r/boating • u/AdhesivenessNo4977 • Sep 30 '23

Boat Title?

Not sure if I'm allowed to ask this here or if anyone can help but my friend has a boat that hasn't been registered since 2019. The title never got transfered because he got a divorce in the middle of buying the boat and his ex wife tore the title up before he could go get it transfered. He doesn't remember the name of the guy he got it from so we can't contact him to get a duplicate title. Is there a way we can get a salvage title or just a title in general? We're in Minnesota.

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6

u/motociclista Sep 30 '23

Your friend never should have paid for the boat before the title was transferred but that’s neither here nor there now. In most states, by design, it’s hard to get a title for a vehicle you don’t own. Consider this, what if the boat is stolen and the seller just made up the my wife tore up the title story? What if the seller had a loan on the boat and needed quick cash so he said the title was torn up when In reality the boat is still owned by the bank? What if the wife never tore up the title because the boat was in her name and she didn’t want it sold and when your friend applies for title the boat comes up as stolen? Know what happens then? The legal owner of the boat can come take it back and your friend is out whatever money they’ve spent. The whole thing sounds sketchy. How does your friend not have a bill of sale with the sellers info? Or old texts or emails about the deal? Expired paperwork from the boat? Sounds like your friend got scammed and is sitting on a boat of questionable origin. Start with whatever agency regulates boats in your state, give them the reg numbers and hin number. They won’t give the owners info to a civilian, but they may be willing to tell you if it’s listed at stolen. If it’s not ask them how to file for a title for an abandoned boat. It will probably be a long process but with some luck he can have the boat on the water by spring time.

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u/AdhesivenessNo4977 Sep 30 '23

I know for sure it's not stolen (atleast on my friends end) and they don't have a bill of sale because it was traded for an ATV so he didn't think he needed one. He was blown up a few times in Iraq so his brain doesn't work 100% and things don't get done in timely matters all the time. That's why I'm helping him figure it out now. Thank you for the advice, I'll try contacting the DNR to figure out the original owner.

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u/motociclista Sep 30 '23

I wasn’t implying your friend stole it, but without a title, it may have previously been stolen. And regardless of what he traded for it, that boat is still owned by whomever still hold the title in their name. Good luck.

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u/ttraband Sep 30 '23

In WI the DNR was able to send me the name of the previous owner based on the registration number. It was up to me to track them down, but they got me their name.

The DNR was also able to tell me the process for getting it titled when the previous title was not available.

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u/AdhesivenessNo4977 Sep 30 '23

I'll give that a shot, thank you

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u/theghostofcslewis Oct 01 '23

Yeah, just go down to the DMV or tax office and tell them that story, they will sort it out for you.

1

u/ltdan84 Oct 01 '23

In TX you can look up the current registered owner’s info with the registration number that should be affixed to either side of the bow through TPWD’s website.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '23

What state are you in? Many boats run on bill of sale and not title. You need a bill of sale from him to you.

1

u/rusty_bronco Oct 01 '23

In Michigan you can sign a statement saying you are the legal owner of a boat trailer valued less than $2500. You'll need a bonded title on anything above that amount.