Car was sold, documents sent off.......but fines being received?

reduceditem

OK, I'll keep this as simple as possible.

I've been helping a friend of mine (he's a non-UK national, so not brilliant English) regarding a problem he had with his old car.

He sold it in Feb in the normal way and sent off the document, correctly filled in, to the DVLA (I know this was done because I helped him do it.)

Anyway, a month later he got a parking contravention from London Borough of Waltham Forest (complete with pictures). We assumed that this had been recorded before the DVLA had updated their records, so I helped him complete the form explaining that he was no longer the owner of the vehicle, etc, etc.

My friend then returned to his home country for a month's holiday with his wife, but on his return discovered another 5 contraventions from a couple of different boroughs and from Transport for London. I then (this is just a couple of weeks ago) helped him reply to all of those contraventions and we also sent off a letter to the DVLA explaining that the document was sent correctly but must have not arrived......the DVLA swiftly responded with a letter saying they have now updated their records. But the first reply has come back from one of the contraventions and it's a rejection of the evidence provided....they say they want evidence that my friend was not the owner/driver on the day in question. All we were able to say in the letter was the buyer's name (remembered from memory), his address was on the registration document which was sent (but obviously never received) to the DVLA.

Presumably all the issuers of these contraventions are going to respond in the same way ('show us more evidence'), but I'm at a loss at how to help my friend.

By the way, my friend is here in Glasgow (he sold the car to a man from Glasgow BTW) and all of the contraventions are from London, where he has never even been! He's been back through the numbers in his phone from the date he sold it, but without success.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

peter_the_piper

The dvla are notorious for losing info, they probably ""found"" it just as you contacted them. I'm not sure how to proceed with this so will leave it for others to help. I suggest you also post on pepipoo.com as they have more people looking at just parking and related matters.

Coblcris

Does he have a copy of the Bill of Sale for the car ?

reduceditem

Coblcris wrote: »

Does he have a copy of the Bill of Sale for the car ?

There's no bill of sale.....it was just a simple sale of a not very expensive car between two private individuals.

Coblcris

Private individuals can and should produce a dated, timed, signed Bill Of Sale for exactly the kind or reason illustrated in this post.
However that is in the past in this instance.

What do the DVLA records show ? Do the show the actual date of transfer which proceeds all these tickets ?
.

TheBogsDollocks

Without any documentary evidence of the sale to convince the council then I fully recommend taking this to adjudication.

Adjudicators tend to believe the public in such cases. I suggest you write a statement confirming you helped your friend fill out the DVLA paperwork and provide a contact telephone number. In addition, it may help to show any telephone records that show there has been recent contact with the DVLA trying to sort this out with them. A bankstatement may help to show the proceeds of the sale going into a bank account around the time the sale was completed. Also insurance cancellation documents will help.

Your friend just needs to convince an adjudicator that in the "balance of probabilities" he is being truthful.

peter_the_piper

I'm surprised the DVLA updated the records just on the strength of a letter. Would there be mileage on pressing them for info as to why they suddenly were able to correct the error?

flutterbyuk25

OP I am ex-DVLA so will try to explain and hopefully you can get it sorted for your friend.

More than likely DVLA did not receive the original logbook/V5C when your friend sold the vehicle. The subsequent letter you/he sent to explain about the fine would have removed him as keeper, but it may not have been backdated to the correct date, hence why he is still receiving the correspondance about the fine.

What he needs to do now is write another short letter to a specific department at DVLA that deals with cases like this. He needs to state his name/address (old and new if he has moved), the registration mark of vehicle and make/model, exact date of sale, who sold to and then explain that he is receiving penalty charges for the vehicle after date of sale and needs confirmation of the date of sale.

Send this to BC, DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1ZZ. He should get a response within 20 working days.

It has to be a letter not email/phonecall as they need a signature. There is a fax no but I cannot remember now (I left 18mths ago), however if you ring DVLA they can give you the fax no.

If the date of disposal on record is incorrect DVLA will amend it and then send a letter confirming the date of sale. Your friend should KEEP the original and then send photocopy to the fine issuers to hopefully resolve the matter.

HTH

x

reduceditem

flutterbyuk25 wrote: »

OP I am ex-DVLA so will try to explain and hopefully you can get it sorted for your friend.

More than likely DVLA did not receive the original logbook/V5C when your friend sold the vehicle. The subsequent letter you/he sent to explain about the fine would have removed him as keeper, but it may not have been backdated to the correct date, hence why he is still receiving the correspondance about the fine.

What he needs to do now is write another short letter to a specific department at DVLA that deals with cases like this. He needs to state his name/address (old and new if he has moved), the registration mark of vehicle and make/model, exact date of sale, who sold to and then explain that he is receiving penalty charges for the vehicle after date of sale and needs confirmation of the date of sale.

Send this to BC, DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1ZZ. He should get a response within 20 working days.

It has to be a letter not email/phonecall as they need a signature. There is a fax no but I cannot remember now (I left 18mths ago), however if you ring DVLA they can give you the fax no.

If the date of disposal on record is incorrect DVLA will amend it and then send a letter confirming the date of sale. Your friend should KEEP the original and then send photocopy to the fine issuers to hopefully resolve the matter.

HTH

x

Thanks for taking the time to post this.

I'm following your advice.

reduceditem

flutterbyuk25 wrote: »

OP I am ex-DVLA so will try to explain and hopefully you can get it sorted for your friend.

More than likely DVLA did not receive the original logbook/V5C when your friend sold the vehicle. The subsequent letter you/he sent to explain about the fine would have removed him as keeper, but it may not have been backdated to the correct date, hence why he is still receiving the correspondance about the fine.

What he needs to do now is write another short letter to a specific department at DVLA that deals with cases like this. He needs to state his name/address (old and new if he has moved), the registration mark of vehicle and make/model, exact date of sale, who sold to and then explain that he is receiving penalty charges for the vehicle after date of sale and needs confirmation of the date of sale.

Send this to BC, DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1ZZ. He should get a response within 20 working days.

It has to be a letter not email/phonecall as they need a signature. There is a fax no but I cannot remember now (I left 18mths ago), however if you ring DVLA they can give you the fax no.

If the date of disposal on record is incorrect DVLA will amend it and then send a letter confirming the date of sale. Your friend should KEEP the original and then send photocopy to the fine issuers to hopefully resolve the matter.

HTH

x

Just an update for anyone else who may be in a similar situation: flutterbyuk's advice is correct (just been on the phone to the DVLA and am penning a letter). Except the address to write to has changed slightly to:

SC1
DVLA
Swansea
SA991ZZ

Coblcris

I would suggest that this valuable information be condensed into a 'sticky'.