Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

[89cruisers]

Well my project boat has hit a wall, I have the bill of sale from the owner of the repair shop that I bought it from (was being sold due to the owner couldn't pay) and from the info I had, and was told by my buddy, I could go to the SOS (DMV) and with the bill of sale and hull id # they would look it up and make sure everything is all good and title it in my name, well last week that did not happen, I was told I need the title or have it bonded by an insurance company. Well I spent $40 on a person search for the previous owner, left a message but never got a call back. Does anyone know any ways around this? I found on here that I could say I bought it from someone in Kansas which does not require titles for boats, is this indeed true? is there a more legit way to get a title?

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

Sounds like the shop owner sold you what COULD be construed as a stolen boat..... until he has placed a mechanic's lien on it, followed the state's auction process and applied for a title on it (or received at least a bill of sale from the owner) he has no right to sell it..... Talk to a lawyer about it. You may have to take the shop owner to court and you may have to just take a loss..... If you choose to lie and state that you bought the boat in another state at least read up on the penalties for committing fraud and "theft by deception".... You may well decide that it isn't worth the risk.

 

[89cruisers]

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

Well I called the previous owner, and surely if it was stolen he would have called me right back, I might try going by his house tomorrow. The shop is also a reputable shop around here so I highly doubt he would try selling off a stolen boat

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

not stolen as in taken at night but stolen as in sold without the legal right to do so.....
If you have a bill of sale from the shop you are most likely covered legally but that doesn't automatically get you a title and you run the risk of the titled owner claiming his boat if he still has a title and you have no legal claim to it except a bill of sale from someone who has shown no legal rights to the boat.... This has the potential to get really sticky for you.

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

Don't go to the owner.
It is between the the seller and you.
make the seller figure it all out.

 

[89cruisers]

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

Well my problem is that I bought it last september, so i'm not sure if he will even remember it, or might just say "oh I gave you the title, not my problem you lost it" even though all he gave me was the application for title which the owner received when he titled the boat

 

[444]

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

Well if he gave you the title and you "lost" it, he can get a replacement title sent to him. IMO the seller has no legal way of backing out of making things right.

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

Where in michigan do you live?
all you need is a bill of sale and the MC numbers off the boat.

 

[89cruisers]

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

yeah true...In Warren, just north of Detroit

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

Iam online right now, PM me

 

[89cruisers]

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

sent off a PM, few hours late though lol

 

[kelleyja]

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

I had a similar issue. I live in Ohio but bought a boat in Indiana. The PO was a military guy who had just moved from Kansas, so the boat had expired Kansas numbers. The boat had no title because Kansas wasnt issuing boat titles at the time. I took my bill of sale to the BMV in Ohio and they made it clear to me that there was no way that I was getting an OH title without a title or registration from Indiana because thats where the sale occured. After many trips to the BMV, I learned that I'd be much better off if I had some sort of registration. So I set off to get the last Kansas registration. Unfortunately the registration was expried, but they told me that I could register the boat in my name with proper proof of ownership (bill of sale). I mailed off the bill of sale and a check and they sent the registration to me in Ohio. After I had a registration in my name I was able to get a title

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

first, every state is different.

second, if you got it in September and are just now raising the title issue with the seller, I don't think you have much bargaining power to make him take it back and give you your money. And have you worked on it already? You might not want to take it back.

If it were in my state, I'd suggest you go back to the seller, and ask him to run through the mechanic's lien process (or whatever you call it there) and get you a clear title. Best case he pays for it; worst case you pay for it--compromise and split it. But your approach has to be that he is doing you a favor, not that he owes you, or the only door you have will be slammed.

Or move to Kansas.

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

Where in michigan do you live?
all you need is a bill of sale and the MC numbers off the boat.

???

Any boat with a fixed motor requires a title in Michigan. I assume this is the Wellcraft Nova in the OP sig line. I assume it is an I/O. Therefore, it needs a title. You can't legeally transfer ownership on this boat in the state of Michigan without proof of ownership. The state has decided the best way to prove ownership of this type of boat is to issue a title to the rightful owner.

Now, if this was an outboard powered boat, LESS THAN 20 ft in length, all you would need is the bill of sale and the MC numbers.

http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1585_15242-34638--,00.html

 

[89cruisers]

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

Well I got ahold of the original owner, he denied that he was him, (maybe he thought I was the IRS or something? lol) So I called the shop, and told me to call back. Sadly the reason I bought this boat without a title is becuase the guy assured me that all of the papers would be good enough, and I was running late for work so I just said fine and left..never again

 

[89cruisers]

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

FIXED!...I found a lawyer/insurance company that was going to make me a Bonded title for $100 which would allow me to have the boat titled to me. But I was able to track down the original owner, who actually sold the boat to the mechanic for $250. Won't ever go through that mess again

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

I'm glad you got it worked out. I hope the rest of your project goes better.

 

[smallboatlover]

Re: Bought a boat without a title in Michigan...any suggestions?

well happy thing went well for you.