registering boat and trailer, only bill of sale

[choice49]

I'm considering ebay purchase of a 14 foot alum. rowboat plus trailer (no motor) based in WI.

Seller says "The trailer and boat does not have any official documentation. I think the boat was made prior to the use of hull identification numbers for it has only a stamped number of 5 digits which is clearly visible. Wisconsin does not require trailers be registered or have plates."

I'm new to Michigan, but I have read the info on the Sec. of State webpages. I've had some delay and trouble with a similiar situation in Massachusetts, but that was a bigger boat and trailer.

Any idea how much difficulty this will be, registering the boat and trailer?

Thanks in advance. -Steve

[jpollman]

Shouldn't be a problem if you have a bill of sale. You'll just need to get the trailer weighed. Take that information to the SOS and they will register it in your name and you can get a plate. A few years ago I bought an old trailer that didn't have any documentation and that's all I did and it was pretty easy.

Good luck

John

[waterfoul]

Simple as stated above. Get a weight slip, bring it in, bring bill of sale (can be hand written by you and signed by both you and the seller), get your registration and plate.

[choice49]

Will there be any prob registering the boat? -Steve (original poster)

[huntingmaniac45]

Should be no problem. Bill of sale for both, and a weight slip for the trailer, and you should be fixed up.

[choice49]

(from original poster)

OK, now I have my new boat and trailer, and I need to find a weigh station for the little trailer. I've searched all over mich.gov and only found info about the portable weigh stations that they set up here and there on the main highways, to catch weight trucks. The person at Sec. of State I just talked to said to look in the yellow pages. No obvious help there, except I suppose I can call some hauling company and see what they say.

Where/what are these weighing stations? Will some be high priced, but I can get it done cheap at certain places? Thanks in advance.

[steveh27]

Some places that buy scrap & paper have vehicle scales because they buy truck loads.

[scotto6700]

A lot of landscaping companies have certified scales for weighing out stone and such, give that a try!!

[MIKE KOVICH]

most any gravel pit has a set of scales and would probibly do it for free look up aggrigates in the yellow pages

[micooner]

wt slip from the grain elevator or large farm works too.

[jpollman]

I had mine done at an asphalt paving company yard. (Luckily it was about 1,000 feet down the street from the Secretary of State office ;)) My dad had a trailer weighed at the city's DPW yard. I think I paid $5.

John

[alex-v]

....and I need to find a weigh station for the little trailer. I've searched all over mich.gov ....
Stop trying to do everything on-line and let yourself do the searching.:):)

Go to the closest shop that builds trailers and/or sells trailer parts and supplies. This would include those places that service the big camping trailers. They will know the closest weigh station to get any trailer weighed. Skip going on-line and just get out a copy of the old-fashioned Yellow Pages and look up trailers.

[Topshelf]

Stop trying to do everything on-line and let yourself do the searching.:):)

Go to the closest shop that builds trailers and/or sells trailer parts and supplies. This would include those places that service the big camping trailers. They will know the closest weigh station to get any trailer weighed. Skip going on-line and just get out a copy of the old-fashioned Yellow Pages and look up trailers.

You mean some people actually still use paper phone books? :yikes: