Boat Licensing

[mwfischer]

Hello everybody,

I have a problem that has been on my mind for a long time regarding a 14ft aluminum fishing boat that I "rescued" sunk in a dock slip about 10 years ago. I am 26 now, so I was at my family's lake place at lake of the ozarks and pulled the boat out, worked on it a bit and simply used it in our cove, no motor, etc for the next few years. I started fishing Taneycomo about three years ago and wanted to start using my boat, perfect boat for the lake.

Anyway the boat originally had a MO-####-## on it, and when the water patrol searches it, they find a previous owner that we don't have a sales receipt or title from, and they tell me there is no way to license it unless that owner releases the rights to us. I know for a fact that the original owner has been dead for over 10 years. I don't get how I can ever get it licensed, and even if I could, has anybody ever gone through something like this? I figured the ozark fishing area has to be full of these "salvaged" aluminum boats that people title and license and take on lakes like Taneycomo.

Any ideas? Thanks!

[Danoinark]

Sounds like an interesting dilemma I will be interested in the outcome. Any change you could talk to the survivors to see if they would give you a release?

Dano

[bigredbirdfan]

Be very careful with this until you get lots of information. They could try to hang back personal property taxes on you for the last 10 years. Just a bit of caution. I have a friend who went through this same thing I will ask him what they did with their dead boat owner. I think they worked it out with their local license bureau folks.

BRBF

[jdmidwest]

Interesting, have you ever questioned them about a salvage title. We obtained one on an abandoned vehicle one time from the local sheriff dept. My current boat was manufactured before they started titling boats. All of the equipment I purchased said it was 1974, but further research proved that it was all made in 1963 or 1964.

[mosouthpaw]

you might look into salvage rights. I know in the ocean anything sunk is fair game. That would require a session with a lawyer though.

[FishinCricket]

Be very careful with this until you get lots of information. They could try to hang back personal property taxes on you for the last 10 years. Just a bit of caution. I have a friend who went through this same thing I will ask him what they did with their dead boat owner. I think they worked it out with their local license bureau folks.

BRBF

Max penalties for titling a vessel in Missouri is $200 ($25 a month, max is 8 months) and it sounds like by your own admission you will have to pay that... I would assume a Death Certificate and the notorized signature of the survivor of the estate would be all you need... I bet you could go find a 14 ft john boat and buy it for around the same.. Then you would have a boat without all the age and rust..

I perfect titles for Autos all the time (my career), but a boat might be drastically different. If you just have to title the boat then contact a lawyer for a short (preferably free) consultation on the matter and get your exact answers there..

Best of luck...