HB-4920, As Passed House, October 5, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL No. 4920

(As amended September 29, 2005)

June 14, 2005, Introduced by Reps. Farhat, Palsrok, Casperson, Emmons, Nitz, Proos, Pavlov, Shaffer, Baxter, Booher, Hansen, Amos and Taub and referred to the Committee on Transportation.

 

     [A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled

 

"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"

 

by amending sections 80124a, 80307, 80309, 81112, and 82105 (MCL

 

324.80124a, 324.80307, 324.80309, 324.81112, and 324.82105), section

 

80124a as added by 2003 PA 293, sections 80307, 80309, and 81112

 

as added by 1995 PA 58, and section 82105 as amended by 1998 PA 297.]

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

     [Sec. 80124a. (1) Subject to subsection (4), the secretary of state shall make available for purchase an annual Great Lakes protection specialty watercraft decal. The Great Lakes protection specialty watercraft decal shall be designed by the secretary of state and shall depict some aspect of the Great Lakes or of Great Lakes water quality.

    (2) The Great Lakes protection specialty watercraft decal shall be sold for $35.00. Revenues from the sale of Great Lakes specialty watercraft decals shall be expended as provided for in section 80124b.

    (3) The secretary of state may establish the appropriate placement of Great Lakes protection specialty watercraft decals on watercraft so as not to create confusion for law enforcement officers with decals required under section 80124.

     (4) The secretary of state shall discontinue sales of Great Lakes protection specialty watercraft decals under subsection (1) if the

 

House Bill No. 4920 as amended September 29, 2005  (2 of 2)

secretary of state is unable to sell at least 2,000 decals in the  fiscal

year  2-year period ending September 30,  2005  2006 and at least 500 decals in each fiscal year thereafter.]

     Sec. 80307.  (1) Application for a certificate of title for a

 

watercraft shall be made upon a form prescribed by the secretary of

 

state. The application shall be filed with the secretary of state

 

within 15 days after the date of purchase or transfer. At the

 

request of the applicant, an application shall be processed on an

 


expedited basis. The application shall be accompanied by the fee or

 

fees prescribed in section 80311, and if a certificate of title was

 

previously issued for the watercraft, it shall be accompanied by

 

the certificate of title duly assigned, unless otherwise provided

 

in this part. Unless otherwise provided in this part, if a

 

certificate of title was not previously issued for the watercraft

 

in this state, the application shall be accompanied by a

 

manufacturer's or importer's certificate, by a certificate of

 

ownership, or a certificate of  registration  number issued under

 

part 801 or former  Act No. 303 of the Public Acts of  1967 PA 303,

 

if purchased by the applicant on or before July 1, 1976, or by a

 

certificate of title, bill of sale, or other evidence of ownership

 

required by the law of another state from which the watercraft is

 

brought into this state. Evidence of ownership of a watercraft for

 

which a Michigan certificate of title was not previously issued,

 

and which does not have permanently affixed to it a hull

 

identification number, shall be accompanied by the certificate of

 

hull identification number assigned by the secretary of state as

 

provided in section 80308. The secretary of state shall retain the

 

evidence of title presented by the applicant and upon which the

 

certificate of title is issued, and shall use reasonable diligence

 

in ascertaining whether the facts in the application are true by

 

checking the application and documents accompanying the application

 

with the records of watercraft in the secretary of state's office.

 

If satisfied that the applicant is the owner of the watercraft and

 

that the application is in the proper form, the secretary of state

 

shall issue a certificate of title.

 


     (2) If the secretary of state is not satisfied as to the

 

ownership of a watercraft having a value of more than $2,500.00,

 

before registering the watercraft and issuing a certificate of

 

title, the secretary of state may require the applicant to file a

 

properly executed surety bond in a form prescribed by the secretary

 

of state and executed by the applicant and a company authorized to

 

conduct a surety business in this state. The bond shall be in an

 

amount equal to twice the value of the watercraft as determined by

 

the secretary of state and shall be conditioned to indemnify or

 

reimburse the secretary of state, any prior owner, and any

 

subsequent purchaser and their successors in interest against any

 

expense, loss, or damage, including reasonable attorney fees,

 

incurred as a result of the issuance of a certificate of title for

 

the watercraft or any defect in the right, title, or interest of

 

the applicant in the watercraft. An interested person has a right

 

of action to recover on the bond for a breach of the conditions of

 

the bond, but the aggregate liability of the surety to all persons

 

shall not exceed the amount of the bond. The bond shall be returned

 

at the end of 3 years, or before 3 years if the watercraft is no

 

longer registered in this state and the currently valid certificate

 

of title is surrendered to the secretary of state, unless the

 

secretary of state has received notification of the pendency of an

 

action to recover on the bond. If the secretary of state is not

 

satisfied as to the ownership of a watercraft that is worth

 

$2,500.00 or less, the secretary of state shall require the

 

applicant to certify that the applicant is the owner of the

 

watercraft and entitled to register and title the watercraft.

 


     (3)  (2)  When a watercraft is sold by a dealer to a general

 

purchaser or user, the certificate of title shall be obtained in

 

the name of the purchaser by the dealer upon application signed by

 

the purchaser. In other cases, the certificate shall be obtained by

 

the purchaser.

 

     Sec. 80309. The secretary of state shall issue a certificate

 

of title containing the information required in the application for

 

a certificate of title, as prescribed by section 80308, except for

 

the name and address of the previous owner. The certificate of

 

title shall also contain space for the notation and cancellation of

 

a lien, mortgage, or encumbrance. An assignment of certificate of

 

title shall appear on the  reverse side of  the certificate of

 

title in the form to be prescribed by the secretary of state. The

 

assignment form shall include a warranty that the signer is the

 

owner of the watercraft and that a mortgage, lien, or encumbrance

 

is not on the watercraft, except as noted on the face of the

 

certificate of title.

