Registration transfer to new owner
 

I have a question about registration and transferring ownership to new owner. I bought a Boston Whaler from my neighbor. I was given a Bill of sale and their current 2020 registration. I went to our local marina to transfer ownership from the seller to me. The marina said no problem and processed the paperwork. Then I was asked to pay for the registration. I discovered that I was paying for a new 2020 tag and registration. The same amount of money as the previous owner paid back in April when they registered the boat for the new 2020 boating season. I was also given new red 2020 tags to be put on the boat bow. But wait....the season is just about over. You are asking me to pay as if I was registering the boat for the 2020 season. I'm taking the boat out of the water and putting it in storage. The season is over for this boat. Why am I being asked to pay for a full season that just ended?

I was told that is just the way it is....! What?? I have always bought boats from local marinas and have never had to pay a full years registration at the end of a boating season.

What am i missing...? Is this the way it is....or is the very nice clerk at the marina has it wrong? Help me understand the double dipping by the state.

Then I called the NHMV......

I tried calling the NHMV to ask the same question this morning. I called at 9:00 AM and was told I was 10th in line. At 9:15 I was 9th in line. At 9:30 I was 8th in line. At 9:45 I was still 8th in line. OK I give up... hung up...!

Registration transferto new owner
 

If you don’t plan to be on the lake with it you could prob skip registration until next year. If you are going to use it you need to re-register it as new owner. I don’t believe it needs to be registered in order to store it so if that’s the case just wait and do a 2021 Reg in the spring


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boat registration
 

Thank you for that suggestion. But no that would not work. The problem with waiting until Spring... the 2021 registrations are sent out at the end of 2020. The previous owner would get the registration paper work showing they still own the boat. That would really get things screwed up.

I wouldn’t worry about what the state sends to previous owner - they will just ignore it or send back they sold it. With the bill of sale you can just have marina do a new Reg for 2021 when you are putting it in the water


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Easy there, 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲...
 

Chase dawg.....please relax! There’s no need for a stress attack. It’s bad for the old ticker. Just allow the State of N.H. to double dip...pay your $100 bucks, take a deep breath, smile, and enjoy your new toy. Be careful now...
Please don’t hit a rock. 😎

NH does this for OHRVs as well. Total rip off.

If they prorated, what would stop people from registering their boats and OHRVs in May instead of January or skis in December? They'd just raise the rates so that 8 months would equal what 12 would've.

There's gotta be a balance between program costs and income, and I'm sure the little extra they get from "double-dipping" is part of the equation.

We can discuss if those costs should be lowered or if the program could be more efficient, but that's not the question here.

As others said, if you're using the boat, register it and accept it's part of doing business. If you're not using it until next year, wait until January to register it. The bill of sale doesn't expire and there's no law that says you have to register it immediately.

Enjoy your new boat!

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Chasedawg, I think your memory of previous registrations is incorrect. For as long as I can remember there was no pro rating on registrations. For a day or 365 days left in the season the fee is the same.

As suggested above, I would have just removed it from the water and registered it in the spring. You can even do it by mail to Concord DMV during the winter. The previous owner can just throw away the renewal for 2021.

It would have been nice if the person at the marina gave you a heads up before completing the paperwork and registering the boat.

Fall registration...
 

I made the same mistake several years ago when I bought a pontoon boat at the end of the season. I popped into the marina and registered my boat even though I had pulled it for the season!

In Mass, the boat registration is good for two years from the day it is registered unlike trailers that expire November 30th every year.

The marina I used somehow didn't mention the fact that the registration would only last a month or so!

Lesson learned....

Cheers...

Gusman

There’s no State of NH intent to rip anyone off here. Lots of things in life are like this. If you arrive for a concert 30 minutes late, you aren’t going to pay a reduced admission. With all the variables involved, some of which have been pointed out by others, the best computer program isn’t going to figure out how to fairly prorate registrations for everyone. If they tried to do that, they’d have to give the prior owner a refund since he’d have the reverse argument to yours. In this case, simple is best. But hey, there’s still three months till ice-in and maybe you have an enclosed cabin with that heater thingamajig that Steve-on-Mark has.

Then again, if you register your boat in MA you're paying sales tax. As a MA resident, I am happy to pay the NH registration fee and avoid sakes tax!

Unless you eat it or wear it then you tax everything in Massachusetts!

