Chipper bought from auction in PA with no title, can't register in FL now?

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SEDYAN

SEDYAN

New Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2020
Messages
2
Location
FLORIDA
Anyone ever bought a chipper without any paperwork to it and brought it back to their home state and can't register it?

Any idea's on how to get a tag for the chipper?
I've tried the home made trailer route and the DMV rejected it when they inspected it.
 
mike515

mike515

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Dec 31, 2014
Messages
410
Location
The magical cow kingdom
My state doesn't require plates on chippers and chippers generally don't have titles...especially from auctions. You should have some documents emailed to you after you win the auction. Then you will have another email after you wire the money. That will show that you paid and can pick up the unit. For a chipper...that's pretty much all you do in my state.
 
SEDYAN

SEDYAN

New Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2020
Messages
2
Location
FLORIDA
I do have a bill of sale for the piece of equipment and weight certificate, but the DMV is requesting a paper title for it to register the machine lol.

Florida being Florida as usual.
 
Oldmaple
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
12,155
Location
West Michigan
Michigan requires a plate if the towed unit is towed more than "occasionally", which they define as more than once or twice a week. Four trips to the sec. of state office and never could get it plated. Bottom line was they needed a certificate of origin to issue a title, couldn't issue a plate without a title. Manufacturer doesn't issue a certificate of origin, purchase paperwork didn't satisfy them. Now I just tell the officer when I get pulled over that I only tow it "occasionally". Not very helpful I know, just a rant on screwed up government bureaucracy. "I'm hear from the government and I'm going to help you".
 
Tigwelder83

Tigwelder83

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Oct 3, 2020
Messages
163
Location
16743
I do have a bill of sale for the piece of equipment and weight certificate, but the DMV is requesting a paper title for it to register the machine lol.

Florida being Florida as usual.
Anytime my state government is being silly i reach out to my representatives office, and they have been very good at straightening things up.
 
capetrees
Joined
Jan 6, 2008
Messages
20,393
Location
MA
You should be able to contact the manufacturer of the chipper and they can help you if they are still in business. They should be able to apply a VIN to the chipper and send you the title.

Hope this helps!

Dav
Global Equipment Exporters
770-420-6400
Yup, the VIN number is whats needed. There is a title to the machine that can be recreated. Manufacturer don't know where the machines are going to be used so they all have VINs. Everyones requirement for road use are different.

In my state, I bought the chipper and paid the taxes to the dealer. It's a piece of machinery and there's no telling if it would be registered for road travel or used in a pit only so they take the taxes for the state. Then I went to register it and the state charged me again for the taxes. I had to get my money back from the dealer.

Everything is traced by the VIN.
 
ChasSC

ChasSC

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Joined
Jul 17, 2020
Messages
288
Location
SC Coast
Florida is kind of strange about those things. My brother got a ticket for towing his car behind a U-Haul. They said it was too long and considered a dual trailer setup. Think he still had the SC tag on his car. We aren't required to have tags on trailers in SC unless it exceeds a certain length, I think 20-25 ft. I sold a trailer to friend in Florida and fortunately I kept the Bill of Sale and some kind of title, because the trailer did have a "VIN" stamped on the frame. My friend told me in Florida it's not really a DMV, everything is done at the tax assessors office and you have to apply to get a copy of your title to sell something. Strange, but I might move there too
 

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