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bear down
02-24-2004, 04:06 PM
I sold my old boat before I purchased my Eliminator last year in March. I received a letter for payment of prop. tax on that boat that I don't own any more. For a fact I know that the boat has been traded to a dealer. What happens if I don't pay the taxes on the boat that I don't own any more. Will the county put a lien on the boat or the house? What should I do??

Scream
02-24-2004, 04:14 PM
This happened to me. I bought a boat from Hardin Marine, they took my SeaDoo in on trade. They did not register the SeaDoo until after the new year (I traded in June). Because they went out of business soon after I was stuck with a $60.00 Property Tax bill that wasn' t mine. We tried to reason with the tax collector but they didn't want to hear it, and since we had no legal change of ownership until after the 1st of the year, the bill became mine. They put a tax lien on my house for $60.00 and I'm still having to splain that every time I try to use my credit.
If you have sold it or traded it in, keep you bill of sale and immediately notify the county assesors office of the change of ownership. If you don't you'll get the bill, and good luck trying to get them to change it afterwards.

1stepcloser
02-24-2004, 04:15 PM
The county can put a lein on the property in question, no problem as you dont own the boat.
Problem is, it is reported to the credit bureau's.
Send a copy of the release of liability to the tax assesors office as proof af sale, they may let you off.
You may be required to pay however, as most counties are on a fiscal calender and you owned the boat for more that half of the fiscal year.

mbrown2
02-24-2004, 04:39 PM
Pay it; don't let it lapse and notify now of no ownership...I had it happen more then 12 years ago, I learned by not paying it, and it went on my credit...off now, but it was a bitch for 7-10 years after it happened since it was a county lien and I always had to explain it and produce the receipts...

bear down
02-24-2004, 04:43 PM
Originally posted by mbrown2
Pay it; don't let it lapse and notify now of no ownership...I had it happen more then 12 years ago, I learned by not paying it, and it went on my credit...off now, but it was a bitch for 7-10 years after it happened since it was a county lien and I always had to explain it and produce the receipts...
Not worth the headache for $200 buck. Thanks

Tom Slick
02-24-2004, 04:52 PM
Been through this a few times with those idiots at the tax assesors office. Here is what I know.
1. If you owned the boat at any time during the year of the tax assesment, then you owe the tax man the money.
2. If you can prove to the tax man that you did not own the boat during the assessed time, then he will let you off.
3. If you sold the boat to another party and the DMV wasn't notified in time, then you are screwed and have to pay.
4. Yes, they will put a lien on your credit and they will do so without you knowing and without any warning. Usually they send you the notice to pay the bill and if you haven't cleared anything up with them prior to the due date of the bill, you will get a lien placed on you without any notification.
Good luck, they are a pain in the A!@:mad:

mickeyfinn
02-24-2004, 05:52 PM
It must really suck to live where its not just the federal government trying to strain money from your ass like peas from soup. I have bought and sold several boats here and when I get a property tax bill on a boat I no longer own I just trashed them. If you still own the boat and go to register it then the taxes become due and payable retroactively. I guess if they never hear back they assume the boat was sold to someone outside of their area or it was junked. Have never had any of them hit my credit or even gotten a second notice.

Essex502
02-25-2004, 07:11 AM
The L.A. County Assessor is very aggressive at putting liens on ANY of your personal or real property they can find. They put one on my house when I refused to pay the 2002 Property Tax on my boat even though I had it out of the state on January 1st, 2002 and registered in AZ as of November, 2001. I had to fight for months until I found the right department to deal with (Yes, there is a Marine department in the Assessors office) and get the lien removed. What a pain in the ass as I did everything according to the rules and still had to fight with the morons.
Pay it as you have no alternative. Don't let it go to lien. Even when you pay it after it goes to lien it'll be hell to get it removed from you records.

MagicMtnDan
02-25-2004, 07:54 AM
Originally posted by Essex502
The L.A. County Assessor is very aggressive at putting liens on ANY of your personal or real property they can find. They put one on my house when I refused to pay the 2002 Property Tax on my boat even though I had it out of the state on January 1st, 2002 and registered in AZ as of November, 2001. I had to fight for months until I found the right department to deal with (Yes, there is a Marine department in the Assessors office) and get the lien removed. What a pain in the ass as I did everything according to the rules and still had to fight with the morons.
Pay it as you have no alternative. Don't let it go to lien. Even when you pay it after it goes to lien it'll be hell to get it removed from you records.
I agree completely! I had THREE liens from the LA County Tax Assesor's office on my credit report for my PWCs. One was paid off (but not removed), and two were for less than $110 each.
I had sold them but the tax assessor still came after me. And every time I wanted to buy a car or have my/our credit checked they'd show up.
So I paid them. STILL DOESN'T MATTER! Once they put the liens on and they show up on your credit report THEY TAKE FOREVER TO REMOVE THEM. :mad: I'm sure they put more energy and time into registering liens than they ever do to remove them. Did I say it takes them forever?!
1. Do not own any boats in LA County :mad:
2. If you do or did, make sure you pay them blood-sucking leeches
3. Do not own any boats in LA County :mad:

Havasu_Dreamin
02-25-2004, 07:59 AM
That's why you register a boat in Arizona. I own trailer in CA not a boat.