H e l p ! ! !

[BIG1LOST]

My wife,(bless her heart ) is one of those IN-DOOR coon-*** girls.Tho she grew up around all her uncles that were all outdoorsmen...,she is very clueless about outdoor things.She bought me a jon boat and trailer ( for a very good price ) from a corrections officer over in the Angola area that she was put in touch with by a co-worker who has since died.She paid cash;forgot to get a bill of sale;and no idea how to get back to the guys place or his name ! and he had it for years and never reg.ed it,so I can't track him down and the owner of the reg. numbers is deceased.Now, I can use the boat sans engine ( once I rig it for oars ),but it is a very heavy duty commercial grade DuraCraft 14 ftr....WWAAYY too heavy for the roof of the Suburban and without papers the trailer ( no numbers,name,nuthin'! ) is a jungle-jim for the cats !!...it's a good steel trailer ( my only complaint is small wheels ) goin' to waste. Any ideas ? She keeps askin' when am I gonna put it in the water,and I don't have the heart to tell her what a mess I'm in about the boat/trailer.

[AceArcher]

hopefully someone with more knowledge than i can chime in on the subject.

but my first thought is could you check with the dnr to run the numbers on it and see if they can put you in contact with the previous owner? Hopefully he will be a decent guy about it and give you a bill of sale. Who knows he may even still have said paperwork?

[BIG1LOST]

all ideas appreciated !

[SuperDave]

If he never registered it then it should be in the last owners name still. Get the numbers off of it and go to the DNR website.

I bought a jet ski under very similar conditions. Took the reg numbers to the Ga. DNR and got it all lined out.

[keakar]

I am telling you how I "think" the process works but you will have to call each dept to confirm it.

you can file a "claim" for ownership and they will attempt to contact the registered owner and if they or their family doesn't want to claim it then they (DWLF & DMV) will issue new papers for it in your name. I think they take it from you (because you have no proof of ownership they treat it like it may be stolen property) and hold it in their possession until ownership can be established.

I know thee is a process for it and the processes may be different for the DMV for the trailer vs the LDWF for the boat.

call them both and explain whats going on and ask how to file a claim of ownership on it.

what you are doing is filing a claim for the abandoned property you now have in your possession and must wait something like 90 days "after" the registered owners have been sent a notice that you are trying to claim ownership.

at any time in this process if the registered owner or their family (if the owner is deceased) can claim it and you must give it to them.

as you can see from what little I know about all this its a process that could easily have you spending several months trying to sort out but IF you have the time there is a process to get paperwork on it.

if its in good condition, often the family of a deceased owner often will want it back so they can sell it for what its worth so you are going to be spending months and it all depends on the other party not wanting it back (for free)

[BIG1LOST]

Thanx guys.I will use the boat sans engine,(no need to reg.) on bayous and small lakes and just find a trailer with papers...I've been tryin' to trade a '96 lincoln towncar(needs timing chain work and wind shield) for a trailer...lots of folks want the car but don't have a trailer,and I never see a trailer for the money I am offered for the car !!!

[AubreyLaHaye458]

I saw a 14' flatboat trailer on Cajun Swap Shop ok Facebook for $500 if I remember correctly.


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[BIG1LOST]

Thanx much 458 !!!