Speculative searching of DVLA database

212

I've seen companies can request information about the owner of a vehicle using the V888 form, and debt collection agencies are entitled to try it (if they have 'reasonable cause').

Obviously if a car was parked directly outside my house, I'd imagine it's reasonable for them to ask the DVLA who is the registered keeper just incase it's mine.

There are a number of cars outside (residential parking) so I've moved it from there to down the road. As long as they don't see me getting out the car then without asking for every numberplate they shouldn't know it's mine....

If it was parked further away, would it be reasonable for them to request an entire street of cars? Or alternatively to request if I am the keeper of any cars (using my name & address) and get the reg number that way? And then go and find it along the road?

Also the cars not actually mine (Hire purchase? or conditional purchase, something like that) - so are they even able to seize it? I'm sure the finance company said legal title only passes to me once it's fully paid off.

The debt they're after isn't related to the car at all either.

Thanks if anyone can help.

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Any company or individual has to pay at least 2.50 if they want information of the registered keeper of a vehicle on a specific date. This jumps to 5 pounds per application for information about a specific vehicle. So let's say there's 20 cars in your street, for them to even apply to the DVLA to get the information would cost them 50 quid at the very least. Chances are the DVLA wouldn't even give them the information as it could spell all kinds of issues under the data protection act.

Besides which, the company would need to prove to the DVLA that they have 'reasonable cause' for gaining the information. If they rocked up and said "Yeah, we're after one specific person, so we need to filter through 20-odd cars to see if we can find a match", the DVLA would laugh and tell them to do one.

With regards to the car, I'm not sure if I'm right on this one but I think the hire purchase agreement effectively passes responsibility of the vehicle's upkeep and maintenance solely to you through the duration of the money being paid for it. I wouldn't be happy handing the keys over to any DCA if it can be avoided, as technically I think they could take the car and leave you still having to pay the remaining finance off unless you got GAP insurance with it.

EDIT: but as Soucrates says below, it's almost impossible for a DCA to seize a car anyway.

sourcrates

I think your getting a little carried away here, if its an unsecured debt, not related to the car, then its no bodies business but yours, only a court can order a bailiff to seize a car, DCA`s are not bailiffs, and have no power whatsoever, and as its on finance a court probably would not consider it "your" asset anyway, people always mix up bailiffs and DCA`s and what they can and cant do, rest assured a DCA cant take your car.

double_mummy

212 wrote: »

I've seen companies can request information about the owner of a vehicle using the V888 form, and debt collection agencies are entitled to try it (if they have 'reasonable cause').

Obviously if a car was parked directly outside my house, I'd imagine it's reasonable for them to ask the DVLA who is the registered keeper just incase it's mine.

There are a number of cars outside (residential parking) so I've moved it from there to down the road. As long as they don't see me getting out the car then without asking for every numberplate they shouldn't know it's mine....

If it was parked further away, would it be reasonable for them to request an entire street of cars? Or alternatively to request if I am the keeper of any cars (using my name & address) and get the reg number that way? And then go and find it along the road? yup do able using your name and address

Also the cars not actually mine (Hire purchase? or conditional purchase, something like that) - so are they even able to seize it? I'm sure the finance company said legal title only passes to me once it's fully paid off. depends very much on what your contract says but if it hire whos name is the car in yours or the companies?

The debt they're after isn't related to the car at all either.

Thanks if anyone can help.

do you have a ccj on the account that you are talking about? if not dont worry about the car they cant take anything unless you have a ccj and have missed payments on that (only if the debt is nothing to do with the car)

how much is car worth? how much is debt? what dca are you talking about? where is the original debt from? how much is left to pay on car?

Buzby

Speculative 'RK fishing' is not 'reasonable cause' to request DVLA to supply keeper details. Indeed if I thought this was remotely possible I would have complained to the ICO.

It requires a explicit incident at a named date and time to trigger a request - not a blanket search of a locality at £2.50 a pop.

212

Thanks everyone, I was wondering about the data protection side of it! But then thought if they supplied say 30 plates to the DVLA and said I'm looking for a Mr XYZ then the DVLA could say either none of those are in my name, or XXX XXXX is registered to me. They're going to be paid enough either way, if their fishing mission came off it would be worth even £500 or so to ping every car in the street through

It's a debt collection agency that are banging on about baliffs etc. Don't think it's been passed to any baliffs yet (does that need court first?), just moved the car today just incase they pop round in the week.

I've been told people were looking for me last week (when the car was sat alone at times, or with only 2/3 others) - so I guess it only takes a neighbour to answer a speculative question regarding all the cars out the front and they'd then know which one I drive.

So even when baliffs are instructed, they'd need a CCJ listing the car to be able to pinch it? I'll be getting a CCJ, so it's just up to the court to determine whether they can take the car?

I know if I opted for bankruptcy (or get pushed into a creditor's one) I'd lose the car because it's excessive, but with CCJs I thought I kept it unless I defaulted or baliffs managed to pinch it from outside (heard urban myths of them just towing cars they know you're keeper of).

Car is worth about probably 8 or 9k now, Finance has about 13k left on it (some of that is the maintenance/MOT etc package that was lumped in together). Car would be 11k to buy cash.