Conference vicki::boats

    Re .0
    I wasn't aware you could register the trailer based on the weight
    of the trailer alone.  Do you need your insurance co. to make the
    change?
    
    Dave

    
    Rick,
    
    53 bucks eh?  What a screw job.  At least you should feel good knowing
    you're doing your part to help reduce the Mass. budget deficit.  :^)
    
    You may have a problem though if you get pulled over by the poe-leese.
    If you registered your trailer as 1000 pounds GVW, you're way over that
    with the boat on it.  Technically I think you cold be cited for
    being over weight (by a factor of about 3 or 4).  I just registered
    my trailer in NH yesterday, and they used the *gross* figure that
    is on the certificate of origin, which is 2600 lbs.
    
    Rick W.

    
    re: .1
    
    	The counterperson at the registry made the change for
    me right there at the window. My guess would be that it
    really should be the loaded weight but I wasn't about to
    pay 53 dollars to register a boat trailer.
    
	I'm not sure if mentioning her blue eyes had anything
    to do with getting it changed so easily?!?!?
    
    Rick

    Rick,
    
    Just the other day I heard on the news (or read in the paper - I
    forget) that the $5 fee for doing it in person (vs. mail) was repealed.

    When did you do this - just yesterday? I'd be real tempted to call them
    up and complain if I were you... At least 5 minuts of chewing some
    Registry person's ear off would be worth the $5! 

	Don't waste the opportunity to point out to the Registry (of Mass
politican's relatives) that they owe you $$, even if it is only $5.  Donuts
haven't gone up that much that then NEED you FIN.

	Also on the GVW issue, if you get in an accident towing a trailer that
either the vehicle and/or trailer has exceeded its GVW, many insurance carriers
will pull the negelance issue and refuse to pay up.  Also it is a fine under
most State's motor vehicle laws and you are fined based on the lbs over the
stated GVW you ACTUALLY are!  It really isn't worth screwing around with it as
the Duke will figure out how to get you one way or another.

	Now Sales Tax, thats another issue...

garry

Re. 0  >    Needless to say, the weight listed for the trailer
       >    was immediately lowered from loaded weight of 4000lbs
       >    to unloaded of 1000lbs. 
    
    We need some clarification here. Do you (I don't) think the registry
    has increased the fee per 1K pounds of 'trailer'...but only applies
    this fee to the 'actual weight' of the trailer alone and not the
    weight of the trailer PLUS its total weight carrying capacity???
    I too feel that the registry has given all trailer owners the shaft
    with the new fee structure. Imagine having to pay such an exorbitant
    fee for seasonal use. In my case, I will take delivery of my boat
    on a trailer, take it home and put it on a mooring for the season.
    Pull it out in Oct. and store the boat on the trailer for the winter.
    Of course, I have the freedom to take a trip, trailering the boat
    up North ect. but the chances are slim living so close to the ocean. 
    
    I purchased the trailer more for the convenience of being able to
    put my boat over in the Spring "when I want to" and not when I can
    schedule someone to haul it for me. Repairs at the dealer are also
    accomplished easier.....so I guess I gotta pay the price! but s**t
    where does it all end.
    
    My Cox superloader weight is........ 1250 lbs. } 5150 lbs. @ $12./1k lbs
    It total weight carring capacity is..3900 lbs. } = $60.00/yr.
    for convenience. Remember, you are charged according to the trailers
    weight and its Total Weight Carrying Capacity --- not the weight
    of your boat plus the trailer.
    
    /MArk

    
    
    re: Mark
    
    
    
    	Well said, my point exactly! When does it all stop? I trailer
    mine more than twice a year, but this is getting outrageous!
    
    Rick

    The fees might be outrageous, but you're hanging your ass out something
    awful to save a couple bucks.  If you get in a tangle with someone
    on the road and your insurance doesn't cover, you can kiss your
    boat, your house, and your water skis goodbye, as well as getting
    your future salary attached.
    
    Reminds me of the kids in the army who couldn't stand it, so they
    went AWOL, got caught, served time, which extended their time in
    the army...
    			J

    
    Guess next year my boat trailer and my camp car will have
    Maine plates.  Perhaps other vehicles as well...
    
    Just be thankful Michael Dotaxes isn't running the whole show
    like he wanted.
    

I just registered my new boat trailer in NH this week.

GVW:        2600 lbs.
Cost:       $16.50
Sales tax:  None
Excise tax: None
Insurance:  None required (I have it anyway)


Now if we could just get our $hit together on the boat registration issue...
I called the registry office in Concord the other day, they still don't have
that one figured out.
                                    
Rick W.

