Boat a boat on impulse.... NEED HELP!
 

I may have screwed up and need some advice! I bought a Hydra Sport Fish and Ski on impulse yesterday from my wife's cousin. (Stupid move, I know) He divested his interest in the family camp a few months back and lives in Austin, so he no longer has a need for the boat. Jokingly, I threw a low offer out there and he accepted it. Now we have another boat, the wife and kids are excited, life is..... good?

Now the problem: He is the second owner of the boat. When he purchased the boat from the original owner in 2011, they signed a bill of sale on the boat and motor, and the original owner signed over the title to the trailer. HOWEVER, nothing was ever notarized and her cousin never registered any of it in his name. I have all the paperwork and no clue what to do. Is there anyway to get everything registered under my name, or did i just royally screw up?

These are the times when it's nice to have a buddy or family member who is a notary.

Your cousin will need to get the registration done for him first. Then you can do another transfer to you.

I called LDWF and sounds like without a notarized bill of sale from the original owner, I now have a new lawn ornament. I have the guys name so I'll try and track him down and hopefully he's nice enough to help me out.

I do know a few notaries, but I wouldn't feel comfortable asking them to notarize a title that was signed 8 years ago.

These are the times when it's nice to have a buddy or family member who is a notary.
and an artist.

Suggestion..... why not go to a notary and see what they will do? Just ask if this is all the information they need to transfer the ownership to you. You would not be asking them to do something "wrong" and you might find that they can help you.


It never hurts to ask.

Done need a current date. WLF won't care about the date. As long as the buyer on the bill of sale is the one applying for boat registration. He will be charged a penalty but it's not really that much.