Sailboat registration/ Documentation problem

[steveinusa]

Here's the story; I bough a 33'hinter from a guy. We exchanged money at the DMV in Jacksonville Florida. The dmv lady told me that I can change the title to me or go to the coast guard and register it there federally. So I decided to do the Oast Guard registration later. We spoke hands and left. 5 years later I still haven't registered the boat and we moved and I lost all the paperwork the previous owner gave me and I can't get in touch with the guy. Phones disconnected, doesn't live at the addresses on file. So am I stuck with a boat that I can't register? It would seem to me there has to be a way to straighten it out? The guy was the legit owner. When at DMV Imsaw his license and paperwork and the dmv lady said it was al legit. Now Florida has no record of the hull numbers now what?
And lawyers or anyone been in this situation?
I know I should have registered it right away.

[denverd0n]

If it were me, I would go down to the DMV office, give them the biggest and saddest puppy-dog eyes that I can, and beg for their assistance in figuring out how to fix this. Like you, I have to believe that there is some way to straighten this out. It may not be quick, and it may not be cheap, but there must be some way.



Good luck.

[Checkswrecks]

I'd start by asking like denverdOn suggested. If that gets nowhere most States have a number of small businesses which will handle car tag and title issues and Google Map shows there are a few in the JAX area.

Your problem is no different than what those people resolve on a daily basis.

[BBill]

I've jumped though more hoops than you can imagine with boat titles/registrations in Florida. They do keep records so the clerk was either lazy, clueless or the records were archived at the county court house. Several cities around me in Florida only keep their data base records active for 10 yrs and then archive...I did this a couple yrs ago. Cost was a couple $$ per printed page and I had them search back to the 1970s.

It could get touchy if you don't have a title or bill of sale to prove you purchased the boat. They will show a clear title if it had a lien payed off but if the sale wasn't recorded you may not be on record...but do NOT believe they don't have 5-10 yr old records. Also, you will be paying sales tax if not done already.