Registering a sailboat and trailer in IL?

[veimar]

Hi guys, I just registered for this forum in hope to find some help here.
We live in IL and bought the used 26' sailboat from WI.
The title is from 2010, not on the seller's name, and the boat most recent registration sticker was from 2008. This boat had a few other owners (flippers?) before this guy, and there is no way to track them down. The guy never registered the boat, nor did the person he bought it from. The title owner is not possible to reach through white pages or other similar sites.
Does anybody know what can we do to register the boat in this situation?
Our inspector talked to the IDNR on the phone today, but what they said was total nonsense - like every previous owner had to re-register the boat and transfer the title to each other! I felt like he was talking to a retard there... Hope you guys can help!

And the other thing is the trailer. It was never registered, since the states it was in didn't require it, and this is the original trailer that comes with the boat from a manufacturer. It does have a VIN, but it's unreadable because of the rust. So how can you register an original boat trailer if it was never registered before? As I said we didn't have any paperwork with the seller except the copy of the check.
Thanks a lot!

 

[GA_Boater]

Welcome aboard.

You didn't even get a bill of sale for the boat or trailer? Did you know all this before you paid for it?

From other stories here, Illinois is one of the most difficult states to deal with. Sorry to say, but you are hosed.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Sorry, but IL is not a good state in which to register an untitled boat or a non-licensed trailer. I almost bought out-of-state boat and trailer, and I did a little research before hand, and I am glad I did not go that route it sounds like it will be a real headache. Best of luck...

 

[veimar]

We can get a bill of sale from the guy probably, but it wouldn't do anything if the boat was not under his name on the title. I had no idea about all this title thing and trailer. I just knew that there should be a title, which he gave us. We had no choices because we were looking for a particular model boat which is hard to find in our area, especially for a low price.

 

[fhhuber]

There is always a choice... and the choice when the seller's name doesn't match the title is to RUN AWAY.

 

[tpenfield]

The retard at the IDNR is correct. Technically, each buyer would have to register/title the boat in their name prior to passing it along the food chain.

You could make it look like the named individual on the title was the one actually selling you the boat, but there is nothing really to say that the boat and title were not stolen, but that is not as likely.

As for the trailer, it is hard to believe that a trailer would not have to be registered . . . Maybe not titled, but at least registered.

So, you are in a hell of a mess, sorry to say. I hope you did not pay a lot for this life lesson.

 

[veimar]

I really didn't post here to hear the morals. And yes, less that 3000 lb trailers don't need to even be registered in WI. As I said we didn't have many boats to choose from, and this was the only one that was close enough and that we could afford. I was I was hoping for a competent advice. But thank you anyways.

 

[spoilsofwar]

I was I was hoping for a competent advice. But thank you anyways.

You were given "competent advice", both by the members here and by the DNR guy. You can't sell a boat you don't own - and technically the guy who sold it to you didn't own it. So the right way is to do exactly what he told you; each owner along the line needs to title it in their name and then sell it officially. Is that a pain in the ass, and probably unrealistic at this point? Yes, but that doesn't make it any less valid.

You have some options going forward, none of them really legal, so I won't share them with you. But you wouldn't be the first to enter into this situation and come out of it with a valid title after doing some homework.

Just because you're given an answer that you don't like, doesn't make it the wrong answer.

 

[GA_Boater]

I really didn't post here to hear the morals. And yes, less that 3000 lb trailers don't need to even be registered in WI. As I said we didn't have many boats to choose from, and this was the only one that was close enough and that we could afford. I was I was hoping for a competent advice. But thank you anyways.

The "i" in iboats does not stand for Illinois and any advice given is competent with that constraint.

The reason the IDNR said the prior alleged owners need to go through the registration and transfer process is to establish a legal, clear title. We know is not what you wanted to hear.

I'm sorry you have to go through this experience and hope it isn't too painful, both mentally and financially. Good luck.

 

[tpenfield]

The WI DOT site is somewhat vague regarding trailer registration . . . it says "Title and registration are not required in Wisconsin for homemade trailers less than 3,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight. However, if you want to register a homemade trailer, complete Wisconsin Title & License Plate Application form"

but I also found this . . .

