Higher Trailer and Watercraft fee's

Thing is they told me they was not transferable either. So if you decide to buy a new boat you have to buy a new plate. You can't sell your plate with your boat either because the boat and trailer registration must match. I am told that the sheriff can run them both and issue a ticket if they do not match. I am also told that the DNR and Sheriff will tour launch sites and run plates to ensure they match the trailer they are on and ticket those who do not match. A DNR friend told me this.

This is a terrible law IMO ...... I would rather have seen a 3 year or five year plate.

I paid 8.00 a year for trailer plates and now must pay 75.00? ... Thats 10 years I would have to have that plate to get my money's worth. I would never keep my boat for 10 years.. Heck I want a new one now.

Very bad law ....

I agree that it was a short term solution that won't hold up for long. I don't believe for a minute that the DNR, sheriff or others are going to run plates on parked vehicles, or vehicles going down the road. I had no plates on my trailer for the entire last year and never once got a second look about it.

The plate number is on the registration, so it is not difficult to tell if it is the wrong plate on a trailer if you are stopped and looking at both. For someone to tell in a parking lot or while driving down the road could extremely difficult. I say this because many boat companies don't make their own trailer. A Champion may be on a TI trailer or a Skeeter on an EZ Loader and the registration will say this. Only on the VIN for the trailer will it show who actually made it and you can't read that going down the road.

QUOTE(boatnfish @ Apr 13 2004, 06:52 PM)I don't believe for a minute that the DNR, sheriff or others are going to run plates on parked vehicles, or vehicles going down the road. I had no plates on my trailer for the entire last year and never once got a second look about it.
I agree,.....they don't even have the budget to pay for personnel to man the booths to collect the fee's!!! (and when they are there collecting,..it's some college kid wearing a walkman, making $7.00/hr!) I don't believe for a minute that they're going to run plates and check reg's #'s....

I get p-o'd buying the park sticker's every year and the booth's aren't even manned to check!!!

Fishing liceneses were the same way,...when I get checked now,..I THANK the guy/gal...I've been fishing for over 30yrs now when a license is required and I bet I've been "checked" 4-5 times and that's all been within the last 3 years!!

I happen to agree with everyones anger about the new higher fees for the plates and I dont think you will have to worry about it changing at a later date, I contacted my Reps. and Senate leaders this past Sept. and Oct. when all of this was being hashed out and this is what they told me "$75 for a plate on a boat trailer, but it goes higher for those who own lets say a travel trailer" I believe that the highest rate is $300, and was told it goes by GVW and I was concerned as many are what happens in three years is it going up again and so I am told "no" they said that the State of Michigan did the math and figured that they could not only come ahead with the budget this year but should be able to keep coming ahead with this program because of all the anglers, jetskiers, and pleasure boaters not to mention RV's out thier. But the fee on the trailer plates dont blame on the gov. On the Michigan Const. it states that the budget must balance each year and this is one of the ways that they achieved it, remember that she just got elected and is fixing the previous admin. mistakes, not that I agree with her implementing this on us, but I think the truth should be known, also that does not even bother me and I think that we should all take a look at the gas prices out there, now that is something that is bothering me, we are paying record levels, why? sure clinton got us into part of this mess but Bush does not seem to be leveling the playing field with us. And everyone says that Kerry wants to take back the tax cuts and raise the gas prices higher, well I called his campaign office and that is just retterick, he wants to take back tax cuts for those making over $250,000 a year, well I have no prob with that and the gas tax is just Republican hoopla, whats really bad is I am a Pro Republician but I have to say Im leaning democrat this year. Not that I like Kerry and not that I dont like Bush, but I think a change will make the administration start rethinking thier political views and maybe fix our gas prices..

in my own opinion

Rich