DVLA advice please...

[garycox]

Hi

 

I'm looking at buying a car (nothing interesting, sorry!) but it has a few 'paperwork issues' and I was just wondering where I stand.

 

The tax expired at the end of December and it's currently on a SORN. The guy selling it bought it in October, and apparently he 'forgot' to send off the V5, so it's still registered in the previous keeper's name. He has the 'main page' of the V5, filled out with his details as the new keeper, but he doesn't have the green slip bit.

 

He seems quite trustworthy, will provide ID and receipts etc and I don't mind waiting for the V5 to come back in his name before applying for one in mine. The issue is with the tax, I would need too be able to drive it home (40 miles, A27) and I've nowhere off road to keep it when I get it here. Is there any way of taxing the car as it is? I really don't want a load of DVLA hassle.

 

Thanks...

[Cavcraft]

Can you insure it then tax it online? Failing that is there a DVLA office near the vendor or on the way home? If so pop in there, tax it on the spot and off you go.

[dollywobbler]

Tax it online and the disc will go to the previous, previous owner.

[Craig the Princess]

Can you get the guy to tax it before sending off the V5?

[garycox]

I'd need a paper insurance certificate for the DVLA office, which won't be through in time, and they would question why the name on the V5 was different to the insurance...

 

I was thinking of insuring then taxing it online (how long does it take to update their insurance database thing? I'd need to do it pretty much immediately) and then saying it's been lost/stolen and getting a replacement, but at least it'll be taxed on 'the system'. Current registered keeper would get an unexpected disc in the post though.

[Cavcraft]

DVLA office will be fine. Take all paperwork (plus a receipt from vendor) and they'll tax it for you there and then.

[garycox]

That is a good plan in theory but he wants it gone quickly (that's why it's cheap) and I won't have time for the insurance certificate to arrive...

[eddyramrod]

If you insure through a high-street office, go in with the car details and they will issue you a cover note on the spot. That'll satisfy DVLA.

[loserone]

Most insurers will send you a PDF copy of the certificate by E-mail for a couple of quid - print it off and most places (certainly the PO, not sure about DVLA office) will accept it.

[The Moog]

When I bought a car I insured it through admiral .Phoned them up on a sunday and they emailed me the insurance certificate through.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Insure it for a day with this lot:

 

http://mip.ecarinsurance.co.uk/index.php

 

Print out the certificate, and drive it home as is. There is a risk you might get pulled by some arsehole of a copper, but if the car is tidy, MOT'd and you have made the effort to insure it, you should be fine.

[M'coli]

Good luck with the purchase, I hope it's not a log-book loan job.

[garycox]

Right, this thing's STILL going on...

 

I've now got it insured and have all the paperwork through for that (although they want a photocopy of my driving licence for some reason, and that's got my parent's address on which might cause MORE problems). The seller's been trying to contact the previous owner so we can tax it online, to warn him he'll be getting a disc in the post and ask him to pass it on if possible, but so far he's not been successful.

 

Current plan is - tax it online, I'll write a nice letter to the previous owner explaining the situation, include a SAE etc, hopefully he'll post me the disc. If not, wait til the V5 arrives and get a replacement disc from the DVLA office (is that possible? I think you can do that...)

 

Next question - assuming he doesn't post me the disc, is it likely I'll get a fine for having the old (12/11) tax disc in it for a couple of weeks even though it'll be taxed on 'the system'?

[Father Ted]

Probably not. It will show up on line as being taxed.

Put a "tax in post" sticker in the window a-la Del Boy.

 

 

What I would be more worried about is the previous owner cashing in the tax disc - thats what I woulds do if one turned up unanounced for a car I no longer own

 

££££KERCHING££££

[dieselnutjob]

i thought that you couldn't cash in a 6 months disc

[retrogeezer]

i thought that you couldn't cash in a 6 months disc

 

you definitely can, have done so for the last 3 years on my Escort.

[nigel bickle]

You cant cash in a disc for a car not registered to you.

 

Its a new DVLA scam. You encash the disc & transfer ownership (often simultaneously) when you sell. They then wait 3 weeks before writing to say that they can't encash the disc as you're not the Registered keeper- unless you can supply an acceptable explanation? When you do -it'll be encashed from THAT date -not the one you sent in. So you lose one,maybe two months...

 

I've got wise to this -& now delay sending in the V5c. However last time ,despite a THREE WEEK delay in transferring ownership -they still tried it on. The instant retort ensured a FULL refund!

[retrogeezer]

cheers for that info Nigel, worth knowing as I would not have thought twice about that....do they not enough money out of us as it is!

 

I would probably have sent both things in the same envelope - certainly won't do that in future!