HIN Wrong on Title

[ayres481]

I just purchased a 99 Bayliner from Michigan and I live in Indiana. I had to have the HIN verified by the police so I could get an Indiana title. Upon inspection by the officer it was found that the title did not match the boat. The HIN on the title was only 10 digits instead of 12. He called dispatch an ran both numbers. The good thing was that nothing was stollen, but the number on the boat did not show up at all and the one on the title (again this is the incorrect #) came back as a 99 Bayliner. The person I bought this from was shocked and is trying to help, and I do not suspect anything fishy going on. They were the second owners and I have copies of their registration and it shows the wrong number also. It does not match the trailer number or their registration number. How much of a mess am I in, and what do I do to fix this. I am trying to decide if I start at the MI DMV or the IN DMV. This is just my luck!!! Any suggestions?

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

I would go down to your local DMV and ask them where you should start. they should know what to do.

Here in FL there are regional DMV's that dont do license's and stuff. the deal with dealers, consumer complaints on dealers, titling custom built or home built vehicles, problems with titles, etc. If you have one of those I would go there.

But either way your local DMV should know what steps to take.

Is the HIN on the boat and the HIN on the title the same number minus the last 2 digits or are they completely different?

 

[ayres481]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

They are completely different, and I have tried to figure out where the number on the title would have came from but can't seem to figure that out yet. Its not the trailer ID number or the registration number. I am just scratching my head, but its driving me nutts!

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

Go to your DMV on monday and ask.
There is no other answer that is going to help, but many if not all will "not help". Unless you find someone on here that works for the DMV in IN, and Ill bet they will give you the same answer.

Leave to MI to drop the ball again. You also have to apply for a trailer title as MI doesnt have them and your state does.

 

[Pez Vela]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

The person I bought this from was shocked and is trying to help ...

If so, then he'll show up in person at his local Michigan DMV office with copies of all the relevant paperwork and ask them to search their records back to the original dealer who sold the boat(s). That should shed some additional light on the subject. Otherwise, it's up to you.

 

[Cannondale]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

We're sort of in the same situation ourselves. In the HIN of our boat, a "B" has been transposed into a "V".

And this error has been going on for almost twenty years, according to the paperwork we have which goes back to the original owner and his registration....the last of which we have reflects registration in the mid-1990's (the boat is a 1990 model.)

All we can think of is that the original registration was done over the phone and someone at the DNR heard "B" instead of the "V" that is in the HIN.

But there seems to be no resolution outside ignoring it...the mistake has been passed along to us, the third owners of the boat, and in every case, the HIN matches exactly except for the "V" that was transposed into a "B". Glad our state doesn't inspect boats at all. The original owner passed away a couple of years ago and all his other paperwork (original bill of sale, contract, etc.) disappeared long ago.

 

[ayres481]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

Indiana's DMVs are closed on Mondays, so I guess I will try MI first. I think I have the trailer taken care of with a bill of sale, and wondering if I could just try to go that route with the boat...

 

[Pez Vela]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

The HIN on the title was only 10 digits instead of 12.

Are you sure that you are not confusing a 10 digit state registration number with the federally required 12 digit HIN stamped on the transom? If the title document does in fact refer to the 10 digit number as a HIN, then it was prepared erroneously.

http://boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/hin.htm

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

You know how you can decode a HIN #?

One number stands for they year and one for the manufacturer etc.

Maybe try figuring your HIN out and see if you can tell what the missing numbers are. Then you might could run a HIN check.

I Googled "10 digit HIN" and it came up with some things.

 

[saildan]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

I just purchased a 99 Bayliner

Upon inspection by the officer it was found that the title did not match the boat.

The HIN on the title was only 10 digits instead of 12.

It does not match the trailer number or their registration number. ?

First of all DO NOT confuse the issue by dragging in the trailer number or old state boating registration numbers.

In most all states a trailer is a stand-alone vehicle registered and licensed similar to a car. It has little or no licensing or title relevance to whatever it carries unless actual gross weight is involved.

Prior year's boating registration numbers, though tied to the boat's Hull ID, are simply acknowledgement the boat tax was paid, just like your auto's license plate shows you are current on your vehicle tax.

