hello fellow bass enthusiasts.  I am in a pickle.  I purchased a bass raider from craigslist, and it has never been registered.  the owner is unable to track down the proof of purchase and so I am unable to get the boat registered to be used with a trolling motor.  I have the blank MSO and all documents except for the proof of purchase.  of course my DMV needs that little receipt.  any ideas on what I can do with this fancy lawn ornament?  I would love to be able to use this, I mean its brand new, built in 2017. 

 

I am in the state of Nebraska if that helps any. 

Can the guy you bought from just get a general bill of sale form off the internet and fill it out. I don't know about Nebraska, but that is all you need in MS.

3 minutes ago, tander said:

Can the guy you bought from just get a general bill of sale form off the internet and fill it out. I don't know about Nebraska, but that is all you need in MS.

Yeah i would think that is all you need too.  Or if he bought it in 2017 where did he get it?  maybe they can make you up a receipt.  I had a bike shop i bought a bike from make me a receipt when it was stolen so i had it for my insurance claim. I did have a good relationship with them though so your mileage may vary

The owner can't track down the proof of purchase? Does he know where he stole...bought it from? 

In Texas and Ga, I was able to use a legal affidavit from the seller saying he sold it to you, and explaining how he got the boat and why he can't produce a registration.  Sometimes DMV or DNR may require a documented title search, usually by an attorney that does them.  If that VIN comes back with someone else showing it was theirs (you just lost it), even if it's after you are allowed to register it, because they will usually only give a provisional title.

It's all going to depend on your DMV/DNR will go along with. 

Where did the owner buy it from? sounds a bit sketchy to me. 

Can't help with your situation, but welcome aboard!

Here in Virginia all you need is a bill of sale to register a boat. 

Nebraska’s online information is sparse, but basically says that you only need a Hull Identification Number to register a motorized boat:

 

http://outdoornebraska.gov/boatingregulations/

 

 

8 hours ago, PECo said:

Nebraska’s online information is sparse, but basically says that you only need a Hull Identification Number to register a motorized boat:

 

http://outdoornebraska.gov/boatingregulations/

 

 

While the outdoor NE page says this, it is not sufficient. 

 

I ran ran into a similar problem when I purchased a Bass Hound a little over a year ago. I had the MSO AND the bill of sale and they still wouldn’t let me register it. Fortunately for me, it had been registered in Kansas previously and still had the numbers on it. I was able to call Kansas motor vehicle and they sent me a copy of the old registration. It is important that the name on the old registration matches the name on the bill of sale.

 

Nebraska has some pretty ridiculous laws/processes about registering these kinds of things.

 

If you don’t have any luck, you might be able to register it in another state that only requires the MSO and bill of sale and then use that registration to register it in Nebraska.