"Gross weight trailers ​

A title and registration is required for trailers operated over 3,000 pounds. A title and registration is not required for trailers operated at or less than 3,000 pounds gross weight unless used for hire or rental. Title and registration is encouraged for these vehicles that will be used on roads outside the state of Wisconsin, as other states' registration laws may be different."

I also think a trailer for a 26 foot sailboat will have a rating of more than 3,000 GVW. :noidea: Unless it is unusually light. But don't the states go by the GVW rating of the trailer?

 

[dlngr]

Well,I was a registered used car dealer,and registered 'rebuilder' in Illinois for about 35 years. Competent? I think so. I've also owned boats and trailers in Illinois.
With a bill of sale for the trailer,you may be able to post a bond to the state,and apply for a bonded title.The laws have changed in the last few years and it may be very tough to do this.As for the boat,not being registered to the seller at time of sale[called title jumping]-this is ilegal in most states unless you have a dealers license.
Morals or not,Illinois will not give you a title on a transaction you did ilegally. Good Luck.
And yes,I have bought a boat and trailer from WI,with a good title signed off by the seller to myself. The trailer did not have a title,and I never got a title for it. I did have a trailer plate on hand,which I put on that trailer,but that wasn't really 'legal' either.
The lesson I learned?-Never buy another trailer from Wisconsin.

 

[H20Rat]

I really didn't post here to hear the morals. And yes, less that 3000 lb trailers don't need to even be registered in WI.

North Dakota is even more unusual... You can't register a boat trailer, no matter the weight. (or any trailer intended to carry any recreational vehicle (snowmobile, motorcycle, boats, etc...) ND will issue generic trailer license plates that are not tied to a trailer in any way (free to move it between trailers), their only purpose is for when a ND'er goes out of state to a surrounding state, there is a long history of people being pulled over for no trailer license plate just past the border.

Anyway, OP... There are boat title 'cleaning' services that you can use. Will cost you a couple hundred, but they basically buy the boat from you for $1, register it in a different state that is more permissive and then sell it back to you with documentation. It is for the most part legal.

Not endorsing these, never used them, and there are probably others out there.

http://www.broadwaytitle.com/
http://losttitlesolutions.com/

 

[fhhuber]

actually... title washing as described is illegal and if caught its called fraud.

 

[MH Hawker]

about the only hope is to register it in Maine

 

[veimar]

Anyway, OP... There are boat title 'cleaning' services that you can use. Will cost you a couple hundred, but they basically buy the boat from you for $1, register it in a different state that is more permissive and then sell it back to you with documentation. It is for the most part legal.

Not endorsing these, never used them, and there are probably others out there.

http://www.broadwaytitle.com/
http://losttitlesolutions.com/

Thank you for this! I don't care if anything is legal at this point. We didn't do anything illegal and the guy who owned it before didn't either. We just bought a boat! So the state authorities who made these ridiculous laws are to blame for this. It's just a boat, not a car or anything. We try to do what we can and if not, we just sell it to another unsuspecting person as we were. We thought our life dream came true, but instead because of stupid bureaucracy it's all screwed. There are probably countless people in the same situation now.

 

[spoilsofwar]

while I feel your pain, and have been in the exact position you are right now, the prior "owner" did do something illegal - he sold a boat which he did not materially own. You're suffering as a result. "Just a boat" is not an excuse, in fact most boats are more valuable then the cars of their same model year, on average. These laws, pain in the butt though they may be, are designed to prevent people from titling and registering stolen vehicles.

 

[H20Rat]

actually... title washing as described is illegal and if caught its called fraud.

Splitting hairs, but usually title washing is described as washing a title clean of a salvage/repo status for a passenger vehicle. None of the steps here are illegal, it is just taking advantage of sales across state lines to other states that do not have boat titles.

 

[GA_Boater]

Thank you for this! I don't care if anything is legal at this point. We didn't do anything illegal and the guy who owned it before didn't either. We just bought a boat! So the state authorities who made these ridiculous laws are to blame for this. It's just a boat, not a car or anything. We try to do what we can and if not, we just sell it to another unsuspecting person as we were. We thought our life dream came true, but instead because of stupid bureaucracy it's all screwed. There are probably countless people in the same situation now.

And that closes this thread. Stop blaming others for your situation.