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Car ownership by an ex

Hi, hope someone might be able to offer advice as to how I deal with this, its been going on for a long time now...have spoken to many friends and family about how to sort it out, but not sure of the best route and what my rights are.

So, the story is about two years ago my ex bought a new car and used my car at the time to part-ex it, which I let him do...as he then gave me his old car - which has been in my possession ever since.

Unfortunately about 6 months after this we split up having been together for a long time - I kept the car and have since maintained and insured it etc. The problem is that he never signed it over to me on the registration doc.

He has now moved away and has been reluctant to help me sort this out, so I sent him the v5 to sign. He has not signed it over despite me filling it all out and sending him an SAE! He is now demanding money from me because he feels I owe him this from the relationship (we also own a house together - another story!). All I want is for him to sign the car over so that I can sell it - its a nice car, but needs a lot of work doing to it.

Some people have suggested leaving it on a double yellow uninsured and untaxed for him to deal with (I could just but another car), but I don't want him to have it - he doesn't need it but would use it to cash in the value I am sure.

Do I have any ownership rights over this car? There is no documentation proving that I 'bought' it from him. I feel as though he is blackmailing me into doing something that ultimately leaves me out of pocket.

Would appreciate advice as this has been going on for such a long time. Many thanks.
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Comments

  • gonzo127
    gonzo127 Posts: 4,482 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    from what i know, no V5 no ownership rights.

    and from reading really i do think you are probably looking at the situation from the wrong angle. and i am sorry this is probably not what you wish to hear but it is just my feeling on the matter

    did you put any money towards the 'new' car he brought to compensate for him not getting a trade in value from this older car?

    why is taxing, insuring and maintaining a car that you have been running mean you own it?

    that is just part of the course and if he has been getting no benifit out of the car i feel it is totaly reasonable that the person getting the benifit also pays for the running costs, this is also not taking into account depreciation it will have suffered from it now being older and having more miles on it than if he hadnt let you use it.

    i personally would either pay something towards purchasing the car so that you can then sell it on - although anyone looking at it will look at see a change of ownership on the V5 in the month before you are selling it and wonder why you are 'suddenly' wanting to get rid of the new car you have just brought

    or just let him have it back with no arguements, really is a bit of money worth this amount of hassle that this could cause, as in all reality you havent actually paid anything for the car that isnt unreasonable for you using it
    Drop a brand challenge
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  • Thanks for the reply.

    My previous car which he used to part-ex to help pay for his new car was bought by me, so in effect I contributed around £1500 towards his current car using my previous.

    You are quite right though, if he had used my current car as part-ex he would have got a higher trade in value and therefore would have had to spend less cash to purchase the new vehicle.

    Guess I have been looking at it the wrong way!
  • Hammyman
    Hammyman Posts: 9,913 Forumite
    OK...

    You don't need him to sign it. Just sign it yourself (your bit) and send it off. He will get a letter to the address of the keeper on the V5 you've signed informing him of the change of ownership and to contact them if he was unaware. As it'll be coming to your current address and not the new one, he'll never get the letter and the transfer will go unhindered.
  • fivetide
    fivetide Posts: 3,811 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Not sure about the legalities of the above but you can certianly apply for a V5 in your name and then the DVLA will do as above. I think he would have two weeks to take it up with the DVLA.

    Insuring a car that doesn't technically belong to you is on shaky ground too by the way. Most ask if the car is owned by and registered to you so you might have been fibbing to insurance companies for a few years. You'll need to get it sorted.

    5t.
    What if there was no such thing as a rhetorical question?
  • Flyboy152
    Flyboy152 Posts: 17,118 Forumite
    gonzo127 wrote: »
    from what i know, no V5 no ownership rights.

    and from reading really i do think you are probably looking at the situation from the wrong angle. and i am sorry this is probably not what you wish to hear but it is just my feeling on the matter

    did you put any money towards the 'new' car he brought to compensate for him not getting a trade in value from this older car?

    why is taxing, insuring and maintaining a car that you have been running mean you own it?

    that is just part of the course and if he has been getting no benifit out of the car i feel it is totaly reasonable that the person getting the benifit also pays for the running costs, this is also not taking into account depreciation it will have suffered from it now being older and having more miles on it than if he hadnt let you use it.

    i personally would either pay something towards purchasing the car so that you can then sell it on - although anyone looking at it will look at see a change of ownership on the V5 in the month before you are selling it and wonder why you are 'suddenly' wanting to get rid of the new car you have just brought

    or just let him have it back with no arguements, really is a bit of money worth this amount of hassle that this could cause, as in all reality you havent actually paid anything for the car that isnt unreasonable for you using it

    A V5 is not an ownership document.
    The greater danger, for most of us, lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark
  • Flyboy152
    Flyboy152 Posts: 17,118 Forumite
    Hi, hope someone might be able to offer advice as to how I deal with this, its been going on for a long time now...have spoken to many friends and family about how to sort it out, but not sure of the best route and what my rights are.

    So, the story is about two years ago my ex bought a new car and used my car at the time to part-ex it, which I let him do...as he then gave me his old car - which has been in my possession ever since.

    Unfortunately about 6 months after this we split up having been together for a long time - I kept the car and have since maintained and insured it etc. The problem is that he never signed it over to me on the registration doc.

    He has now moved away and has been reluctant to help me sort this out, so I sent him the v5 to sign. He has not signed it over despite me filling it all out and sending him an SAE! He is now demanding money from me because he feels I owe him this from the relationship (we also own a house together - another story!). All I want is for him to sign the car over so that I can sell it - its a nice car, but needs a lot of work doing to it.

    Some people have suggested leaving it on a double yellow uninsured and untaxed for him to deal with (I could just but another car), but I don't want him to have it - he doesn't need it but would use it to cash in the value I am sure.

    Do I have any ownership rights over this car? There is no documentation proving that I 'bought' it from him. I feel as though he is blackmailing me into doing something that ultimately leaves me out of pocket.

    Would appreciate advice as this has been going on for such a long time. Many thanks.

    But then, the car is his.
    The greater danger, for most of us, lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark
  • mikey72
    mikey72 Posts: 14,680 Forumite
    Flyboy152 wrote: »
    A V5 is not an ownership document.
    Flyboy152 wrote: »
    But then, the car is his.

    But once you get the V5 in your name, it's yours.
    Unless someone can prove otherwise.
  • Flyboy152
    Flyboy152 Posts: 17,118 Forumite
    mikey72 wrote: »
    But once you get the V5 in your name, it's yours.
    Unless someone can prove otherwise.

    No, the bill of sale says it's yours, not the V5. In fact, the on the front of the V5, it specifically says that the V5 is not proof of ownership.
    The greater danger, for most of us, lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark
  • NeverAgain_2
    NeverAgain_2 Posts: 1,796 Forumite
    edited 12 May 2011 at 5:01PM
    I think the OP should be able to get a V5 registration document from the DVLA.

    She is, after all, the keeper of the car, and it is kept at her address.

    The DVLA are not interested in who owns the car, so for this purpose it doesn't matter.

    Might be worth going to a DVLA office to speak to someone face to face.

    http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/contactus/localoffices/findnear.aspx
  • mikey72
    mikey72 Posts: 14,680 Forumite
    Flyboy152 wrote: »
    No, the bill of sale says it's yours, not the V5. In fact, the on the front of the V5, it specifically says that the V5 is not proof of ownership.

    And if no-one else has one, and you have the V5, it's still yours.
    As to what it says on the front of the V5, if you buy a car, do you ask if they have the V5 in their name, or do you want to see the receipt from when they bought it?
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