I think I was ripped off

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rcgreat

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Joined
Oct 16, 2008
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Location
Dunedin, FL
Well, I bit the bullet and decided to purchase a jon boat. After selling all of my old hobby stuff I went on the search for the perfect boat. I found a 14' flat bottom jon with trolling motor and trailer on craigslist and went to go look at it while I was working in the area. It was not exactly what I was looking for, but I knew I could make it work for my needs. I saved up the money and called the guy who was selling it and made arrangements for him to deliver it to my house, because of where he worked it would be easier for him to bring it by after work rather than meet up with me at his house. I thought "wow" what a bonus I'm going to buy a boat and not even have to go pick it up. When they showed up to the house when went thru the boat and started going thru the paperwork when I noticed the boat has never been registered in FL. I aksed him if this would be a problem and he said if there is any problem to give him a call and gave me his phone#. So I go to the tag office and they say to me that the "registration" that he gave me from PA is just a copy of the application for the registration and I needed to do a couple things to be able to title it in FL. First I need to get the actual registration, second I need to get a pencil tracing of the HIN#, third I needed to fill out a new bill of sale. Now here is where things go from bad to worse, I call up the guy I "bought" it from and he says that this was his step fathers boat (the other guy) and he would have to look for the registration, so I called the step father and he did not answer (go figure) I left a message explaining the situation and have not heard back. When I get home I figured I would go ahead and do the pencil tracing on th HIN# and when I compared it to the paperwork I have the numbers are not even close. So now I am pissed because it looks like I am not going to be able to get this titled and then it is pretty much useless to me. My question to you is, is there a way I can still get this titled so I can use it? Sorry to be so long winded, but I'm upset that I was taken for a ride that I dont see an easy fix for.
 
I'm gonna say call the guy back up and tell him unless he can provide you with the correct documents he needs to come get his boat and bring your money with him. If he balks at that tell him you'll contact the police because it appears he is trying to sell a stolen boat. Tell him the DMV used the word stolen
 
I really hope you get things straightened out. I can relate with you because I got ripped off but for other reasons.
Good luck.
 
Flounder, If he does not call me back this weekend thats what I plan on doing. I have a friend of the family who is a lawyer, I might even call him to see what my "legal" options are.

Thanks Larry, I hope I do to. the look on my daughters face when I told her we could not take it out this weekend is what hurts the most.
 
flounderhead59 said:
I'm gonna say call the guy back up and tell him unless he can provide you with the correct documents he needs to come get his boat and bring your money with him. If he balks at that tell him you'll contact the police because it appears he is trying to sell a stolen boat. Tell him the DMV used the word stolen

Perfect advice!
 
I talked to the guy who sold me the boat and now hes telling me that PA does not reguire a registration and all I would need is a bill of sale to register it in FL. Does anyboidy know if this is the case? I think I found another way to register it, but I want to do it right. Im so frustrated with this whole mess. I guess I learned the hard way #-o . At least he's calling me back.
 
rcgreat said:
I talked to the guy who sold me the boat and now hes telling me that PA does not reguire a registration and all I would need is a bill of sale to register it in FL. Does anyboidy know if this is the case? I think I found another way to register it, but I want to do it right. Im so frustrated with this whole mess. I guess I learned the hard way #-o . At least he's calling me back.

There looks to be several loop holes as far as registering boats in PA:
https://www.dmv.org/pa-pennsylvania/boat-registration.php

Even if your's fits the no registration requirement, there still is the issue with the non-matching HIN's
 
Thats the kicker flounder, everything else on the registration is correct, Boat name, length, etc. Here's another question, aren't HIN# s supposed to start with three letters? The HIN on the registration has 7 numbers then three letters. If I would have known this was going to drive me to drinking I would have bought new :( .
 
flounderhead59 said:
rcgreat said:
I talked to the guy who sold me the boat and now hes telling me that PA does not reguire a registration and all I would need is a bill of sale to register it in FL. Does anyboidy know if this is the case? I think I found another way to register it, but I want to do it right. Im so frustrated with this whole mess. I guess I learned the hard way #-o . At least he's calling me back.

There looks to be several loop holes as far as registering boats in PA:
https://www.dmv.org/pa-pennsylvania/boat-registration.php

Even if your's fits the no registration requirement, there still is the issue with the non-matching HIN's


I though you are in Florida RC?
 
Have you had your local registration and titling office run a check on the HIN?If they don't get a hit on it, you maybe able to take a copy of the no registration law and a notorized bill of sale,and get it registered and titled that way.Only thing is the previous owner may have to show proof of residency in PA.
 
take the HIN placard off... then contact DNR to get a new one. The only thing I think you would need then is a Bill of Sale.

But before doing this, contact DNR to see what needs to be done to register a boat with no title and no HIN... tell them the only thing you have is a bill of sale and you want to register it. If they tell you that they'll give you a new HIN, then go out and take yours off. I've done this before in South Carolina.
 
Thank you for all information, I knew you guys what come up with a way I can get out of this mess. I will make some calls this week to see what other options I have. Like I said at least the guy who sold me the boat is answering my phone calls. So I quess it could be worse.
 
russ010 said:
take the HIN placard off... then contact DNR to get a new one. The only thing I think you would need then is a Bill of Sale.

But before doing this, contact DNR to see what needs to be done to register a boat with no title and no HIN... tell them the only thing you have is a bill of sale and you want to register it. If they tell you that they'll give you a new HIN, then go out and take yours off. I've done this before in South Carolina.

While this may be on the shady side of legal it does sound like one of the least painful ways of registering the boat. But sometimes ya gots to do what ya gots to do. :wink:
 
The guy I bought the boat from says he is going to the DMV to get the lowdown on what he needs to get from PA. Then he is supposed to call me on Tues. evening. I hope I will have a better feeling about this whole thing by then. I know I am ready to start modding my boat and get some fishing in.
 

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