Abandoned boat question

I have an interesting situation. My father in law bought a farm from a guy who used the hay shed for boat storage in the winter. There was a Boat left in there that hasnt been registered since 2002and most likely hasn’t moved from the hay barn since roughly the same time
My FIL, nor the previous owner of the farm, have any idea who the owner is. It is a sweet old Alums Craft Alpex from the mid to late sixtys. For sitting in a barn for 17 years it is in reasonable shape so I have a mind to restore it.

The question is this: do we need to do anything to clear the title and/ or registration?

I think you have to call the state that it was registered in and give them the hull ID…then they will check and see who the previous owner was. I know this is what had to be done with a trailer in a similar situation.

The Hull ID was put on boats after the 70s or 80s I believe. Wouldn’t pertain to this boat, but I may be wrong on that.

Finders keepers I say. What may need to happen might pertain to how long the boat is.

Show some pics if any, and share what happens, be cool looking rig to check out.

If it has a 2002 registration sticker, there is a number on the sticker that DMV could identify the boat owner.

There is a hull ID. I will call the state and see what the have to say. Our assumption is that the owner has long since passed away and any kids had no idea where the boat was or had no interest in dealing with it.

I don’t have much for pictures. I did take one of the wheel. This feels as much like an old Cadillac inside as it does a boat

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Looks like this ?: http://www.synergymotorcarcompany.com/1962_Alumacraft_Alpex%20Alora%20Deluxe%20Ski%20Boat_Maplewood_MN_265767346.veh

HRG

Similar. I don’t know a lot about the Alpex boats as I had not hard of them until yesterday. From pictures I have seen I think the one in the barn is from the later 60s. Beautiful old boats though. I love the character of them.

Find out if the storage rent is currant. Call the state, track down the owner and give them the rent bill including past due late payments and interest. Then follow the same proceedures as mini storage people. That way you end up with a clean possesion.

Dutchboy wrote:

Find out if the storage rent is currant. Call the state, track down the owner and give them the rent bill including past due late payments and interest. Then follow the same procedures as mini storage people. That way you end up with a clean possession.

That seems like it’d be the best path to clear ownership — but would’t his FIL need to track down the guy the bought the farm from and get a copy of the storage contract? Which doesn’t sound possible.

I think this might require placing a lien on the boat and then letting the process play out, but I have no idea how you’d go about that without knowing who the owner is. Bring the HID and the registration number in to the DMV and go from there.

Agreed, DMV first. I think you have to attempt to locate the owner. From there they will just sign over a bill of sale vs paying a big storage bill. They have shown they can live without it. Now you just have to jump through the legal hoops to get the title transfered.

nhamm wrote:

The Hull ID was put on boats after the 70s or 80s I believe. Wouldn’t pertain to this boat, but I may be wrong on that.

November of 1972 was when hull ID numbers were required.

So I wanted to provide an update. I have found out that this is a 1965 Alpex boat. It is listed as a 15 foot open motor. I don’t know if it is because of the age or because of the length but I was told by the DNR today that it was a non-titled boat and I would only need a bill of sale from my father in law to get it registered into my name. I will call back later today and ask a few more questions. I think I explained everything to her correctly on the phone but didn’t ask any questions when I got the answer I wanted. My guess is that the reasoning of “Some gal told me I could” won’t make it very far is she misunderstood my situation.

Thanks for all the responses and I am glad it SOUNDS much easier than what some of you laid out. I was a little nervous reading the replies thinking a boat worth 200-500 as it sits wasn’t going to be worth the hassle.

In MN…

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/ADV-Docs/MINNESOTA_ADV_Legal_Review_2015_NOAA_MDP.pdf

Brian Klawitter wrote:

In MN…

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/ADV-Docs/MINNESOTA_ADV_Legal_Review_2015_NOAA_MDP.pdf

Brian Klawitter wrote:

In MN…

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/ADV-Docs/MINNESOTA_ADV_Legal_Review_2015_NOAA_MDP.pdf

Brian Klawitter wrote:

In MN…

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/ADV-Docs/MINNESOTA_ADV_Legal_Review_2015_NOAA_MDP.pdf

This defines a “watercraft” as any vessel 16 feet and over. This is registered as a 15 foot boat. I don’t think the link applies to this boat in question. Getting back to my post above not knowing if it was the age or the size of the boat that made it much simpler, it appears that it is the size of the boat that is making this simple.

Am I understanding the link wrong?

I had a similar situation last year with an old canoe that didn’t have any registration stickers, title, or hull ID. I filled out a “statement of facts watercraft title” and a “universal registration form” to properly license the canoe. I took those into the DMV and it was pretty simple, with no hassle, and the only cost was the registration sticker if I remember correctly. I would assume a bill of sale would be equally painless.

I used the forms at the bottom of this link:
http://dnr.state.mn.us/licenses/watercraft/index.html

When you get the chance, post some pictures of that cool old boat!

blank wrote:

I had a similar situation last year with an old canoe that didn’t have any registration stickers, title, or hull ID. I filled out a “statement of facts watercraft title” and a “universal registration form” to properly license the canoe. I took those into the DMV and it was pretty simple, with no hassle, and the only cost was the registration sticker if I remember correctly. I would assume a bill of sale would be equally painless.

I used the forms at the bottom of this link:
http://dnr.state.mn.us/licenses/watercraft/index.html

When you get the chance, post some pictures of that cool old boat!

I got out to take some pics today. I also walked around the boat to take a closer look too see how much work it could be. Floor in the back is a little spongy. Hard to tell on the fiberglass as I need to power wash. Overall I think it might be a fun project that I may tackle assuming it floats and we can get the engine going.

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Sweet ride!
Makes me want to start singing “Sweet home Alabama all summer long”

Looks like the boat Andy fixed up at the end of Shawshank! Cept’ not wood.

Forget the power washer. Buy a gallon of Sheen Ezey. This stuff is typically used in the Dairy Equipment world but I found out from my dealer that this is what they use to make trade ins look like new. I use it on my boat a couple times per year to shine it up. Not kidding,, this is the worlds best kept secret when it comes to cleaning boats. Don’t even bother with anything else (I’ve tried it all).

Good luck!!