| The thought of unwittingly purchasing a
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| | titling law that allows for the
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| stolen boat does not occur to most boat
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| | reassignment of a hull and registration
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| buyers. When it happens it doesn't make
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| | number. This is called the "homemade
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| the morning paper or the evening TV news.
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| | boat" provision which provides the
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| Yet the number of small boats that are
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| | opportunity for a great deal of mischief.
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| stolen each year has been steadily
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| | Let's say, for example, that I acquired a
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| increasing for several decades, to the
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| | 1976, 29' Seabird hull and completely
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| point where it involves several hundred
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| | rebuilt it with new deck, interior and
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| thousand boats annually across the
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| | engines, etc. I could apply for a new
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| nation. The odds of running across one of
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| | title under the homemade boat provision
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| these has become uncomfortably high.
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| | and be assigned an entirely new hull
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| The risk of the stolen boat being
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| | number and title. In Florida, the new
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| discovered is also increasing. All over
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| | number assigned would have an FLZ prefix
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| the nation, the legions of bounty hunters
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| | that indicates a homemade boat. The
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| roaming the docks and marinas are also
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| | problem here is that stolen boat artists
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| increasing. Thus, the chance of someone
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| | can do the same thing with any stolen
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| who unwittingly purchases one of these
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| | boat. Therefore, any boat with an FLZ
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| boats of loosing it is fairly high.
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| | prefix should be viewed with great
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| In the state of Florida alone, which has
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| | caution.
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| about one million registered boats, based
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| | The problem with this registration number
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| on insurance records, I estimate that up
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| | is painfully obvious - its got one too
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| to 5,000 boats are reported as stolen
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| | many digits. But not really. The "1"
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| annually. Some are stripped and
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| | between the L and 4 is not a stick-on
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| destroyed, others are shipped out to
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| | number but the residue from a number that
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| foreign countries, but the vast majority
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| | was removed. Here, the adhesive was
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| of stolen boats end up being altered in
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| | blackened with crushed pencil lead to
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| various ways and resold in other areas or
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| | make the missing number show up. The
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| states.
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| | original number was 1438 but had been
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| Stolen boat cases are often involved in
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| | altered to 4387.
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| insurance fraud. Unscrupulous owners who
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| | Another tip off may come from evidence
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| get in financial trouble rather
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| | that stick-on lettering for state
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| frequently will sell the boat for
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| | registration numbers have been changed.
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| whatever he can get for it and, at the
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| | Sometimes the hull finish will have faded
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| same time, report it stolen and try to
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| | and the old numbers can be seen. In other
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| collect the insurance. Its a quick way to
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| | cases, the remaining gum residue of the
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| make a lot of money if they can get away
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| | old letters may be apparent, or can be
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| with it. This scam has become so
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| | shown up by rubbing a little dirt over
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| widespread that both insurance companies
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| | them. The dirt will stick to the nearly
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| and state agencies are very much on the
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| | invisible adhesive and be shown up more
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| alert. Many state agencies have stepped
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| | clearly. Because a number is supposed to
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| up their review procedures of title and
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| | remain for the life of the boat, unless
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| registration changes so that more and
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| | its been moved from another state, there
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| more of these frauds are being
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| | is not likely any good reason for the
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| discovered. The problem for the boat
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| | change. I have discovered several boats
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| buyer here is that this greatly increases
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| | this way.
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| the chance of his unwitting purchase of a
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| | More stolen boats are discovered through
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| stolen boat being discovered. When that
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| | inconsistencies in the paper work than
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| happens, he may find himself involved in
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| | any other means. Federal law requires
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| costly litigation.
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| | that when state registration numbers are
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| Most people who purchase a stolen boat
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| | assigned, that number remains with the
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| are never aware of the fact that they own
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| | boat unless its reregistered in another
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| one unless its discovered by a state
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| | state. And herein lies yet another means
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| title agency, or the small army of bounty
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| | for thieves to try to legitimize a stolen
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| hunters commissioned by insurance
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| | boat. Transference of registrations and
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| companies that are searching for them.
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| | titles from one state to another provide
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| The bad news is that even though one may
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| | a much easier means for the thief to
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| have no knowledge of having purchased a
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| | provide false proof of ownership. The
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| stolen boat, when it is discovered the
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| | reason being that its harder, if not
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| new owner has to forfeit the boat,
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| | impossible, for the state bureaucracy to
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| usually with no recourse for recovery of
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| | make a thorough check of another state's
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| his loss. Even worse, he may even find
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| | records. And bureaucrats, being what they
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| himself trying to fend off criminal
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| | are, usually won't make that effort.
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| charges of conspiracy or being in
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| | Buyers should be extra cautious when
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| possession of stolen property.
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| | looking at an out-of-state boat in their
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| As many as a half-dozen times per year I
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| | home state.
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| run across boats that have anomalies in
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| | Also be wary when "things just don't seem
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| either the hull or registration numbers.
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| | right." I know that's a rather vague
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| In fact, most stolen boats that are
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| | statement, but here are some examples.
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| resold have only a minor change in the
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| | The owner is a person who never appears
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| H.I.N. or Hull Identification Number.
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| | and is always represented by a "friend".
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| Because these numbers are only molded
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| | Used boats normally have a lot of the
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| into the plastic of the hull, it is a
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| | owner's cast-offs on board. Beware of a
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| very simply matter to alter it. Hull
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| | boat that is totally devoid of the little
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| numbers can be completely changed, or it
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| | things like useless junk in drawers and
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| may only have one or a few digits
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| | so on. The boat appears to be
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| altered. Either way, its a process that a
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| | economically beyond the means of the
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| thief can accomplish in less than an
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| | seller. While its not nice to stereotype
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| hour.
