Help please, OR and car

debtee_2 · 10 March 2008 at 12:16AM

Hi

I had my phone interview with the OR last Wednesday. I was asked details about my car and at the end of the interview I made a request outlining reasons to keep the car. On Thursday I sent this request in writing with documentation to support it. On Friday I called to try to speak to the OR to check they had received the paperwork but they weren't in the office that day. On Saturday I received a letter stating as below, which means the OR sent out the letter without waiting for the documentation to back up my request to arrive:-

The letter said: 'The car is valued at £300 and I can arrange for a third party to transfer the vehicle from the estate to myself for that amount, or within 14 days it will go for auction.'

Firstly, how does this work? If I can borrow the cash from a friend does this mean I end up owning the car or the friend?

Secondly, I bought the car for £275 11 months ago and it's now due for an MOT. I would expect the MOT to cost a few hundred anyway. Is it worth getting a quote for the cost of the MOT and trying to offset this against the £300 the OR says it's worth?

Thirdly, I wasn't given a reason for not being allowed to keep the car but presume it is because I don't have a paid job and the request I made that I need it to get to my voluntary job and collect my daughter from school at weekends (62mile round trip!) wasn't good enough?

Is it worth me appealing this decision and if so what is the process? Or is this the best offer I'm going to get?

Any help much appreciated!

Debtee

mum2one · 10 March 2008 at 12:22AM

I could be wrong - just from the way I read your post, maybe they made the decision without your supporting letter.

What there suggesting is 3 options.

1. They take the car and knock off £300 off the money you owe
2. They take the car to auction, but you by the time the auctioner has taken there fee, you could well end up with £50 going to the creditors
3. You borrow £300 from a friend, and basically your are buying the car back from the OR.

I dont know the appeal process, hopefully someone with more knowledge will be able ot help you out.

Good luck with it all thou. x

tigerfeet2006 · 10 March 2008 at 8:33AM

Give the OR a ring this morning and ask if they have actually read the supporting evidence. I seem to remember it would codt a lot of money and time to get your daughter from school, so they are penelising her as well. Did you tell the OR that it is going to cost money to get the car through it's MOT?

If the worst came to the worst could you borrow the £300?

suziewin · 10 March 2008 at 3:33PM

Hi,
Following the advice from Tigerfeet - First of all find out what you think the car is worth - if you bought it for £275 a year ago it doesnt seem to have depreciated much! Check out getting a free estimate online at glass website. Also - if there is work to be done on the car it may be worth getting a repair estimate from a garage and submitting that with a letter asking the OR to reconsider the car value. They wont count the cost of the MOT or service as this is already built into your I and E.

My OR was very strict with the criteria for keeping the car - and as I dont work he was not going to exempt my car to get my autistic child to and from school. He said it was a matter of convenience. However, my car was worth more and I did eventually get it exempted on grounds of my disability.

Hold your ground - and good luck.

debtee_2 · 10 March 2008 at 7:07PM

Thanks Tigerfeet and Suziewin:)

I already explained at the phone interview my reasons for needing the car but the OR just brushed them aside and said they weren't part of the criteria for how they decide on keeping the car or not. I also told the OR I was sending supporting paperwork and got that to them the next day but the OR didn't even bother to wait until the paperwork arrived:(

I couldn't call today as I had to collect my dad from Southampton docks, on the windiest day ever! I will call the OR again tomorrow but frankly I don't hold out much hope that they will be any more understanding.

I feel like I've hit rock bottom and although the car isn't worth much it's causing me lots of stress thinking about how to manage without one. As a last resort I could borrow the £300 but that feels like I'm starting my BR with another debt from the word go!

I've read from other posts that people have appealed against OR decisions. Does anyone know how this works? Can I appeal to a different OR if I feel I'm not going to get anywhere with this one?

Would like to know what my options are before I speak to the OR again as I don't expect any help!

Thanks

Debtee

empty_wallet_2 · 10 March 2008 at 7:13PM

I cant imagine the OR actually stands to get any money back for your vehicle, as if its only worth around £300 (with an mot), they will probably pay that in handling fee's to the recovery agents anyway, almost sounds like your OR is being bloody minded, they are taking my motorbike on Thursday and its worth £3k but they said i could buy it back for auction value and they were looking for around £1500 but they dont accept the money from yourself it has to come from a 3rd party.
Maybe they are doing it as obviously if you dont have your car i would imagine the expenditure you are claiming for the monthly running costs would then be treated as surplus and be included in any IPA/IPO calculations.

debtee_2 · 10 March 2008 at 7:26PM

Thanks for the support Empty Wallet:) Feeling pretty down about the whole thing but trying to find the energy to appeal against it on principle!

I am on income support so have no surplus income and if I'm correct in my understanding, I can't be given an IPO/IVA because I receive income support, so it doesn't make any sense from that point of view.

Like you say they can't reclaim any value from the car because it is worth so little, so I do feel like they're being bloody minded which is really wearing me out!

Debtee

debtee_2 · 10 March 2008 at 7:29PM

Another thought Empty Wallet -

Sorry to hear you have had your bike included (I also used to have a bike but had to sell it a few months ago cos needed the cash:(). I notice that you are being offered to buy it back for less that it is valued at. If my car has been valued at £300 does that mean I could try and make them an offer for less than that?

empty_wallet_2 · 10 March 2008 at 7:38PM

Seems like your OR is just going by the book and not using common sense on the vehicle side of things then especially as your not going to be liable for an IPO/IPA.

What are your monthly vehicle expenses, insurance, tax, mot, fuel etc, just wondered as if they do actually take your car could you save up what you would normaly spend out to buy another car a few months down the road.

skylight · 10 March 2008 at 7:43PM

I have been working just that out today. There is no way they are going to let me keep my car (I will send them a pressie if they do!) so I need to buy a new one. I reckon that in 4 months I could save enough in my budget by allocating the monies from what I would normally spend on running costs.

However - what happens with my insurance and canceling it? I know it not my thread, but we both need to know! Most insurances charge a cancellation fee????

empty_wallet_2 · 10 March 2008 at 7:46PM

debtee wrote: »

Another thought Empty Wallet -

Sorry to hear you have had your bike included (I also used to have a bike but had to sell it a few months ago cos needed the cash:(). I notice that you are being offered to buy it back for less that it is valued at. If my car has been valued at £300 does that mean I could try and make them an offer for less than that?

Not overly bothered about losing the bike as i only used it about 3 times last year and would have sold it recently had i not been worried about the disposing of assets questions on BR forms, i'm annoyed as i thought they would try to get as high a price as possible for it and not sell it on at well below market value, they could get more just taking it to a bike shop without all the fee's involved getting it to auction and had i sold it on at half its market value i would have got a public lashing for it :rolleyes: . At least they have exempted my van.

What car do you have? have you looked at Parkers or Wisebuyers websites to get a valuation.

Help please, OR and car

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