    OK guys, you seem to know what you are talking about, help me with
    this.....I have a new boat trailer (purchased boat and trailer last
    Oct.). I'm a Mass. resident but have a home in NH also. Can I register
    my trailer in NH with NH plates. What do I use for an address, NH
    or Mass. How is insurance handle on the trailer.
    
    Thanks for the help..

    Since a trailer is usually added to your motor vehicle policy gratis....
    for all the minimum compulsory coverages (no compresensive/collision)
    ...And since you must indicate to your insurance company the location 
    where your motor vehicle(s) is(are) 'principally garaged' (so they may 
    calculate your rate) I would say in your case, to register the trailer in
    the state with the least noise %^$!#@.
      
    Since you 'own a home' in N.H. I would think that you could register
    the trailer there as well as Mass. and still be legal. Of course
    we could get into the areas of 'primary residence' and such.
    
    >> How is insurance handled on the trailer.
    
     Good question. I went through this thought process back in Dec.
    when I received my Cert. of Origin for my new trailer. I registered
    in Mass. long before I needed to,... knowing that the Du-ka-Kiss was
    about to strike. However, the trailer itself is insured and included
    on the same policy as my new boat (D_Day April 7th - C'mon Spring)
    for about $60. w/ $150. deductable.(physical damage protection)
    
    let seeeee....Cert. of Origin in hand, visit MetPay for RMV-1 form
    for registration of trailer at Mass. Registry....Hummm They (MetPay)
    put there stamp on the RMV-1 form... to bring to the registry for plates
    .....Thats it! The actual 'trailer itself' is covered for 'physical
    damage' through my boat ins. carrier BUT since the trailer is towed
    behind a vehicle operating over the roadway it must be included
    on your motor vehicle policy, in most cases for no charge. 
    
    I guess including the trailer on the motor vehicle policy is so
    your ins. carrier is not suprised when someone files a claim against
    you 'cause your trailer side swipped their car. But, should your
    trailer sustain damages as well___then you would collect from the
    ins. carrier covering your boat. Yes, this is the way it works in
    my situation. 
    
    /MArk

    
    I took the boat out to Lake Cohchititue (sp) in Framingham this past weekend
    (saturday and monday) and thought I'd pass along an observation. 
    
    On both days there were two state troopers checking the
    tags of boats, trailers and cars.          
    
    As I entered the park, a van towing a trailer loaded with 8-10 canoes
    pulled in behind me.  I overheard one officer say to the other
    
    	"Look at that!  There's no way they *all* can be registered." 
         To which the other trooper replied: "Canoes dont have to be
         registered." 
    
                 Disapointment was evident in their voices.  
    
    All day long they cruised the parking lots inspecting license plates 
    looking for expired stickers.  

        Just what is the procedure regarding boat trailers and vehicle
        inspections in Taxachussetts. Obviously would be no emissions
        testing, and mine is small enough to not have electric brakes,
        but I reckon they would like to check the registration, lights
        and tire tread depth.
        
        Is this required and if so what is checked and how much does it
        cost.
        
        Thanks,
        
        Fred  "First Step"
        

    Last year I registered my Holsclaw trailer for my Hobie cat in Mass. 
    Since the boat does not need to be registered (no motor) I decided to
    have two sale reciepts made out (for tax reasons). Oh yeah, I bought 
    them used. One reciept was for the boat and the other for the trailer. 
    The trailer price was $100 (my choice). So I only had to pay the sales 
    tax based on the registered item ($5). But, when I registered the
    trailer, all I had to provide was the serial number, color, and
    weight. There was no inspection done, nor was there one requested.
    
    Last fall the registration was renewed and again no inspection
    was requested. Is there a weight classification that warrants an
    inspection or greater than one axle or ???
    
    Do trailers have the same type of inspection sticker affixed to
    the frame? 
                                              
         Jim
    

  When I registered my trailer initially I was told by the lady at the registry
that Mass does not require a trailer to be inspected, but that some other
states do and therefore it would be in my best interest to have proof of
inspection if I intended to take the trailer out of state.   I never have gotten
the inspection, but I have never been stopped in NH, CT or RI and been asked
for proof of one either. 

Al

    I used to have my utility trailer inspected, but that was years
    ago. The service station gladly accepted my $2 (like I said, it
    was _many_ years ago :-)  ) , then checked the tires and lights
    and presented me with an inspection sticker for me to keep in the
    towing vehicle. The sticker was not to be affixed to the trailer.
    BTW, it was folded and glued back on itself, just like with
    motorcycles, so that it couldn't be fraudulently attached to another
    vehicle.
    
