Re: 1964 MFG 16′ boat need advice

[David Stanton]

In Minnesota, there is a distinction between a boat being "Titled" or just "Registered". Back in the 1950’s, 60’s 70’s etc, there were no Titles on boats – just Registrations and if it doesn’t come up "Titled" on the DMV computer, or does not come up at all due to no license for at least ten years, then with a bill of sale, they issue a new Registration; so it’s pretty easy here for transferring an old boat. I’ve also bought two boats in WIsconsin and the Bill of sale is all Minnesota cared about. Motors are not titled or registered in Minn or Wisc. Now the trailer, since it goes on the highway, can be a problem in Minnesota with no title – again if it was Titled and not just Registered as it shows up on DMV computer – if it shows up at all. If just Registered, the Bill of sale works. If Titled, the seller can file an affidavit of lost title and get another issued if it has a Minnesota license and the computer says it was Titled. Wisconsin doesn’t track or license the trailers, so I had no paperwork, but a bill of sale gets a Wisconsin trailer taken care of in Minnesota. One boat and trailer I bought at a Minnesota garage sale, where a relative from Wisconsin had brought it to the sale to sell. The bill of sale was on a napkin and the trailer wasn’t mentioned. The DMV person said I had to hunt down this person in Wisconsin for a Bill of Sale, but while I was talking, and explaining there was no model or serial number left on it, and I wasn’t sure I could find the sale house again in a neighborhood I was not familiar with; an older "seasoned" DMV employee came over with a form to fill out declaring I had made the trailer myself (I told her it was not homemade, but she said I could declare it homemade anyway) and I walked out of the office with the "homemade" trailer in my name.
I’ve learned a lot here about how to get things done the easy way.
Dave