Sold a boat years ago

Yesterday I get acertified letter saying my boat was towed to a impound. I sold the boat with a title that was in my name. It was a 2001 aluminumcraft with a small old outboard and trailer and t motor with it. They want 300 to get it out of impound. Not sure whats even left in or on the boat but is located in denton. Question is legally who owns the boat? I have no idea who I sold it to it was a few years ago to guy that said he lived by lake tawokini. Not sure what yo do. Should I get the boat back can that guy get it back from me? Just let it go or what. Feel like im stealing it if I gi get it back since I have sold it once before. Any feedback would be appreciated

He obviously never changed the title over, on the trailer at the very least. That's how they found you, the registered owner. I had a similar situation happen to me with a car I sold. Title was signed over but they never completed the process. Thankfully I had gone online to the Tx Registration website and filled out a form stating that I had sold it. I called the impound and let them know and they said it didn't really matter. I could legally come and get it but if I didn't it would just be auctioned.
You might give TP&W a call and see if the hull and motor were ever changed out of your name or not.

Trying to recover a boat you previously sold is probably not a good idea weather the buyer transferred the titles over or not. If you retained a signed copy of a bill of sale then you should be absolved of any responsibility on the boats current status. I agree with HB in that you should contact TP&W or possibly your local tax assessor for guidance.

I suppose that if the guy you sold it to disappeared into thin air and you had all the pertinent info on the boat, motor and trailer you could apply for lost titles and possibly do a recovery but if you don't didn't retain any info on the buyer you probably didn't retain boat info either. I could be wrong but I always thought you had to have proof of ownership before something could be released from impoundment.

Thanks gor theinfo. I didnt keep any info in the boat at all since I sold it so be hard to prove anything except my name and adress. Ill call tpw and see if they can tell me anything on what I should do. Thanks again

The boat belongs to the buyer. He is screwed for not registering it and might not be able to recover it from impound since he doesn't have the title. You could go get it and apply for a lost title and if he never came calling then you'd be ok. If you get it out and fix it up he could come knocking in a few months and demand it's return and even file theft charges. He would have the signed title as evidence against you.

Not much different legally as if you sold it to him and then drove to his house that night, hitched it up and drove it home.

I would ignore it. You got your money for the sale, it's the owner's problem.

Not your boat.
Not your problem.
I have had similar issues after selling boats, cars and motorcycles. It seems only half of them get registered in a timely manner.

+1, salvage yard will make a couple of attempts by certified letter and then they will file for title. I have had this happen with 2 vehicles even I though I filled out the transfer papers. Do not sign for the certified letter and they will go away quicker. If you sign they will send another. I have a car I sold to a guy in Gainsville that I got letters from a wrecking yard like 2 years later. Just a month ago I got one from the tax assessor in Whichita Falls. Some Hispanic chick is trying to get a bonded title on it. I threw the letter in the recycle bin.

He obviously filed for a homemade trailer tag, and the vin # on the trailer was (and still is) registered to you...So they impound the trailer (and of course the boat/motor are on it.) Cops have been cracking down on this sort of thing lately...I guess they are hurting for revenue in the state coffers...

My guess is that the guy you sold it to went and transferred the Boat and motor, but didn't bother to transfer the trailer because everyone used the homemade trailer route to tag a trailer...now, the state is enforcing the law and collecting much needed revenue (hey oil and gas revenue is down) to keep the state budget going....and jacking folks up in the process.

when you sell a boat motor an trailer it is always a good idea to make copies of the signed titles dated bills of sales an the registration to the trailer then if they are responsible the purchaser has 20 working days to get it registered an pay the taxes before the penalty is levied.

Like mentioned above : Not your boat , not your problem .

The guy never paid the sales tax or licensed it, so I think if I were you, I would pay the impound, get the boat back and apply for a new title.