documented vessel questions

[Bryant]

documentation

Guess I fell for a trap on the $450.
Maritime documentation MT .

I will wait and also register in Florida.
Whats your take on attempting to get a state title?
The boat came from Canada 2 owners ago, there was no title.

Yes, you fell for a trap. You will be sent letters from "official" looking entities that will document your boat. They are all scams. Go on the USCG website for documentation. It's $26/year. They aren't backed up. I got my annual renewal this year in about 3 weeks. If you are documented, you won't get a title. In Fl you have to register it. Minimal cost. You don't display numbers but you do display the decal.

 

[Bryant]

Documentation

The USCG is way behind on their paper work, just sit tight. They have a weblink where you can check your position in the que. If the previous owner terminated his documentation its doubtful that it would effect the fees, paperwork and the wait time.

CAUTION: Do not, repeat, do not register with any state, it will invalidate your USCG documentation when you get it. In the case of Florida, or any state with a personal property tax on boats, all you need to get a decal from the tax authorities placed on the boat showing that your have "registered" for state tax purposes only and not so you can display state ID letters and number on the boat. When the tax agents raid the marinas, boat yards and anchorages the decal will tell them that you are cool with the state and the USCG.

I've been harping about this for years on various forums but it doesn't seem to sink in. The USCG (unless you are boarded and show them your USCG Cert. of Documentation) will have no way of knowing that you have also registered with the state and display state ID letter and numbers in violation of US documentation rules. So the Coasties will keep on sending your renewal notices. You will keep on paying them. But when something bad happens only then will you find out that, after all this time, your boat was never a US Flag Vessel subject to the benefits and legal ramifications pertaining thereto.

You have no idea of what you are talking about. You are a raving lunatic. Fl has no personal property tax on anything. For anyone reading this, do not listen to this person. I live in Florida. You document your vessel (if you choose too) and you then are required to register it with the state. You do not display numbers on your bow but you do display the registration decal.

 

[kthoennes]

Yeah, ProMaritime has utterly no idea what he's talking about, sorry.

As for the prohibition against state titles on federally documented boats though- yes, that's right, and yes, there's good reason for the prohibition, but try living in a Midwestern state where banks, credit unions, DMV's, water cops, and local insurance agents don't have the faintest idea what federal boat documentation is. They want to see my state title or I don't own it. Practical reality.

 

[RRPrather]

I sent mine in May of 2020 and didn't get it until February 2021.

 

[ProMaritime]

You are referring to the annual renewal, the poster is referring to and initial documentation since the previous owner cancelled the boat's documentation before he could take ownership. Once taken out of documentation to redocument is a lot more than $27. But thanks for warning about the for-profit hucksters that handle the paperwork for you. What they do is not illegal but they operate just barely above board, very shady.

 

[ProMaritime]

Yeah, ProMaritime has utterly no idea what he's talking about, sorry.

As for the prohibition against state titles on federally documented boats though- yes, that's right, and yes, there's good reason for the prohibition, but try living in a Midwestern state where banks, credit unions, DMV's, water cops, and local insurance agents don't have the faintest idea what federal boat documentation is. They want to see my state title or I don't own it. Practical reality.

kehoennes, you must not have any or don't actually own a boat or have ever bought or sold one. I believe you are right about Midwestern banks, etc., since you can't document any boat under 5GRT, that is Gross Registered Tons to you flat landers, where the biggest boat probably has a 25hp Evinrude. We have been doing this for over forty years, including buying USCG documented boats, documenting new purchases, buying a foreign flag vessel then doing a deflag/reflag to US and importing a foreign built vessel into the United States and providing advice to others interested in boating.

 

[pattormey]

Taxes still may be due

One reason to document your boat with the USCG is that you should not be paying sales tax in the state in which the boat resides. If you title the boat in the state, you will pay sales tax at the applicable rate (7% in Washington DC).

Sales tax payment is not related to the boat being a COD in all states. The rules vary.

Florida charges a sales tax regardless if you keep the vessel there. North Carolina doesn’t charge sales tax on used boats regardless of documentation type. Just some examples

Other possible taxes include states charging annual property taxes. South Carolina and North Carolina charge annual tax as both require documented vessels to be state registered (no numbers displayed on documented vessels) and with that registration they charge property tax annually.

Florida does not charge annual property tax last time I checked

 

[pattormey]

If your vessel is not documented, and you bought it as such, a title likely existed and was signed over. If so, why not just title in the state you intend to keep it and register it, and put the Reg numbers on the bow?

I agree there is benefit to documenting, but if your cruising is going to be in the US, and you are keeping it in a state requiring registration anyway AND the process is taking longer than you would like, just register and be done with the mess.

 

[denverd0n]

CAUTION: Do not, repeat, do not register with any state, it will invalidate your USCG documentation...

This statement is COMPLETELY WRONG! Registering your boat in a state absolutely DOES NOT invalidate your documentation. In fact, the Coast Guard specifically says that even though your boat is documented, you may still have to register it with the state in which it is kept (though you do not put state registration numbers on the bow).

