Car Ownership/Payment?

Bantamboy80

Hi all, hopefully you can advise me...
I agreed to sell my car to a friend for £550 - paid in 11 installments of £50 (I have text message proof of this)
We both signed the Log Book and he said he would post it for me. (I have since found out he never did)
After the first payment he claimed he could not afford to pay and wanted rid of the car.
I put him in touch with another friend (who was originally interested) but the deal fell through as he said the engine sounded awful as there was no oil in the car! (This was not the case when I sold it to him SIX MONTHS AGO)
It has now been placed in a garage somewhere (that I have no knowledge) with both the lads saying the car isn't theirs!
I now find it hard to get any communication with the first guy.
The question is, should I try to take him to the Small Claims Court?
I have evidence he wanted the car AND he signed the log book ...but as it was never sent to the DVLA, would they say the car is still mine?
Thank you in advance for any tips :A

InsideInsurance

The log book only shows who the keeper of the vehicle is not the owner. There is no central database of vehicle ownership and so its invoices, emails etc that substantiate that (unless there is finance secured on the vehicle via an official company in which case that shows on the HPI system)

maninthestreet

Never mix business with pleasure - selling a car to a 'mate' on the promisae he will pay you over the next 11 months was bound to end in tears......

gilbert_and_sullivan

How many of us learned this life experience just like you, the hard way.

There is no honour left, people do not live their lives by a code any more, their word means nothing, there's far more of them than there are of the other sort.

Maybe you could claim the car back, seeing as it was never paid for and presumably the ownership never changed either.

Problem is there could be a mountain of parking or speeding or other traffic offences waiting to be sent out, and you if you reclaim the car could end up with those too.

That would be my first choice though, the car is worth at least £100 scrap, you might as well have that.

I would in the circumstances put it through the small claims court, if only to not let the worthless toe rag get away with another scam...i suspect this is his idea of friendship...however the chances of getting any money from him after you have judgement is the furthest end of remote, maybe you could win and then let a brick outhouse debt collector loose on him but i don't know how that works.

I expect you will have to put this down to a relatively cheap lesson in honour, it could have been far worse.

Stoke

maninthestreet wrote: »

Never mix business with pleasure - selling a car to a 'mate' on the promisae he will pay you over the next 11 months was bound to end in tears......

This unfortunately. I know someone who sold a car to a friend. The friend agreed to pay in two £600 installments. He was obviously given the first installment on collection of the car. He then procrastinated for weeks over the second installment, then claimed that they'd agreed £1000 not £1200 and after a rather mucky couple of months he paid £400 and the two went their separate ways.

Don't expect the police to get involved. They're too busy handling all the other crime in your area... :beer:

jaymidlands

so can we get this straight you agreed 11 months repayment..and 6 months later he has only paid 1 month..

bigjl

1. The keeper is responsible for sending the logbook. Not the new keeper.

2. You are still legally responsible for the car as far as road tax, speeding fines and parking fines goes.

3. If you haven't had any there is a chance they did send it.

4. You have learned a lesson and only lost £500. Which is bad but not as bad as it could be.

5. Contact the DVLA and confirm you are no longer the registered keeper. If you still are then inform them who is.

6. Forget about this car. Put it down to experience

7. A cheapish way to find out that this "friend" is actually a !!!!!!.

forgotmyname

Seems like you sold your car to a friend for £50. I would be round there and whip the wheels off it.

When they say someone nicked the wheels you tell them you have a spare set. £50 - £100 sounds fair.

Repeat until they pay you all the money?

LandyAndy

Hmmm, the OP posted nearly 24 hours ago, immediately logged out and has not been back.


Half-term ends today.:cool:

Bantamboy80

I'm back, i'm back!!

Yeh so far I have only received the first £50 - I could get the car back tomorrow, but I have no idea what damage had been done to the engine (plus it has been stood for six months!)

I know he still has the log book and hasn't been running the car...

forgotmyname

If YOU failed to send the V5C off to change the keepers details then i hope its taxed and insured or SORN'd. If not you could be in for some fines for failing to do that.