Free Boat Conundrum

[troutchaser]

My grandpa used to say there's no such thing as a free puppy. That goes for boats, too.

This summer, I was given a jon boat. It's 11' long, leaky, no paint, etc.

The fellow that gave this boat to me lives in Arkansas and said he never had a title for it, and he's owned it for a couple of decades. I would really like to put a motor on it, but to do that I would need a title for the boat. I can't apply for a lost title, since I never had one in the first place. Right now, it looks like I won't be able to put an outboard on it, but I was hoping someone would know of a way around this issue so I can put one on legally.

Any ideas?

[Danoinark]

Did you talk to the revenue Dept. about what to do...and or is there a salvage boat title available in Mo?

Dano

[The Caddis]

How about trying to put a mechanic's lien on it for storage or something. Then you should be able to apply for a title with your lien in place.

[Crippled Caddis]

Check with the applicable state agency---there SHOULD be a way to get a Missouri title with a notarized bill of sale from the person you recieved it from that also states clearly that at the time the boat was built and sold that a title was not required in Arkansas.

[Gavin]

I have a similar situation with my canoe...I've been meaning to get it registered, but havent got around to it yet.

Contact Missouri Water Patrol, they will need to inspect the boat, check if its been registered before, etc, then they can give you an affidavit that you can take to DOR and get the title process started. Cheers.

[troutchaser]

Thanks, guys. I've got everything in motion, now. Calling the water patrol was the right move. I just have to take it in for a serial number verification.

[jdmidwest]

MO boat laws are different. I have been told that if you scrap a boat out, you need to notify the Dept. of Revenue so they can retire the registration numbers. I was surprised at the cost of registering a boat, motor, and trailer this summer myself. The first lady at the license office told me the costs were going to be $180 to register a setup that cost me $700. Of course, first time at the license office, I did not have all the needed paperwork. Second trip, I ended up spending around $90, only after presenting enough papers to choke a horse, my birth certificate, proof of insurance, tax papers for the last 10 years, insurance agents personal address and home phone number, what I had for lunch and a receipt for what I paid for it, my high school girlfriends phone number and bust size, a resume, a reason for wanting to buy a 40 year old jon boat and trailer (notarized and witnessed by 30 people of differing denominations), bill of sales, old titles, and a promise that I would never do this again till the next time.

And, after all of that, they made me feel like they were going above and beyond to issue me the needed permits to float my boat.

Did I mention that I would rather have bamboo shoots shoved up between my fingernails than to visit the local license office?