The boat's Hull ID is a federal number stamped on at the factory (similar to the VIN on a car). It is made up of the Mfg's code, a production number, a production date, and a model year.

The government has had 3 formats of this ID since 1972.
Some people viewing this diagram will find something different on their boat.
​

If the Hull ID got miscopied somewhere along the way, the actual ID stamped on the hull "should" take precedence. This, however depends much on how your state handles error corrections. Some are empowered and organized, and so long as there's no sign of tampering, will simply make the correction and move on. Others want miles of red tape and evidence of when the numbers got messed up, affidavits from you - yadda yadda yadda. If you live in one of these states, quietly take the boat out in deep water and sink it - forget you ever saw it - and declare the cost a gambling loss. A few states just won't deal with straightening out past mistakes. They ask you to swear the boat isn't stolen, then issue you a new number - case closed.

 

[ayres481]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

I appreciate all of the comments. The HIN on the title does not correspond in any way to what is on the boat. Its also not the reg.#, but it could have been the first owners reg. # (I bought it from the 2nd owner). Somehow I will get it straightened out. I am still wondering if I could just have the police check it off of a bill of sale and then take that in? It seems that if that would work, it would make it very simple.

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

Did you try to run a HIN check online? You have to pay for it but I think it tells you where and when it was registered and I know on a carfax it checks for discrepancies in the VIN so maybe it does with a HIN too.

 

[saildan]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

The HIN on the title does not correspond in any way to what is on the boat. Its also not the reg

Given there's not even a partial resemblence between Hull ID and paperwork, look at it from the state's perspective. You are showing up with a title/BOS that in no way can be tied to the boat you have in tow. That's gonna raise eyebrows anywhere you go.

I hate to say it, but this is going to go down as a learning experience in boat buying.

 

[Pez Vela]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

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

 

[ayres481]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

I appreciate all of the responses. I did take the boat out on the water today and it ran great, now I just get to deal with this other title mess. The previous owner is getting all of his paperwork together from when he purchased the boat and he is going to email it to me. I am sure he will work with me to get it corrected. I am just trying to decide if I should start it in MI or IN?
FYI-To nice of a boat to just sink in the middle of the lake. One thing for sure the next time that I buy anything I will be verifying the VIN #'s!!!

 

[109jb]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

If Indiana is anything like Illinois, you would be much better off fixing it in Michigan first. That is what I had to do on my current boat except I live in Illinois and was dealing with a boat bought in Wisconsin. Illinois DNR basically to me to take a hike and I had to fix it in Wisconsin first.

 

[ayres481]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

109JB-what exactly did you have to do?

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

Titling issues can be a real PITA. right before I met my girlfriend she had bought a 03 Audi A4. When j met her she had it and didn't register it yet because she didn't know what to do abut it.

She had it about three months when I met her. When she showed me the title I looked at it and saw it was a title from an auction signed to a dealer that was out of bus.

The DMV told us we had to have that dealer register it and then sign the new title over to us. We went to the regional DMV and they gave me the owners address and phone number.

When I called him he basically told me the guy who she bought the car from used to be his bus partner and they opened a dealership together. Long story short the guy she bought the car from stole a bunch of the cars the guy had put the money up for.

I asked him if we paid him would he get the title for us and he said he owes the state of fl 30K so either he'll report the car stolen or we can go on our way.

So I ended up just stripping it down and parting it out.

The DMV told us we were s*** out of luck.

So ALWAYS make sure you verify the HIN/VIN number and the ID of the person matches the title.

 

[ayres481]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

Trust me anything I buy in the future will have the VIN/HIN checked prior to purchase.

Can anyone tell me if all MI boat registrations start with MC. The first three characters on the title are CMB then followed by 7 numbers (no other letters). Again, whats on the boat makes perfect since for the correct HIN. I am just trying to figure out where they may have pulled the number on the title from.

 

[Ky Baja Blast]

Re: HIN Wrong on Title

If you know someone in a state like Ky very well sell them the boat for one dollar let them title it with a bill of sale and then sell it back to you for a dollar with a good Ky title.