 

     Sec. 81112.  (1) An ORV certificate of title shall be

 

manufactured in a manner to  prohibit  prevent as nearly as

 

possible the  ability to reproduce, alter, counterfeit, forge, or

 

duplicate  reproduction, alteration, counterfeiting, forging, or

 

duplication of the certificate without ready detection.  and  An

 

ORV certificate of title shall contain on its face the information

 

set forth in the application, including a notation of all secured

 

interests in the ORV, the date on which the application was filed,

 

and other information required by the department of state.

 

     (2) The department of state shall prescribe a uniform method

 


of numbering ORV certificates of title.

 

     (3) An ORV certificate of title shall contain  , upon its

 

reverse side,  a form for assignment and warranty of title by the

 

owner with space for the notation of a security interest in the

 

ORV. The  reverse side of the  ORV certificate of title may also

 

contain other forms that the department of state considers

 

necessary to facilitate the effective administration of this part.

 

The certificate shall bear the coat of arms of this state.

 

     (4) A person who intentionally reproduces, alters,

 

counterfeits, forges, or duplicates an ORV certificate of title or

 

who uses a reproduced, altered, counterfeited, forged, or

 

duplicated ORV certificate of title is subject to the following

 

penalties:

 

     (a) If the intent of reproduction, alteration, counterfeiting,

 

forging, duplication, or use was to commit or aid in the commission

 

of an offense punishable by imprisonment for 1 or more years, the

 

person committing the reproduction, alteration, counterfeiting,

 

forging, duplication, or use is guilty of a misdemeanor  ,  

 

punishable by imprisonment for a period equal to that which could

 

be imposed for the commission of the offense the person had the

 

intent to aid or commit  . The court may also assess  or a fine of

 

not more than $5,000.00,  against the person  or both.

 

     (b) If the intent of the reproduction, alteration,

 

counterfeiting, forging, duplication, or use was to commit or aid

 

in the commission of an offense punishable by imprisonment for not

 

more than 1 year, the person committing the reproduction,

 

alteration, counterfeiting, forging, duplication, or use is guilty

 


of a misdemeanor  ,  punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1

 

year  ,  or a fine of not more than $1,000.00, or both.

 

     Sec. 82105. (1) The owner of each snowmobile requiring

 

registration by this state before operation of the snowmobile in

 

this state shall file an application for registration with the

 

department of state on forms provided by the department of state.

 

If the snowmobile was purchased from a retail dealer in this state,

 

application for initial registration shall be made with the dealer

 

at the point of sale. The dealer shall issue a temporary

 

registration permit in a form received from and approved by the

 

department of state that is valid for 15 days after the date of

 

sale. Each retail dealer shall submit applications for

 

registrations and fees to the department of state not less than

 

once each week. The  application shall be signed by the owner of

 

the snowmobile and shall be accompanied by  owner of the snowmobile

 

shall sign the application and pay a fee of $22.00, which shall be

 

submitted to the department with the application. Upon receipt of

 

the application in approved form, the department of state shall

 

enter the application upon its records and issue to the applicant a

 

certificate of registration and decal. The certificate of

 

registration shall contain the number awarded to the snowmobile,

 

the name and address of the owner, and other information the

 

department of state considers necessary. The certificate of

 

registration shall be pocket-size, shall accompany the vehicle,

 

shall be legible, and shall be made available for inspection upon

 

demand by a peace officer.

 

     (2) If the secretary of state is not satisfied as to the

 


ownership of a snowmobile that is worth more than $2,500.00, before

 

registering the snowmobile and issuing a certificate of

 

registration, the secretary of state may require the applicant to

 

file a properly executed surety bond in a form prescribed by the

 

secretary of state and executed by the applicant and a company

 

authorized to conduct a surety business in this state. The bond

 

shall be in an amount equal to twice the value of the snowmobile as

 

determined by the secretary of state and shall be conditioned to

 

indemnify or reimburse the secretary of state, any prior owner, and

 

any subsequent purchaser of the snowmobile and their successors in

 

interest against any expense, loss, or damage, including reasonable

 

attorney fees, incurred as a result of the issuance of a

 

certificate of registration for the snowmobile or any defect in the

 

right, title, or interest of the applicant in the snowmobile. An

 

interested person has a right of action to recover on the bond for

 

a breach of the conditions of the bond, but the aggregate liability

 

of the surety to all person shall not exceed the amount of the

 

bond. The bond shall be returned at the end of 3 years, or before 3

 

years if the snowmobile is no longer registered in this state and

 

the currently valid certificate of registration is surrendered to

 

the secretary of state, unless the secretary of state has received

 

notification of the pendency of an action to recover on the bond.

 

If the secretary of state is not satisfied as to the ownership of a

 

snowmobile that is worth $2,500.00 or less, the secretary of state

 

shall require the applicant to certify that the applicant is the

 

owner of the snowmobile and entitled to register the snowmobile.

 

     (3)  (2)  The owner of a snowmobile at the time application

 


for a certificate of registration is made shall  pay a fee of

 

$22.00 and  be issued a certificate of registration and a

 

registration decal. The certificate of registration and

 

registration decal authorizes the operation of the snowmobile for a

 

3-year period that begins on October 1 and expires on September 30

 

of the third year. The certificate of registration and registration

 

decal may be renewed by payment of a fee of $22.00 beginning July 1

 

of the expiration year. The registration decal shall be displayed

 

as prescribed by rule promulgated by the department of state.

 

     (4)  (3)  The department of state may destroy a record of a

 

certificate of registration 5 years after expiration of the

 

certificate.