It seemed that all my paperwork was in order so after a quick trip to the DMV for a temp plate we'd be able to hook up to the boat and tow it from New York to Portland, CT. Easier said than done.
The first problem was that the person we were buying the boat and trailer from never registered the trailer in New York. Neither did the owner before. Only the original owner had registered the trailer when he bought the pontoon boat. Luckily we had a little red tag that NJ uses for proof of registration and ownership.
On my first trip to Wetherfield DMV the plan was simple. After waiting 45 minutes to get a number and then 2 hours to see a person I was going to apply for a temp plate which would then give me 10 days to tow the trailer and boat back to Connecticut. At which point I would bring it back to Wethersfield to get a VIN verfication per CT regulations on purchasing an out of state trailer and then they would then give me a real plate.
When I finally got to the counter I told the DMV employee my plan and the first thing she asked was - "What is the gross weight of the trailer?" At this point in the journey I wasn't sure what that meant but the original New Jersey registration tag said "GW 4000" so that's what I said. Then woman behind the counter said to the me the words that still make me cringe - "To register this trailer in CT I'm going to need the trailer's title". CT DMV regulations are such that any trailer with a gross weight of over 3000lbs is titled by the state of Connecticut. . The previous owner explained to us that the trailer didn't have a title because NJ doesn't title boat trailers and he never registered the trailer in New York because he just kept it at a marina . . . He also scribbled on a piece of paper "Trailer weight 750lbs".
If you look at the NJ registration tag you'll see the code NTTRL which means No Title Trailer. This is the KEY fact in the mixup between CT and NJ. In New Jersey and New York they issue titles for trailers based on the trailer's UNLADEN weight - in CT it's by GROSS WEIGHT. In New York it says trailers with an "unladen weight of 1000lbs or more" are titled. In New Jersey it says boat trailers under 2500lbs but it doesn't specify the figure as unladen weight. Many hours later I confirmed this as fact. Also according to the publishers of the Peck Title book "non-commercial trailer weight is considered unladen, unless specifically stated laden. Few states use the laden weight as a basis for titling. This is due to the fact that people tend to use their utility trailers for hauling different items of different weights and don't have scales to weigh them."
I didn't know any of this at the time but I smiled and explained to the woman behind the counter that the trailer was originally registered in NJ which doesn't title trailers. She pulled out a big book called a Peck Title Book and proceeded to look up the regulations on NJ. She opened to the chapter on New Jersey, pointed to the fine print and said "all vehicles in New Jersey have a title" then she held up her hands and began to back away from me saying "I can't register your trailer without a title. . .You shouldn't have bought that trailer. . . " I stammered "but it doesn't have a title. . .what am I supposed to do?" She said " you'll have to do a title search or track down the original owner . I can't help you." I walked away stunned. This was going to be more complicated than I thought. It reminded me of this scene from Big Bang theory but it was way more crowded at CT DMV.
Now if I had done more research before my first visit to the CT DMV I would have asked to see a supervisor to argue my case. In hind sight I know now I should have also gone right upstairs to the title department to confirm if what the woman at the counter was saying was correct.
I texted Jeff the failed results of my first visit to DMV. Being the great reporter that he is he proceeded to track down the original owner, email him and ask if he had a title for the trailer. The owner's response that night was "NJ doesn't issue trailer titles for boat class trailers. There never was one for the trailer, so there is none that I could give you." Jeff also filled out a form and sent it off for a title search which takes several weeks. So I printed out the email from the original owner and the regulations from New Jersey stating that trailers under 2500lbs are not titled in New Jersey and I headed back to the DMV in Old Saybrook this time the following Wednesday. I also looked on several forums with people who were having the same problem. Their advice was to register the trailer in Maine or register it as homemade. . . I knew those things weren't going to work ultimately.
The Old Saybrook DMV is smaller and on the shoreline where most of Connecticut's boaters are. I figured they'd registered thousands of trailers so it would go smoother this time. The wait was much shorter. 15 minutes to get a number and 45 minutes to see the person at the counter. While waiting, a man in line freaked out at the counter person and began to yell and swear because he needed two letters to prove residence. He stormed out while they called my number. It reminded me of this vertical video from Wisconsin DMV.
I got to the counter and explained that I was trying to register a boat trailer from New Jersey. The first thing she asked was "What is the gross weight" I said "750 lbs Unladen," She says no the Gross Weight. I said, "4000lbs Gross Weight". She says "I need the title". I say but New Jersey regulations say trailers under 2500lbs are not titled and I try and show the print out from NJ DMV website and the email from the original owner. She says "That stuff doesn't matter to me" and pushes the papers away. I am stunned again and beginning to get angry. I begin to think they may have to drag me out of here. . . She says "The only thing that matters is what the (Peck Title) Book says . . . which she goes and gets. She comes back and says the "books says 2500lbs and your trailer is 4000lbs." I say "can I speak to your supervisor please?" She won't let me. She instead goes over and talks to her supervisor. I see her explaining my story and then they both look go to the peck book and look at it. Then I see the supervisor call someone. She explains my story to someone at HQ in Wethersfield. She shakes her head and says something to my dmv rep. The woman returns and says "Headquarters says it has a title. You need a title to register it in Connecticut. Did you do a title search?" I say "Yes, we've started the title search but haven't received the paperwork back from NJ yet." She says come back when you have. . .