The Wallas Stove...cover up, cooktop...cover down , heater with blower. Thinking the cover will stay in the down position![emoji6]Attachment 16441

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I think they even tax clothing over $150? So leather jackets, etc. are taxed?

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It's the amount of a single article of clothing above $175.

I pretty much remember it this way as well. Never recall any kind of a prorated system ever. As mentioned for the day or season all the same price.

Well...
 

Massachusetts has a tax-free holiday. :D

That's when you can buy anything you want—tax-free. :cool:

Well...:rolleye2:

Not anything... :rolleye1:

You are right, not everything.

Boats, motor vehicles, and anything over $2,500 are typically not included on the tax free holiday. That would deprive the state of substantial revenue.

Actually you can't do that they will charge you prior year's registration even if you wait. It's based off the sale date on the bill of sale. I've had this happen to me. I bought a boat labor day weekend out of state and I waited till the following year to register it - I got whacked for the full prior year boat registration and the trailer rightly was from the date of purchase.

That didn't happen to me, but it was on two 14' dinghies. I wasn't planning to use them with a motor for the season, so I didn't register them. When I went to this year, I only paid for this year.

Don't know why it would be different for sizes.

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WHO did you register with? Who did you make the check out to? There has to be information I'm missing here. There is no requirement to register a boat until you operate it on NH waters. Put a project boat in your barn and restore it over 3 years--no need to pay for three years of non -operation. If you have registration and check backdated by the agent, I think there is a refund due.

....... merrily-merrily-merrily, row-row-row-row!
 

It makes so much good sense to operate a small dinghy with just the two wood oars, and no motor. There is no insurance, no registration, no motor and no gasoline needed, and without a motor it is covered by the standard NH home owner's insurance policy. For best rowing action, it really helps to use l-o-n-g oars ...... like oars that are 72" or 78" or even 84" ..... long.

Sitting in the middle seat of the small dinghy, holding the oars for rowing automatically makes it extremely stable, even in 2-3' high, wakes and waves. You will be very surprised how stable even an 11' Jon boat can be when rowed from the center seat!

And the best-est reason is you get the health benefits of rowing ...... as in row-row-row the boat, gently across the lake, and life will be a dream ..... merrily, merrily, merrily!

And, rowing will definitely add 25-50 years to your life, because YOU personally and not the outboard motor gets the aerobic work-out. Many motor-boaters tend to become overweight because the only thing they exercise while boating is moving the throttle forward about three inches ..... motor-boating gives you zero exercise ..... especially when you is always motor-boating to another big meal at a pricey restaurant.

So as the story goes... I bought a boat in PA on labor day weekend back in 2007 from a dealer. PA registrations were for two years, the boat was on the first of the two year registration. PA also allowed the transfer of the paid registration to the new owner, that being me. Same went for the trailer. Brought the boat back to NH and used it out the rest of '07. In the spring of '08 I went to Concord the register the boat and trailer. The trailer was re-plated and the registration fees was based on the sale date. The boat was also subject to the same thing I was charged for '07 and '08. When I questioned this and asked to speak to a "supervisor" it was explained to me that was the way it works. I though it was odd but if the person in charge says that's the way it's done who am I to say otherwise. I have heard others that have had the same thing happen.

Here is the thing in NH you don't have sales tax.... So they can't get you there.... The state needs money, and they will find ways to get it. This is a way to get it..... Now I suggest buying a boat that doesn't have a current registration then you aren't left with this raw feeling.....

Now let me go back a few years ago, when my Dad died.... I had to remove him from the registration of the boat that he and I owned together... and was registered for the current year. Yep you can guess it, I had to pay the registration fee yet again... It was a catch 22.... The insurance company had to issue an new policy based on the fact that my father had to be removed as an owner, and they wouldn't do that until the boat was solely in my name....

If they don't get you one way they will get you another....

Call your rep.
 

Thanks for the extra detail. I still don't think you should have paid for 2007. I'm not a trouble maker, but I have found that a call to my state rep in such cases often got somebody to re-read the rule and/or there was a bill filed next year to clarify. I'd bet 50% of what the legislature does is pass bills that fix old laws that had unintended consequences. Some oif our state reps are very good at problem solving, especially the senior ones.

Of course right now it is almost impossible to find a new or used boat, so paying that extra Registration Fee may be the least of one's worries.

The Covid situation has caused a shortage of boats, and because of that the prices are higher than ever.

Registration fees are peanuts compared to the mark ups on boats. A great time to be a seller and not a buyer.