    In recent years, I have not had my trailers inspected and still
    don't really know for sure if it is required. Does anybody have
    any definite information about this?
    
    Jon

    OK, I just got off the phone with the Mass. Registry.
    
    	"Trailers are exempt from inspection up to and 
    	including semi's".  Period.
    
    The woman on the phone did say however that *if* you get pulled
    over on the road you may have to prove that the lights work on the
    trailer.
    
    From the sounds of it I'm *real* surprised that there isn't a safety
    inspection required let alone the additional revenue that this land
    of taxation would bring in.
    
    So the next time you're driving behind a semi, remember that it
    is exempt from inspection.
    
    	...Jim

    Are there any "rules of thumb" regarding gross weight / size of boat?
    
    I purchased a used 16' glasstron boat / 65HP engine / EZ load trailer
    and would like to estimate it's weight for the trailer's registration.
    
    2500 GW sound good ??
    
    Thanks,
    Bob...
    

	Forget about the boat and motor. They don't figure into the
    	cost to register the trailer.
    
           The $$$ is based upon the actual weight of the trailer ITSELF
    
      ......COMBINED WITH its TOTAL weight carrying capacity!
    
    Gotta cha
    
    /MArk              $12.00 per 1000 lbs. (unless it went up^)
    

    
    Unless you blatantly under-estimate, they'll pretty much take your
    word on the weight of the rig.  But even if you managed to get away
    with registering it that way, you could have a problem if you got 
    into an accident and were registered to carry only 1000 lbs.
    
    Your rig probably weighs 15-1800 lbs.  If you register as 2000 lbs.,
    you'll be *well* on the safe side.  They do the registrations in even
    increments of 1000 lbs., so the rate will be the same whether it's
    1500 or 2000.  If you were to register it as 2500, they'd charge you 
    for 3000 lbs.
    
    Rick

    The cost is $12.00/1000 lbs Gross. Of course, a 2500 lb gross trailer
    would be rounded up to 3000 lbs=$36.00 plus the $5.00 "service charge"
    for "walk-ins". you save the 5bucks if you do it by mail.
    
    I'd call it 2000 pounds and register by mail.
    
    Doug (who's 3275 GVW trailer is registered as 3000 lbs)

    Hey Rick, you go to Evelyn Woodheads school of speed typing??
    :^)  :^)
    Doug
    

    So where do I go, and what information do I have to take, to register a
    boat trailer in MA?
    
    DMV? What do I need other than the trailer type and its weight?
    
    Thanks.
    
    Time to put the boat in service in other lakes, so I have to register
    the trailer yesterday.
    
    John H-C

    It is a car for all intents and purposes.
    
    It needs to be insured, you need an RMV-1 form (the same one used to
    register a car) stamped by your insurance company.  
    
    Why a trailer needs liability insurance is beyond me, but I don't argue
    with the registry since I know what the result will be.   And my
    insurance company added the trailer to the auto policy with no change
    in premium.  It's almost like the insurance company doesn't really
    care either.
    
    You also need either a certificate of origin (which you would have
    gotten from the manufacturer if new), or a bill of sale if you got
    it used.   In any case you have to pay sales tax on it.  I believe they
    will waive this if you can prove you paid the tax when you bought it,
    or when you registered it elsewhere.
    
    It only took me 3 trips to the fabulous registry to get all this right.
    In addition, the idiot I whose window I wound up at had never done a
    boat trailer before and took the better part of 1/2 hr to get it
    figured out.
    

    Ouch! The boat belongs to a non-profit. Now we have to find an
    insurance company, too. Excrement!
    
    Thanks for the information, Jim.

    re: .25
    Apparently the MA laws have changed since I moved out 4 years ago.
    I never had any boat trailer insured; my insurance company told me 
    it wasn't necessary and that the boat trailer was covered by the 
    tow vehicle's insurance (assuming the tow vehicle was insured).
    I'm assuming they were right at the time, because the registry
    never asked for proof of insurance on the trailer registration.
    
    Rick  now_a_Cow_Hampshire_resident_where_insurance_on_ANY_vehicle_is_
          strictly_optional

    re:.27
    
    And CHEAPER too!!!!!!!!!

    Just to clarify, apparently the trailer is covered by the tow vehicle's
    insurance (in MA also).   All they wanted was the insurance company to
    stamp the trailer registration request.  It was simply an
    inconvenience, there was no money involved.  The wording on my original
    reply may have been off base.
    
