# Registration of a boat with lost title HELP???



## TURTLE (May 22, 2008)

*Ok, so my son bought a boat from a guy last year that had no title. He didn't tell me this til today when he went to register it after working on it for a year. It's now ready for the water and the tag office in S Santa Rosa told him he HAD to get the title from the guy he bought it from. He has no clue how to get in touch with him and she would not give him the info. So how can he get this thing fishing? Can he apply for lost title even tho he was never on it? I doubt it. And if not any ideas on how to get this done would be appreciated.*


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

This info is from an old post on here:

FAQ's from: http://www.flhsmv.gov/dmv/faqboat.html#8

*When a vessel has been sold and the owner is no longer available to provide proof of ownership, how do I, as the purchaser, get information to contact the titled owner in order to obtain the certificate of title? *

*Notify your local tax collector or license plate agency in writing stating the problem and provide the vessel's Florida registration number. The local tax collector or license plate agency may provide the name and address of the titled owner with the necessary instructions for transferring the ownership of the vessel into your name. However, some agencies do not provide ownership information for vessels to the public. Instead, as stated in DMV Procedure TL-07, they may provide the titled owner (by writing directly to the owner of record) with the purchaser's released contact information (name and address) and any necessary instructions. The owner then has the option to contact the purchaser to assist them. You may also contact the department to obtain ownership information for the vessel owner by completing a form HSMV 85054, Motor Vehicle/Vessel Records Request. The department's mailing address is shown at the top of this form.*

*What should the purchaser of a vessel do if the titled owner does not assist in obtaining the certificate of title or an executed bill of sale? *

A Florida court order would be required to issue a certificate of title in the purchaser’s name.


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## johnsonbeachbum (Oct 1, 2007)

I think there is another round about way.........
Have someone you trust in a non-title state "take possession" and register it.
Then that person "sells it back" to your son.
Then go get it registered in son's name via the signed over non-title state registration.
Alabama?

or.................
http://www.flhsmv.gov/data/past.html
obtain vessel previous owner list via snail mail.
Takes about three weeks and $2
It will show all previous owners that ever registered the vessel in Florida.
Of course addresses might no longer be valid if they moved.
But you might be able to find them via names and the net.


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## Emerald Ghost (Mar 11, 2008)

Good job Beachbum.
Considering that You have to be pretty thorough when listing your name on a Fl. Title, so I'm betting $ they can be found.
Let me know if you need any help Turtle,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


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## pappastratos (Oct 9, 2007)

Get the registration or the hull # and call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission & they can tell you who owns it. I have had to do that in Alabama. Don't give them any details other than you saw the boat & want to know who owns it.


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## joseph_zlnsk (Jan 24, 2012)

I can tell you havening tried to go through the same thing multiple times, its harder than heck, if you call the coast guard they will say to call the fish and wild life or local law enforcement, if you cal fish and wildlife they won't tell you anything except to call the police, I actually called the county and city police and their answer was " we don't play that game, we can't give you any info on owner" I went back and forth and back and forth as one agency told me to call another, same with the dmv, they refuse to look up the info, the police are "supposed" to contact the owner for you, but they won't, theyve got better things to do I suppose, and trying to say its abandoned on your property doesn't work either, I found the best ways are taking it to Alabama, you just need a hand written bill of sale with 2 witness signatures, or you could always try to register it as a homemade vessel, not sure what all that entails


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