Boat and motor title

I bought a Jon boat and motor from this guy. He bought the boat & motor from the original owner. I have the title to the boat and motor. Just went to the TPWD office in FT. Worth and found out that I cannot transfer the title's in my name because the guy I bought it from did not transfer it into his name. So now I have to try and make the impossible happen. I have to see if the guy I bought it from will transfer the boat & motor into his name only so I can transfer it into my name.

So the moral of the story is:

DO NOT BUY ANYTHING THAT HAS A TITLE UNLESS THE TITLE YOU ARE GIVEN HAS THE PERSONS NAME & SIGNATURE THAT YOU BOUGHT THE ITEM FOR.

.....#1 rule.......but every day someone gets it in the end..

Going thourgh the same dang thing right now and it's getting to the point where i am going to just take my boat out to the lake and leave it then wait till they take it and then go to the TPW and clam it when the times up on it i know i wont but it sounds godd

I got burned like that too.

A hard lesson to learn but one thing for sure.......I learned it WELL!

I always print out the transfer paperwork from the TPWD website & "do it all" myself in those cases---comprendo?
All they really care about is collecting the fees-----

I will also add. Even if you are searching on craigslist and in the title it says "have titles to everything".

do not always believe that the titles will be crystal clear and ready to transfer. I bought this boat, trailer & motor with all titles. I didnt know better. I assumed since the original owner signed the titles that I could easily get them in my name.


After visiting TPWD they gave me 2 documents that the current title holder & you will have to fill out before they will do anything.

I just wanted to see If I could do it the "right" way, but now I know

when you go to buy a boat motor an trailer if the titles to the boat an the motor an trailer registration is not in the persons name that is collecting the money run away no matter what they say they are selling a unit that does not legally belong to them . it is a pain to get it rectified not to mention it is against the laws on titling an the registration of trailers.

I am not going to say you should, but I know people that would go get another tax sheet and fill it out in their name and "use" the guys signature on the new tax sheet.

Can you say fraud, punisable by up to $10,000.00. Try to find the original owner and see if he will help you. This will work only if the titles don't have the second owner listed.

Don't do this. You have to sign your name stating that everything is true. Doing otherwise is fraud. When I sign my name on a piece of paper, it means something to me and the others involved. My integrity is not for sale and I hope yours is not either.

That's Tampering with a Goverment Record, 37.10 Texas Penal Code. It's a Third Degree Felony---comprende?

Dealing with TP&W is a 3rd degree pain in the [censored]!

Yeah- Those who say they won't have never been in that certain situation ---

I just bought a boat have the titles tht r signed and the tpwd papers are signed also by the same person..where do i take this paper wrk

Just hit a new problem that I had never seen before. Guy bought a Nitro bass boat and when he finally received the titles the seller had signed the titles and TP&W forms. When he got to the TP&W office the lady after entering the TX# she told him the sellers ex-wife would have to sign also because it came up as having lean by the ex-wife. That is where it all went wrong as she is refusing to sign and now the only option after 6 months is for the buyer to file on the seller. Seller is refusing to give money back. What a mess.

this is why you dont give folks the funds until you see that the titles are clear an if they have liens on them they are signed off or you have a lien release .

How can u find out if motor has been titled. If seller say it has no title. Is there a website for that if u have serial number?

Nearest TPWD office-

The Nitro titles did`nt show a lien on them. Did`nt show the guys ex as co-owner. Showed up on TP&Ws computer when guy went to TP&W to transfer titles. I do`nt know how to tell for shure without calling TP&W and asking about a lien before you pay for the boat. I know this guy is sick from being out 22K on a boat he ca`nt use.

You can check here using the TX # or the serial # or HIN#

https://apps.tpwd.state.tx.us/tora/legal.jsf;jsessionid=4672153444A97E6142055C7DCAD0CE82