    (And if some wise guy asks what happens if you have multiple tow
    vehicles and want to be able to use any of them...  :-)

re:      <<< Note 314.29 by TOOK::SWIST "Jim Swist LKG2-2/T2 DTN 226-7102" >>>

>    Just to clarify, apparently the trailer is covered by the tow vehicle's
>    insurance (in MA also).   All they wanted was the insurance company to
>    stamp the trailer registration request.  


	I registered my trailer last fall thru METPAY, and that's all
	I had to do.  No separate trailer insurance - covered by the
	tow vehicle.  And all the registry needed was the stamp.

	Ken

    RE .28 Not necessarily cheaper.  Pepperell, MA, less than 10 miles from
    Nashua, NH, is far cheaper for insurance.  'Tis the size of the town
    that matters most, I believe.
    
    Carl

    Is there a topic for NH trailer registration? I know I can register my
    boat in NH if it spends most of its time in use there. Can I also
    register the trailer in NH according to the same criterion?
    
    Thanks.
    
    John H-C

    re: .32
    It depends.  Do you have a mailbox and receive any mail at your NH
    address?  If so, as long as the trailer is left primarily in NH, I
    don't see how it could be considered illegal.  In fact, if it's 
    stored in NH it may be *required* that you register it there.  To 
    avoid hassles, you'd be best off having the renewals sent to a NH 
    address to prevent the MA excise and sales tax Gestapo from calling
    on you and avoid getting your picture on the front page of the Herald.
    
    My father's boat trailer is registered in my name at my house in NH.
    Not as an attempt to screw anybody - the cost is about the same for 
    either state.  It's more a matter of convenience, I have 2 other boat
    trailers of my own registered in my name, and just do the renewals
    on all 3 at the same time right at the town hall.  Also, I'm the only
    one who tows my father's boat around, and plates from different states
    on the same rig might attract some unwanted attention.  
    
    The 3 boat trailers, combined with my tent trailer and the truck
    registration make for quite a stack in my glove compartment.  
    "Hold on officer, let me find a registration you'll like..."  8^)
    
    Rick

    I would call N.H. Div of Motor Vehicles. I have always found them 
    surprisingly knowledgable and efficient.
    
    My first guess is that it would be the same as any other "motor
    vehicle" - that you must register it in the state where you are a
    resident. And that is determined by what state you sleep in the mist
    nights in a year, and has nothing to do with property ownership.
    
    I.e. someone who works out of state and spends 4 nights per week in a
    rented apartment and comes home to property he owns for 3 nights is
    a resident in that state where he works.
    
    Bill
    

    Should have put in prev. reply...
    I strongly suspect that the state views a boat trailer as just another
    type of trailer, which is another type of "motor vehicle" rather than
    viewing a boat trailer as something associated with the boat.
    
    Boats (which are registered under a different segment of the Dept of
    Safety from Motor Vehicle Div) are registered on where they are
    principally used rather than the owner's state of residence.
    
    I'll be interested to hear what the state actually says if you call
    them.
    
    Bill
    
    

RE: Note 314.35 
>> I'll be interested to hear what the state actually says if you call
>> them.
   
Me too.  If the boat trailer is owned by a MA resident but stored in 
NH, I'll bet that MA will say it should be registered in MA, and NH 
will say it should be registered in NH.  Kinda like the boat registration 
mess of a few years ago.

Rick

    Well, actually, the boat is owned by non-profit corporation that was
    incorporated in MA but has members all over the world, but mostly in
    the United States. It is not owned by any one person, nor will it be
    towed by any one car. (It certainly won't be towed by mine, which I
    will not put a trailer hitch on, just to avoid any suspicion of
    impropriety.)
    
    John H-C
    
    P.S. Thanks for the comments.

    
    	I suspect NH will not care if the the trailer is in the state for 
    	a period of time then return back to Mass. NH trailer registration
    	is only $6.00 per year. I agree with an earlier reply about a
    	postal box in the state.

    I spoke to the NH BMV. When I explained that the boat belonged to a
    non-profit corporation that was incorporated in MA, but that the boat
    is registered in NH and spends most of its time there, they asked me
    what town the boat was registered in. When I told them, they said, 
    "Well, if it's OK with the Town Clerk, it's OK with us, and we'll
    register it."
    
    So now all I have to do is find the Moultonborough or Center Harbor
    Town Clerk... 
    
    John H-C

	When registering the boat trailer and finding that I hadn't
made my trip to the local insurance office for a rubber stamp that means
nothing prior to my trip to the Ma DMV, I was quite pleasantly surprised.

	I was informed by the Ma DMV counter person that the insurance
company stamp on trailer registrations is no longer needed.

	Geez... no trailer registration stamp and no commercial plates
any more, all in the same year! 

YMMV

Rick