Urgent help required please!!!

Noozan

Right then....please bear with me...

My friend has asked for my help today as the tax and insurance on her husband's car has expired. The only documents relating to the car that they have been able to produce is the service book, pre delivery reports, confirmation of registration, insurance certificate and HP agreement.

The car is registered in her husband's cousins name.

It is insured in the cousin's name withmy friends husband as a named driver.

The HP agreement is in the cousin's name.

She has told me that when they originally purchased the car, they asked their cousin to accompany them as she and her husband were unable to obtain credit themselves due to having little/no credit history.

There is no V5 (Or is it VC5 or something now?) document - I assume that this would have been sent to the cousin's address at the time.

The direct debits for both the insurance and HP repayments go from the cousin's bank account. My friend's husband makes a payment into his bank account every month to cover these payments.

The cousin no longer lives at the last known address they have for him. he has not been in touch and his mobile phone number just rings out. They have no other means of contacting him and don't know of anyone who can shed light on his whereabouts.

The car was first registered in Oct 2004 as new so there is no need for a MOT certificate just yet.

What on earth can they now do to get the car taxed and insured, given that they have no up to date cert and no vehicle document?

trinnylilac

It really is in the interest of your friends cousin to get in touch as the named owner he will be fined for not having tax on the car . I have a feeling it is automatic now unless the car is off the road and declared so.

As you can't get in touch I have been thinking about what your friend should do. Whether this is right or wong If I had this problem I would contact the DVLA for advice. Your friend is in a really awkward situation as if he drives the car it will be without insurance which is illegal.

I hope someone on here can give you some better advice.

abomb1969

You can put in a request for a transfer of the V5 to yourself, they will write to your cousin at his registered address for the car and ask him if he objects. See http://www.dvla.gov.uk/forms/frms_vehicles.htm for details and the form. You are going to have to insure the car in your name.

Noozan

Thanks for the quick replies!

I have had a look on the DVLA website and also picked up a V62 form from the Post Office this morning. I was concerned that they wouldn't be allowed to change the details on the V5 as it is still under a HP agreement. Also, although they pay for the car, to all intents and purposes, it "belongs" to the cousin in name. I think they can insure it themselves but wouldn't it be fraudulent to change the name on the V5? I don't to get involved if it is! Either way, I will be filling out the forms for them as they do not have a good grasp of English. I do not want to put anything in the form that is untrue.

toozie_2

As the cousin seems to have disappeared, do you think they will cancel the direct debits paying the HP and insurance?

Noozan

toozie wrote:

As the cousin seems to have disappeared, do you think they will cancel the direct debits paying the HP and insurance?

This is a worry too. I wondered if the money that my friends paid each month was being used to pay for the car or not. After all, if the HP company or insurance were sending out letters, they would be going to the cousin's last known address, wouldn't they?

I have no idea what to suggest to them!

scheming_gypsy

Tell your friend to stop paying money into the account. If the cousin hasn't done a runner they'll get in touch as soon as they notice. If they have done a runner your friend isn't paying them money for nothing.