I text Jeff the results of my second failure and we both lament that we may have to pay someone to tow it up here or just risk it and tow it up without a plate. . . I am starting to think we'll never get the Double Dee up here!
If you look at the NJ registration tag you'll see the code NTTRL which means No Title Trailer. This is the KEY fact in the mixup between CT and NJ. In New Jersey and New York they issue titles for trailers based on the trailer's UNLADEN weight - in CT it's by GROSS WEIGHT. In New York it says trailers with an "unladen weight of 1000lbs or more" are titled. In New Jersey it says boat trailers under 2500lbs but it doesn't specify the figure as unladen weight. Many hours later I confirmed this as fact. Also according to the publishers of the Peck Title book "non-commercial trailer weight is considered unladen, unless specifically stated laden. Few states use the laden weight as a basis for titling. This is due to the fact that people tend to use their utility trailers for hauling different items of different weights and don't have scales to weigh them."
I didn't know any of this at the time but I smiled and explained to the woman behind the counter that the trailer was originally registered in NJ which doesn't title trailers. She pulled out a big book called a Peck Title Book and proceeded to look up the regulations on NJ. She opened to the chapter on New Jersey, pointed to the fine print and said "all vehicles in New Jersey have a title" then she held up her hands and began to back away from me saying "I can't register your trailer without a title. . .You shouldn't have bought that trailer. . . " I stammered "but it doesn't have a title. . .what am I supposed to do?" She said " you'll have to do a title search or track down the original owner . I can't help you." I walked away stunned. This was going to be more complicated than I thought. It reminded me of this scene from Big Bang theory but it was way more crowded at CT DMV.
Now if I had done more research before my first visit to the CT DMV I would have asked to see a supervisor to argue my case. In hind sight I know now I should have also gone right upstairs to the title department to confirm if what the woman at the counter was saying was correct.
I texted Jeff the failed results of my first visit to DMV. Being the great reporter that he is he proceeded to track down the original owner, email him and ask if he had a title for the trailer. The owner's response that night was "NJ doesn't issue trailer titles for boat class trailers. There never was one for the trailer, so there is none that I could give you." Jeff also filled out a form and sent it off for a title search which takes several weeks. So I printed out the email from the original owner and the regulations from New Jersey stating that trailers under 2500lbs are not titled in New Jersey and I headed back to the DMV in Old Saybrook this time the following Wednesday. I also looked on several forums with people who were having the same problem. Their advice was to register the trailer in Maine or register it as homemade. . . I knew those things weren't going to work ultimately.
The Old Saybrook DMV is smaller and on the shoreline where most of Connecticut's boaters are. I figured they'd registered thousands of trailers so it would go smoother this time. The wait was much shorter. 15 minutes to get a number and 45 minutes to see the person at the counter. While waiting, a man in line freaked out at the counter person and began to yell and swear because he needed two letters to prove residence. He stormed out while they called my number. It reminded me of this vertical video from Wisconsin DMV.
I got to the counter and explained that I was trying to register a boat trailer from New Jersey. The first thing she asked was "What is the gross weight" I said "750 lbs Unladen," She says no the Gross Weight. I said, "4000lbs Gross Weight". She says "I need the title". I say but New Jersey regulations say trailers under 2500lbs are not titled and I try and show the print out from NJ DMV website and the email from the original owner. She says "That stuff doesn't matter to me" and pushes the papers away. I am stunned again and beginning to get angry. I begin to think they may have to drag me out of here. . . She says "The only thing that matters is what the (Peck Title) Book says . . . which she goes and gets. She comes back and says the "books says 2500lbs and your trailer is 4000lbs." I say "can I speak to your supervisor please?" She won't let me. She instead goes over and talks to her supervisor. I see her explaining my story and then they both look go to the peck book and look at it. Then I see the supervisor call someone. She explains my story to someone at HQ in Wethersfield. She shakes her head and says something to my dmv rep. The woman returns and says "Headquarters says it has a title. You need a title to register it in Connecticut. Did you do a title search?" I say "Yes, we've started the title search but haven't received the paperwork back from NJ yet." She says come back when you have. . .
I text Jeff the results of my second failure and we both lament that we may have to pay someone to tow it up here or just risk it and tow it up without a plate. . . I am starting to think we'll never get the Double Dee up here!
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