...you need to get a decal from the tax authorities placed on the boat showing that your have "registered" for state tax purposes

And immediately after saying that state registration would invalidate your documentation, you say you have to show that you have registered!

Perhaps English is not your first language. If so, my apologies. But what you are saying is extremely twisted around and is only going to confuse people. You say you have been harping on this for years. Given the way that you explain it, it is no wonder that you have to keep harping. You are only getting people mixed up!

State registration does NOT invalidate USCG documentation. Many states REQUIRE you to register your boat, even if it is USCG documented. If your boat is USCG documented, however, then you do NOT display the state registration numbers on the bow. The fact that you are not displaying those numbers, does NOT mean that your boat is NOT registered with the state. It is, and you will normally be required to display the registration decal.

 

[ronobrien]

I reiterate, off subject and off the rails.

 

[kthoennes]

Yeah, I wouldn't encourage him, I think ProM is playing some kind of game.

 

[Spinner]

No, that’s not totally right (no sales tax on documented boats) . I purchased a documented boat, in WA state, in 2018. I had to pay the usual hefty amount of sales tax....

There may be states that have an sales tax exemption, but not all.

 

[BandB]

Back to the OP. His situation is complicated far beyond that most of us face. Toss in was documented, isn't now, Canada, no title, and it definitely calls for a professional documentation agency to help. I do not know those he went with as I do some local ones in South Florida, but not at all surprised it's taking time and effort. Just have to be patient and wait at this point.

 

[slowgoesit]

Ran into a guy while dock talking who got sucked in by one of these "entrepreneurs". Unknowingly he sent them a check with the application for renewal. He groused about how much it cost, but sent it in. Discovered his mistake shortly thereafter when he ran across a thread on a boat forum . . . . Called them, they basically said they did nothing illegal, and it was his choice to use them. Refused to refund anything. He thought it was stuck . . . .check has already cleared, etc. . . . HOWEVER . . . . he checked, and his wife had written the check out to the same people they had always written it out to.

Namely "United States Coast Guard Vessel Documentation Center".

Not sure how they fit it, but he contacted his bank, an attorney friend, then the doc company, and informed them that their company, their commercial, PRIVATE company had cashed a check made out to a United States Federal Agency, which he had been advised by the bank, and the attorney was an illegal act, and in violation of Federal Banking Laws! He told them that they had three days to refund his money, or he would turn it over to the authorities, and his bank would pursue it from their end. He received a check two days later, via FedEx for the full amount. No letter attached, no explanation, just the check! I love it when the little guy wins!
Something to possibly consider for your toolbox!

 

[RobbGrrr]

it took me less than a month to get all my paperwork back from the CG on a boat i bought last year at the height of COVID. I found them responsive and easy to work with.

Wow! Less than a month?! I submitted in August and I'm still waiting. No responses to phone calls or email.

Did you use a service?

 

[jgwinks]

CAUTION: Do not, repeat, do not register with any state, it will invalidate your USCG documentation when you get it. In the case of Florida, or any state with a personal property tax on boats, all you need to get a decal from the tax authorities placed on the boat showing that your have "registered" for state tax purposes only and not so you can display state ID letters and number on the boat. When the tax agents raid the marinas, boat yards and anchorages the decal will tell them that you are cool with the state and the USCG.

Not exactly correct. You may not state TITLE a documented vessel. Not the same thing. Most states require registration, documented or not. Registering gets you the tax decal. If a previously state titled boat gets documented, it will have both a state title and federal doc, but the state title will be invalid. I had one like that, the PO had refinanced the boat and the new bank required documentation. When I bought the boat direct from the PO, we didn't know that so we transferred the title and Doc. Neither agency knew the other was involved so both went through. When I sold the boat the broker just ignored the state title as it wasn't valid anyway. No problems with the sale. Buyer immediately moved the boat to Canada so the state was not involved at all and the USCG involved only to remove from documentation.

 

[Knot Salted]

The boat we purchased end of January this year was documented. Our Documentation arrived yesterday. If maritimetimedocumentation.us asks for one more document, I would tell to cancel the whole thing, and you will do the documentation yourself. They obviously don't have their act together if they keep asking you for more information. Just for comparison, the escrow company that did our boat transfer only charged $150 for that part of the purchase. It is for 5 years.

Again, that maritimeblahblah.us is Not Legit in that they are not anything but a $400 useless expense.
Go to uscg.gov or .mil , fill out the simple forms and spend $26 for your documentation.
Keep emails and forms for proof until your document arrives.
I did get my money back from one of these “service” groups by disputing the charge on my credit card.
I used their website with US COASTGUARD symbol on it to prove fraud.

 

[jgwinks]

As for the USCG being backed up, my online renewal this past October went through in the same two weeks it always has. Probably automated and no human had to look at it. The ones that do need a human are taking forever, maybe they're all still working from home or something. That and boat sales went through the roof last year so they're a lot busier than normal.