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| | people, sometimes there's just cause for
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| One of the above hull numbers was
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| | suspicion. If the boat and the owner
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| fraudulently altered. Can you tell which
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| | somehow just don't see to "fit," don't
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| one? The center number was altered by the
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| | ignore the disparity.
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| builder. It is legitimate despite the
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| | A boat buyer can perform his own
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| ragged appearance of the impression. the
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| | investigation by following this
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| right number is unaltered. The number at
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| | procedure:
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| left is not a bad picture, but a number
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| | Immediately be suspicious of any hull
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| on a stolen boat. The tip-off is the
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| | number that shows the slightest sign of
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| indistinctness of the numbers that showed
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| | not being exactly right.
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| obvious signs of alteration.
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| | Obtain from the owner as much paper work
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| But what about other identification
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| | as possible. Find out how long he has
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| numbers such as engine serial numbers,
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| | owned the boat and get copies of all
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| you may ask? How do thieves alter these
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| | prior registrations. Examine all official
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| numbers? Ah, there's the problem for the
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| | documents for any sign that they have
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| poor soul who purchases a stolen boat. It
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| | been altered. You would be amazed at how
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| is a very rare instance when insurance
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| | many thieves simply alter numbers on
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| surveyors or bounty hunters find boats on
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| | titles and registrations.
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| which the engine numbers have been
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| | Be wary of any seller who has owned the
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| changed or removed. That means that the
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| | boat for less than a year.
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| engine numbers remain as a means of
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| | Be wary of freshly painted or refurbished
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| positively identifying a stolen boat. And
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| | boats.
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| if its discovered, the owner will surely
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| | Owners that can't provide any records
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| loose it.
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| | such as repair invoices and so on should
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| Fortunately, its a fairly simple matter
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| | be cause for suspicion. Most boat owners
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| to follow certain procedures to make sure
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| | keep good records and there's no reason
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| that the boat you are contemplating
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| | why they should not at least let you see
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| purchasing is legitimately owned by the
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| | them.
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| seller. Consider the following important
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| | Contact the state titling agency and
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| points.
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| | verify the hull and registration number
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| Be extremely wary of a hull number that
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| | against the seller's name and address. Be
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| appears to be obscured in any way. When
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| | wary of any inconsistencies. This can be
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| older boats have been repainted, often
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| | done by phone in most states.
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| the numbers are painted over so that
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| | Ask to see the title and registration
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| they're difficult or even impossible to
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| | before signing a purchase agreement or
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| read. On the other hand, this may have
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| | giving a deposit. If there is more than
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| been an intentional act to make the
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| | one owner, such as a husband and wife,
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| number impossible to read. Most of my
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| | ask to speak to the other party. Don't
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| clients don't even think twice about
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| | get caught in a divorce situation where
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| missing or obscured numbers, and that can
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| | one party completes the sale by means of
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| be a big mistake. Regard any hull number
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| | theft from the other.
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| that is not perfectly clear with great
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| | For federally documented vessels, use a
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| suspicion. If a number is completely or
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| | professional documentation service and
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| even partially obscured, do not accept
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| | make sure that they obtain and provide
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| the explanation that this happened during
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| | you with a copy of the document abstract.
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| repainting. Assume the worst until proven
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| | Do not complete the purchase until you
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| otherwise.
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| | have thoroughly reviewed this document.
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| Be wary of any hull number that shows any
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| | Make sure that all liens have been
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| sign of having been altered. Hull numbers
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| | settled.
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| can be changed by grinding out the old
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| | Approach any boat with great caution that
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| and molding a new number in place with
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| | is being sold by a dealer which does not
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| new gelcoat. Because gelcoat material
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| | have it's own registration numbers, but
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| fades and changes color with time, this
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| | instead has dealer numbers on it that the
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| operation may make the presence of new
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| | dealer will remove. The odds are high
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| gelcoat rather obvious if one is looking
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| | that there is a problem.
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| closely. There should be no ripples or
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| | Watch out for boats that have been
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| waviness around the numbers. Be
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| | recently brought to your state from
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| suspicious if the molding surface is not
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| | another.
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| smooth and the numbers very clear and
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| | Examine all official documents carefully
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| distinct.
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| | for evidence of alteration. Accept only
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| Check closely for signs that any number
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| | originals and not photocopies.
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| has been altered. Examples are turning a
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| | Don't purchase a vessel that came from a
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| 1 into a seven, a 5 into an 8, and so on.
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| | non-titling state such as Alabama. The
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| Alterations on smaller boats are
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| | odds are extremely high that the boat is
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| sometimes laughably crude.
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| | not legitimate.
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| It happens rather frequently that
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| | Examine the hull sides on the bow for
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| builders change the numbers on their own
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| | evidence that registration numbers have
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| boats. Many state laws allow a builder to
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| | been removed or altered. Frequently
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| change a number of a boat that has been
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| | changes will be visible by gum residue or
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| in their own stock from one model year to
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| | the outline of numbers against faded
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| another so long as it has not been sold.
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| | gelcoat or paint.
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| Frequently, these number changes look
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| | Another means of checking are the variety
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| very suspicious. Often they're perfectly
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| | of registration stickers provided by many
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| legitimate, but its foolhardy not to
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| | states. These stickers usually have a
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| check. Call the builder and ask about it.
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| | decal number that can be followed up on
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| They are usually very cooperative in this
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| | with the state. Crooks frequently
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| regard.
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| | overlook this subtle point. The decal
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| Many states have a provision in their
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| | numbers must match the registration.
|
