You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
My dad sold a car about a month ago via a private ad in the local paper. Guy called, came and looked at it and bought it there and then. It was just a 2001 Volvo Estate. Buyer filled in his details on the V5C, my dad gave him the paper slip section and posted off the V5C the same day. Thought nothing more of it until today he got a letter from the DVLA stating they couldn't issue a new certificate as they don't have the full/correct address for the the new keeper and to provide the details.
My dad has absolutely no details for the new buyer unfortunately , other than what was written on V5C which the DVLA have. My dad is obviously worried that he was possibly given a false address. What can he do if he has no means to contact the buyer?
It should be the buyer's problem, not your dad's.
He's fulfilled your legal obligations to inform the DVLA that he no longer owns the car. He can't be expected to track down some random who has provided false details.
He should ring DVLA and have a chat about it, I'm sure they must get this sort of thing a lot. He basically needs a letter from them acknowledging that he is no longer the legal owner.
I got fined a few years back for not correctly sending off the V5C when I sold a car for about £100 to a mate of a mate. I trusted him to send the form off and he never did.
£60 if I recall.
If you've sent the form off, filled out in good faith then I don't see there is a great deal they can do.
A guy was in my barber's a couple of weeks ago boasting that if you put a false address on the V5C it means no-one can issue a parking ticket or other fines as they don't know how to reach you. The other customers seemed to think he was being clever, rather than a crook 😯
Sounds like something similar on the buyers part...
Although in the small print it does state that you should keep a record of the new buyers name and address. Having an issue at the moment. Sold a car a month ago, and just got a fine through the post for driving in a bus lane last week. Got it all sorted now though, luckily I had a copy of log book before it was sent off.
if you put a false address on the V5C it means no-one can issue a parking ticket or other fines as they don't know how to reach you
Presumably at some point it will get flagged so you get stopped by every police patrol with ANPR?
This is likely going to end* in you needing to go to a solicitor and do all that swearing stuff and get a letter off him.
* presuming the buyer did it to avoid tickets etc.
A guy was in my barber's a couple of weeks ago boasting that if you put a false address on the V5C it means no-one can issue a parking ticket or other fines as they don't know how to reach you. The other customers seemed to think he was being clever, rather than a crook
You'd need to rack up more than £1000 worth of parking tickets to break even on the fine you get for have incorrect details on your V5, after that though you're in pure profit, the mans a genius 🙂
Whenever I've sold a car I always make sure I see their driving licence and take a photocopy of the V5 with the details on before it's posted in case it goes walkies in the post in case of issues like speeding/parking tickets.
This does sound like one of those issues where you will unfortunately just need to keep banging on at DVLA saying you have no details of the guy etc. Persistence with DVLA is key, even though it will be a frustratingly slow process.
[i]Although in the small print it does state that you should keep a record of the new buyers name and address.[/i]
Yes, but if they've given you a false name/address how would you know?
stay in touch with DVLA and get it resolved.
I sold a car 9 yrs ago and the buyer did the same thing....the car was subsequently investigated as part of a murder enquiry and the police came to interview us about the buyers, thankfully I'd photocopied the V5C which helped.....
Does the address you supply the DVLA, insurance company and road fund licence people not have to match at some point?
But it would seem likely that if you have acted in good faith with the V5 then you should be in the clear
Contacted the DVLA. They advised they were lacking a postcode (my dad is sure the buyer put one in but clearly not) and when the did a search on the street address they were unable to find it hence them contacting my dad for further info. My dad explained what had happened and the DVLA asked him to fill in the form they sent stating he has no further details on the buyer and the date he sold the car.
Hopefully they will just confirm that my dad is no longer the registered keeper.
Should do, very same thing happened to someone on another forum when he got a parking fine through the post and it all got sorted at the DVLA end.
Would it be considered unreasonable to ask someone to bring their photo driving licence at the time of sale?
When I sold my first car I didn't have a clue and never kept the part that I should have sent off to the DVLA. A month later I got a parking ticket as it was still registered to me, I informed the police I didn't own the car and they told me to inform the DVLA. Got in touch with them and they just said write a letter stating that I no longer own the car. A week later got another phone call from the police saying my car is impounded I told them the story and the officer on the other end said you don't mind if we crush it then, I just told them they be doing me favour it they did.
Years ago I sold a cheap car - elderly Cavalier SRi - to a bloke whose name could've been Dodgy McDodgington. I posted my half of the 'transfer of ownership' slip from the V5 while the ink was still wet.
Sure enough, I soon got letters pouring in, NIPs for hurtling through Gatsos and such. Just replied to them all, "not my problem, sonny Jim." Because I'd notified the DVLA, all was good and they went away.
I fail to see what your dad's expected to do here, assuming he did the same. There's no legal requirement to verify the details to my knowledge. I'd just write back saying you don't know who the guy was and have no further information, but you hope that they catch up with him soon.
Itll come up as an in trade marker with police ANPR and PNC records which is where your dad doesnt own it anymore and the new owner hasnt had the decency to provide correct details.
If he then doesnt insure it or tax it (to avoid being caught) if it ever gets checked by the police or goes through an ANPR camera itll come to their attention fairly quick. Ive been to a few previous owners address's to ask them questions about bilkings (make off without payment) for fuel etc but its only to see if they can give descriptions or names of buyers.
As far as Im aware as long as your dad has notified the DVLA hes no longer the registered keeper he wont be liable for anything and its out of his hands.