I was given a boat with no title... opinion/s wanted

[TheLawson]

The story:
This actually happened almost two years ago. The boat was flooded in Katrina and abandoned on some people's rental property for some unknown to me amount of time. I got the boat sometime in 2010 or so, but it had been moved from it's original abandoned place. I was given the boat because I saw it, was off for school, wanted a project, and asked if I could have it.

The boat:
It's a 18 or so foot sloop rigged sailboat in pretty bad shape. Made in 2005 or such - I can't remember the details now. I have no motor, the sails are junk, and all the lines are rotted. About the only good thing about it is that the hull is solid... anyway, it's what you'd expect. No trailer either.

What I've done:
So, when I first got it, I called around with the information I could get and found out that the boat was in fact not reported stolen. they had an owner on file and said they couldn't give me his/hers/company contact info, but would attempt to contact them for me. I never heard anything back, I tried 2-3 times over the first year, It's sat in "dry doc" since then. Before I take whatever useful hardware off to sit in my shed for another 2 years before I throw that away too I want to make sure I'm not missing anything.

Help:
Disregarding whether the boat is actually worth fixing or not, are their any other means I can attempt to locate a copy of the damn thing's title or get contact info on the owner? The only things that I can come up with that I didn't try yet are attempting for a 'home built' title (it does work on "off-road only" dirtbikes...) and attempting to run down information from the original builder.

so, opinions?

 

[LaBelle]

Sorry, I have no answer regarding the title issue.................

But I can see a wonderful opportunity awaiting the proper application of, say, a betamag, a container of petroline, a binary composition reactive target, and a body of (with landowner's permission) water!

 

[Leonidas]

http://www.marinetitle.com/boat-registration/LA-Louisiana.htm

Note that titles are not required for boats that were registered prior to 2009.
Also note that LA has no provision for titling abandoned boats.

You may find the previous/current? owner from the state registration # on the bow. Or try the mfg. hull #.

 

[Golden-Eagle]

I understand you must receive Ownership from the Original Owner. Their contact information can be obtained through Wildlife and Fisheries using the hull ID (serial) number. You can ask the Owner if they will sell it to you for a dollar or donate it to you. If that happens get the paper Notarized, and then make application for a Registration from Wildlife and Fisheries. Good luck with the quest!

 

[Leonidas]

I'm thinking this had to have been insured. Certainly a claim was made. Meaning the insurer is the lawful owner. You likely need their okay, as opposed to the insured's. If you find the owner at the time of the loss, ask who underwrote their policy.

 

[The_Shadow]

Definition of Boat = Hole in the water to throw money into! Good luck your going to need it!

 

[anakha]

PM me the numbers on the boat and my wife will run them tomorrow and will be able to give you the registered owners name and address

 

[TheLawson]

Anakha, that would be awesome. It will take me a day or two to get the numbers off the boat. I'll send you a PM when I have them.

 

[MyTFAL]

You are assuming the previous owners registered it properly.

 

[dhfischerjr]

You can try to claim a salvage title for the boat. My wife's uncle runs a boat repair facility and if someone leaves the boat and it is confiscated for lack of payment his lawyer gets the title filed.

 

[troy_mclure]

In Ohio you can get salvage titles for about anything from your local scrap yard, pick n pull yard.
You should check nearby states on their process. You might have to title it in miss, then transfer the title to la. I've done that 2x with motorcycles(Ohio to la).

 

[cajun 22]

I helped a friend with this same issue after Katrina. Was told by DWLF that you had to contact the manufacturer and find out which dealer received the boat. Then dealer will tell you who purchased the hull. DWLF will not give out the info unless you have someone on the inside. You make good faith effort to contact them to tell them that you salvaged the hull, at least two attempts with registered letters. If the owner wants it back you have to give it to them but you have the right to charge salvage and storage fees. If no reply to your attempts to contact owner, you bring papers to justice of the peace or judge and they review the case and sign off on your legal ownership of vessel. Then you apply for a new regstration. However, a good point was made about the hull being insured. The past owner might want to make a fast buck so do your homework. If a claim was paid the insurance co can repo the hull after you put all of your money into it and sell it.

Good Luck

 

[paddle007]

I work with a towing business and for years we have been stuck with a few boats and trailers. Getting a vehicle title is straight forward but marine junk turned into marine junk/scrap. In August a new law goes into effect which will allow us to get proper paperwork. I'm being vague here because I deal with the auto repair side of our business and not the tow and recovery side. You should be able to work with a towing business which has the proper permits and get a registration.

FWIW we are having to let one of our tow drivers go because a new law goes into effect banning registered sex offenders from operating a tow truck. This is better for us as we could not send him to schools for a tow.