Question about NY boat registration..

[FrankenCub]

Anyone here have any experience registering a boat that the PO didn't have a registration for here in New York ?

A friend of mine has a Starcraft Chieftain at his place that I have been drooling over for many years and tonight he told me to ask his mother about it as it's her boat. Well she told me make an offer, she has the reg for the trailer but doesn't have one for the boat. Just wondering how much trouble the NY DMV will give me if I buy it. NY wants to make everything difficult from my experience.

 

[mr 88]

If it still has the registration numbers on the hull you may be able to have her go to the dmv and request a new transferable registration by giving the old numbers. As long as it was in her name and she has her drivers license they should issue it.If it was never registered in NY I would call the dmv and just ask them how to go about it.

 

[FrankenCub]

Unfortunately I think she bought it with no regi, pretty sure it was originally a NY bout though.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Unfortunately I think she bought it with no regi, pretty sure it was originally a NY bout though.

You may be out of luck. Call the local boat registration authority. However most times, no title or proper paperwork means it is a yard planter

 

[FrankenCub]

Hmmm, guess a call to the DMV is in order. Hopefully I'll get the main Albany office, our local offices often have no clue about anything unless it's a piece of paper in front of them. Half the time I don't think they don't know the regulations, the other half they are just plain lazy...Next number please ! :facepalm:

 

[jbcurt00]

http://bfy.tw/3cVf

^^^

That will lead you to the NY state boat registration page where the attached PDF can be found.

Read page 2

Then call the state of NY tomorrow after you find out if it has EVER been registered, by the current owner or any previous owners. If it has reg# on the hull, them get those numbers and provide them to the state when you call.

 

[FrankenCub]

Thanks, jb. I was on the NY DMV website and didn't see that PDF. I think the reg#'s are still on the boat, I will get a picture of them and the HID, if it's there.

 

[footbrake]

Not positive to the cutoff year but you may have to have the original title for you to register it. There are no duplicate titles issued for boats. Original or it's a planter.

 

[Frank Acampora]

New York did not title boats until after 1972. I do not remember the exact year but the boat registration people will tell you.

If the boat was manufactured prior to that date you obviously can not have a title and do not need a title to register it. You DO need a bill of sale from the current owner and a registration card showing ownership though.

If you are able to register it and it was manufactured prior to the year New York started to title, then you have the option of grandfathering with no title or deciding to title it in your name. If you can not come up with any paperwork then you might as well just not buy the boat.

 

[FrankenCub]

After much digging around with the NY DMV, boats didn't have a title here until 1987 and over 14'. Years prior are a transferable registration card, similar to how our classic cars have been except the cutoff was '72 for them.

I did talk to the owner more about the regi, she did in fact buy it without one. However, if the DMV works with boats like they do classic cars with transferable regis, it should be easy to get because she's had the boat over 10 years. Last I knew if a car was owned over 10 years they would run a check on the registration numbers and VIN to make sure it hasn't been reported stolen. If all was clear they would issue a temporary regi. You would eventually get a permanent regi card in the mail.
I will give them a call this week to get better clarification because our local offices are worthless.

 

[FrankenCub]

Ok just got off the phone with the DMV. Not going to be an issue at all. MV-51b form is to register a boat that has no proof of ownership

 

[jbcurt00]

Congrats

 

[FrankenCub]

Congrats

Haven't brought it home yet. I want to check out the engine and outdrive better before I commit. If they by chance are needing to be replaced I will take that into consideration with what I offer her for it. I know you guys feel it's worth her asking price but I'm on a tight budget lol. There's one in Long Island for $550 but it doesn't come with the outboard, and I don't like outboards to begin with. They fetch some serious coin around here, even for questionable ones.

 

[jbcurt00]

Congrats was for digging in and finding out it is a possible buy rather then a unable to buy because you couldnt legally transfer ownership.

BTW: Once the tin-sanity grabs ya, you WILL succumb to rivetitis and likely MBS as well. Just a matter of time

Perhaps you can talk your buddy into helping to get the motor running and make it a conditional sale

 

[FrankenCub]

I thought there was a way to do it but I haven't been frequenting the DMV much in the past 18yrs and the People's Republic of NY has really made a mess of things in the past 10yrs. I'm happy to see it can still be done.

The more I look at the threads with these Chieftains the more I want it. The ease of repair for these aluminum boats is starting to really make me wonder why I've been buying glassers That and it will be so much cheaper to rebuild than my glasser !

Just for curiosity's sake, anyone know of a thread where an outboard hull has been converted to I/O ? That may open up new options for another Chief if I don't feel comfortable with what she'll take for the boat.

 

[jbcurt00]

No OB to I/O that I can think of.

 

[FrankenCub]

So far the only thing my google foo has found has been from those who pray to the OB Gods saying NOOOOOO Don't do it ! Personally I hate OB's, you can buy twice the HP for 1/4 the price. Maybe I'm putting too much thought into it now that I've got the Chief itch... I think I need help already :yield::crazy::faint2:

 

[jbcurt00]

Lets keep this topic about the registration, titling and ownership process, and your other topic about the boat. Pros and cons of OB vs I/O and etc would be better covered there.

Ok?

 

[mr 88]

What does it have hanging on the transom ? I wouldn't get all hung up on a I/O, they can be a bigger pain than a [reliable] OB. The outboard forums on this site can walk you through just about any issue you may have. I have no issues with any 60's to mid 80's outboards if they are properly maintained.

 

[FrankenCub]

Lets keep this topic about the registration, titling and ownership process, and your other topic about the boat. Pros and cons of OB vs I/O and etc would be better covered there.

Ok?

No problem, now I also see why I was missing a post, got myself confused going between links from email and didn't pay attention to which one I was on lol.
If you want you could probably close this thread too. All the info about registering a boat in NY with no proof of ownership is now here. Maybe it will be useful to others some day.