Buying car with private plate on.

[5yearstobuyatvr]

I know this is not supposed to happen but, my son is purchasing a used car from a guy who hasnt transferred his cherished plate to his other car. I believe by filling in V5 doc with new owner details will cause problems before the transfer. What should be the procedure?

[Vixpy1]

The guy needs to go to the local dvla office and have the plate taken off the car before the v5 is sent off. If he does not, the plate becomes your sons when the new v5 is issued.

Its a wk system.

[Jonty355]

Yeah, he needs to get it transferred before selling, otherwise the plate then becomes yours.

The only other way around it is to buy the car, and then take the plate off it and give it back to him. But this will be quite costly. About £100 to put the plate on retention, and then something like another £25 to change ownership.

He might be able to sort it quicker if he nips to his closest DVLA office though?

[dave_s13]

I had this problem with my last car.

Essentially you either have to wait for the seller to get the plate off the car. Or you need to trust each other a bit.

Basically, you pay for the car and drive it away with the private plate on. Seller then actions the transfer. When that comes through you complete the V5.

Not a big problem but while the seller still has the V5 it's his car, on paper, but he has your money.
While you're driving around with that plate on any speeding fines will end up with the seller (you get them in the end though).

[llewop]

from previous replies sounds to me like the critical issue is who has the V5? (or will have it after the deal is done)

if your son has it: then he can do what he likes, although ends up with a car with the other guy's plate on it! In which case, the problem is the seller's, not your lad's! Presumably if the deal was the seller kept the plate then he will be willing to do (and pay for...) whatever is required to do this.....

if the seller won't release the V5, then even with handing over the cash, as someone said, your boy is having to trust the seller somewhat!

if none of the above applies, either I've misunderstood the balance (not impossible!) or your son should walk away until the plate is sorted!

[Vixpy1]

withholding the V5 is irrelevent, if you sell the car the buyer can simply apply for another V5 straight away in his name

[Orb the Impaler]

I've had this a couple of times; you need to either know or trust the other party. I've not had a problem.

[gazchap]

I, on the other hand, have. I sold my car to someone (well, more accurately, part exchanged for his car + cash) and my car had a private plate on it. I'd discussed with him beforehand the transfer process and got it in writing that he would transfer the plate back to me, and he seemed like a trustworthy guy when we met to exchange cars etc.

He then ran off with the plate.

Curiously, as far as I can tell, it's still on the car. Despite the plate having no relevance to the car or his name whatsoever.

[Vixpy1]

gazchap said:

I, on the other hand, have. I sold my car to someone (well, more accurately, part exchanged for his car + cash) and my car had a private plate on it. I'd discussed with him beforehand the transfer process and got it in writing that he would transfer the plate back to me, and he seemed like a trustworthy guy when we met to exchange cars etc.

He then ran off with the plate.

Curiously, as far as I can tell, it's still on the car. Despite the plate having no relevance to the car or his name whatsoever.

Pretty much what happened to me, except it was a dealer who was selling my car on SOR who got caught. I ended up waiting till the new owner sold the car to a dealer, rang the dealer up and bought my plate back, now the dealer is reimbursing me for the costs

[R60EST]

The V5 has no bearing on who OWNS the car. It only states who is the registered keeper. Let the seller hold on to the V5 and the MOT and get a receipt for the purchase . Have it in writing that the documents will follow when the plate transfer is complete.

[Shaw Tarse]

Hi jacking the thread, if I bought a Land Rover, an old one with a "valuble" plate how difficult would it be to transfer the reg?
Also spotted a RR on a Kaz plate (NI).Seller suggests it would be expensive to reregister it to a GB plate?

[kma]

I'm probably missing something here but why the hell would anyone sell a car with a plate on they would want to keep? Surely any normal person would sort their st out before selling?

[Jem0911]

It's a trust thing.

I lost my last plate that way but hey needed the money more than the plate at the time.

Hey ho I hope the engine fell out!

[R60EST]

Shaw Tarse said:

Hi jacking the thread, if I bought a Land Rover, an old one with a "valuable" plate how difficult would it be to transfer the reg?
Also spotted a RR on a Kaz plate (NI).Seller suggests it would be expensive to reregister it to a GB plate?

Some older plates may have been allocated as non transferable. This often happens when the vehicle has already had it's original number sold as a cherished number. The DVLA issue the vehicle with another plate to the same format , or correct for the age of the vehicle and they make those non transferable.

If it can be transfered the donor vehicle will need a current MOT. If the dvla believe the mot is suspect just to facilitate the transfer they will have the vehicle inspected to make sure it is roadworthy and will be very harsh on any MOT station that had been , lenient , shall we say

The KAZ plate may be free to get rid of if it's registered on a British V5 , or at worst the standard £80 fee to have a British number assigned

Edited by R60EST on Thursday 4th February 20:07

[R60EST]

kma said:

I'm probably missing something here but why the hell would anyone sell a car with a plate on they would want to keep? Surely any normal person would sort their st out before selling?

It's not uncommon to offer a car for sale and only begin the transfer process when a sale has been agreed. It saves having a plate on retention or removing it from a car which may not sell

[Jem0911]

R60EST said:

kma said:

I'm probably missing something here but why the hell would anyone sell a car with a plate on they would want to keep? Surely any normal person would sort their st out before selling?

It's not uncommon to offer a car for sale and only begin the transfer process when a sale has been agreed. It saves having a plate on retention or removing it from a car which may not sell

Or needing to grab loot quick, happens sometimes.
Can't always have all shiv sorted at once

[5yearstobuyatvr]

Thanks.We will trust the seller with the V5 until the transfer is complete, will put some note on the bill of sale about the plate.

[topless_mx5]

Thread resurrection. Who would pay the transfer fee's in a situation where a car is sold with the private plates on?

I am buying privately but have trust in the seller. Let's say I take the car away, pay the monies and the V5 comes back in my name with the private plate on. To then transfer it back to the seller so he can put it on retention, how would we go about that process? Would I, as the owner of the car and plate need to initiate it, or could the seller do it from his end?

[Goode8]

Hi can anyone advise, I'm about to buy a car from a dealer (not a huge showroom) the car has a private plate when I asked about it he said the guy wanted to take the plate off but hasn't come in for it that was a month ago.

If I buy the car with the plate on it does this make it mine? or can the chap claim it back at any point

Thanks.

[Jayyylo]

Once you buy the car the plate becomes yours too. Same with his broken sunglasses and scratched cd's in the glove box. His agreement is with the dealer and nothing to do with you, although you could be nice and sell it back to him.
If the car had been sitting at a dealers for a month and he still hasn't sent off the paperwork then he doesn't seem too serious about keeping the number.