So this is something that I just discovered. The State of Washington doesn't care about a vessel report of sale. So here is what is going on. Back in 2021 I bought a 1963 Ericsson 26 for $300. I only wanted this vessel for a quick flip and that's exactly what I did. I transferred the title into my name and paid the registration all legal like. I sold the boat a few weeks later for $600 (after some major clean up work) and the new owner was happy. But to me he seemed like the type that may not transfer the title so I made sure to get his information and I filed the seller's report online at the WADOL site. Fast forward a bit over a year later and I get a call for the WA DNR (Department of Natural Resources) saying that my boat has run aground. I don't currently own any boats, I am in the market for one though. I let them know that I sold the boat back in 2021, and I know that it had changed owners at least once since then, as I stayed in touch with the buyer for a short period of time and he told me he was selling it as well.
So they take my statement that I sold the boat and said they would investigate the ownership. Great. Well today I get a certified letter saying I needed to recover my boat, or call them. So I do and I talk to the same person that called me about the boat a few weeks ago. She said the state DOL will acknowledge I filled out the seller's report but they don't care as I was the last registered owner. The DNR people asked me if I still wanted the boat and I said not really, I didn't much want it in the first place, it's ugly and I just bought it as a quick flip. I actually never even moved her while I owned her.
So my problem is I have already deleted the buyer's information from my phone. I didn't make a bill of sale as in WA the title can be used as a bill of sale since it has an area to put the dollar amount and signatures. DNR has been pretty cool about it all and is working with me to either recover the boat or have it scrapped at no cost to me, which is good but I am now dealing with something I thought was long gone.
Moral of the story here, make sure to create a bill of sale, or better yet take the new owner to the DMV and have them transfer the title right at the time of sale to prevent this from happening to you. If you are in a state other than WA, you may be in better shape than us here in WA. The lady at the DNR couldn't believe how the state disregards the seller's report, yet we can be fined if we don't fill one out. If this had been Water Lilly or Luna (Especially Luna) I would have been all over being able to repossess my old boat, but not this one. Ericsson 26s are strong and well laid out, but boy are they ugly!
Just thought I would put this out there, even when you do everything right, you are still responsible for someone else's wrong.
So they take my statement that I sold the boat and said they would investigate the ownership. Great. Well today I get a certified letter saying I needed to recover my boat, or call them. So I do and I talk to the same person that called me about the boat a few weeks ago. She said the state DOL will acknowledge I filled out the seller's report but they don't care as I was the last registered owner. The DNR people asked me if I still wanted the boat and I said not really, I didn't much want it in the first place, it's ugly and I just bought it as a quick flip. I actually never even moved her while I owned her.
So my problem is I have already deleted the buyer's information from my phone. I didn't make a bill of sale as in WA the title can be used as a bill of sale since it has an area to put the dollar amount and signatures. DNR has been pretty cool about it all and is working with me to either recover the boat or have it scrapped at no cost to me, which is good but I am now dealing with something I thought was long gone.
Moral of the story here, make sure to create a bill of sale, or better yet take the new owner to the DMV and have them transfer the title right at the time of sale to prevent this from happening to you. If you are in a state other than WA, you may be in better shape than us here in WA. The lady at the DNR couldn't believe how the state disregards the seller's report, yet we can be fined if we don't fill one out. If this had been Water Lilly or Luna (Especially Luna) I would have been all over being able to repossess my old boat, but not this one. Ericsson 26s are strong and well laid out, but boy are they ugly!
Just thought I would put this out there, even when you do everything right, you are still responsible for someone else's wrong.
