private plates on a car which was scrapped 5 years ago

hbklea

5 years ago i got my car scrapped, i phoned a number from the local paper, gave hil all the paperwork and he said dont worry he'll sort it all out. however 5 years on, i checked on the dvla webste and the plates are still registered on the car. its not been taxed for 5 years so he didn't take it away and sell it on or anything. what do i do? worried if i phone the dvla they'll charge me for retention of the plates for the past 5 years. want my plates back but dont want to get into trouble, and end up paying a big bill which i cant afford. any advice would be gr8

withabix

If you wanted the registration, you should have transferred it onto a Retention 5 years ago.

You disposed of the vehicle with the registration. If it belongs to anyone, it belongs to the Registered Keeper, which may be the person who got rid of it for you.

Otherwise it may just be SORN and still in your name.

Have you enquired with DVLA?

hbklea

i'm still the registered keeper, its been unlicensed from the time i had it taken away. so i'm pretty sure i'm still the one on the log book. but the guy took that when he took the car. plates are still registered to the car.
could i be made to pay 5 years rentention fees?
and could i be fined for the vehicle been unlicensed even though i haven't had the car for 5 years

KillerWatt

hbklea wrote: »

could i be made to pay 5 years rentention fees?

We have had more laws introduced in the last 15 years than what existed since the Magna Carta, so it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest to find that you can be held liable.

hbklea wrote: »

and could i be fined for the vehicle been unlicensed even though i haven't had the car for 5 years

All depends on whether the SORN law was in force when you sold the car, but the fact you know you are not the legal owner stops you dead in your tracks from getting that plate back as you sold the car with that registration number and failed to put it on retention BEFORE you sold it.

The fact that the buyer said "dont worry he'll sort it all out" will not wash in any court of law, the onus was on you I'm afraid.

KillerWatt

Judas wrote: »

Only the registered keeper should be able to SORN it.

True, but the OP is hinting at claiming that the vehicle still exists and that (s)he still owns it in order to transfer the plate - and if DVLA believe them then the OP has been the recorded keeper for the last 5 years according to the first post.

vaio

isn't it the case that you can only transfer a plate from a taxed & MOT'd vehicle?

If so that might present slight problem for the OP

KillerWatt

vaio wrote: »

isn't it the case that you can only transfer a plate from a taxed & MOT'd vehicle?

If so that might present slight problem for the OP

I suspect the fraudulent claim of owning a vehicle they know was scrapped 5 years ago might be a tad more serious than a pi$$y tax & MOT offence :rotfl:

Ian_W

vaio wrote: »

isn't it the case that you can only transfer a plate from a taxed & MOT'd vehicle?

No, not always, but the vehicle has to actually exist!

What sounds to have happened is that the purchaser scrapped the vehicle but didn't notify DVLA. I'm guessing it was sold pre-SORN being a requirement so that has never been an issue but if the vehicle no longer exists there is no way AFAIK that the OP, even if still registered keeper, can transfer or hold the number on retention.

THIS PAGE has more but this is the most relevant bit.

To transfer the registration number, both vehicles must be:

• registered at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
• available for inspection
• of a type that needs an MOT or heavy goods vehicle (HGV) test certificate
• currently taxed

However, if the vehicle that currently has the registration number is not taxed, you can still apply to transfer provided:

• there is no break between the date the tax disc runs out and the start of the SORN
• the tax disc run out no more than 12 months before the date you apply