,590
Re: PA boat with no title

I passed on a nice boat this year for just this reason. I told the seller that once he got a transferable title to give me a call. He did and called me back about 2 months later. I had already bought a different boat at that point.
 

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767
Re: PA boat with no title

In PA, it isn't that big a deal. Especially on an older boat.
 
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