HTP car been clamped and due for the compound

Playle1

Hi all, I'm new here so forgive me if I'm on the wrong forum, if there is a better place to post this I would appreciate if someone pointed me in the right direction.

Okay, kinda long story but here I go. I got my HTP car from Toyota back in August 2016 on a 30 month lease when I was living with my ex long term partner. In the following January we went through a bad break up leading to him destroying our home in a gas explosion. I was working at the time and he left me homeless with nothing except the clothes on my back, the car, my mobile phone and the debt we had accrued together. Due to these events I was determined to keep the car but it's safe to say the following year has been financially brutal on me now that I had the one income coming in, but I've managed to get by with nothing left to spare in the days before the next payday.

Skip to tonight. I've been working a night shift since 6pm and about 7.30pm a colleague informed me that my car has been clamped outside. I've found that it's been clamped due to no car tax has been paid since August 2017. After investigating the only paper work i have on email due to losing all my other documents. I appears Toyota only covered the road tax for the first 12 months. I have never received a log book from Toyota so I am unsure how I was able to pay for my car tax. I updated Toyota with my new address when I moved in in 2017. I have emails confirming my new address details with Toyota, but when I access their web page and look at my account it still shows my old address so it's possible to log book could have been posted there.

Anyway, I really cannot afford the costs of recovering my car from the compound and paying the back tax that is outstanding. I literally do not have the money and loans are out of the question due to very bad credit history. I am considering speaking to Toyota in the morning and explaining the situation. I think it has come to the point where I explain that I cannot afford the payments on the car and wish to hand it over to them even though it is in the compound and let them deal with the situation.

I'm expecting repercussions from this but I don't know exactly what to expect. So here I am looking for advise. I really don't know what else to do...

forgotmyname

Is it insured? Are you sure its a lease?

If the DVLA take the car its going to cost you even more than it will now.

Before Toyota end the lease they will want the car back. Will they arrange to collect it from the pound? If they do the bill will be even larger. Add on the release fees they will have to pay and the costs to send
someone to collect the car etc.

Thats before all the costs of the lease are added up.

What sort of lease is it?

Playle1

unfortunately I currently have limited information of this right now until i speak to them in the morning but it is a lease. at the end of the 30 months I have the option to give back and get a new one or make a payment for the rest of the vehicle etc...

TBH I'm expecting a bill with it once its been paid but I'm currently between a rock and a hard place so giving it back in the current condition and taking on the chin whatever they expect me to pay back just seems like the only option. I've kinda of made peace already with that and using the bus for the next 6 months or so until I can afford something cheap to get about in. I just need to know if they'll except it and retrieve the car in its current state. I don't see any other option for me right now.

stator

They won't voluntarily go and pay to get their car back. But if you stop paying for it they will repossess it and that will mean they have to pay to get it back. They will obviously come after you for the money.

What sort of financial situation are you in more generally? Do you own your own home? If you were given a small claims court order to repay Toyota £3000 or more, what would happen to you?

Playle1

I'm not in a very good financial state tbh. I was living in a rented property last year when I was made homeless. I lived in homeless accommodation for 2 months until I was given a place by the housing association.

If i was given a small claims court order, i would have to settle for small monthly repayments if it came to it. Why would the figure be £3k out of interest?

forgotmyname

Are you sure its a lease if you have the option of buying? PCP?

When they get the car back your going to be landed with a large bill which they will probably want paid now.. Not a montly payment but all of it now.

It may trash your credit rating. This may have other issues like renting a home etc.

If its in the pound then you have not handed the car over.

Playle1

I've done some investigation in to how much tax I should be paying online and found that I don't have to pay tax on this.

the calculate my vehicle tax on the gov website (sorry can't post link as new user) has quoted me £0.00 a year as my tax rate for 2016 Toyota Aygo. I guess this is a case of going through the motions of it not being applied for even though it costs nothing?

arcon5

Are toyota liable for your road tax as part of the agreement?
If your the registered keeper then updating toyota will not update the dvla records.

Playle1

from what I am aware with the details I currently have they pay for the first years tax and then its on me from after that. Although I have never received a log book from Toyota so I am unsure.

Playle1

okay so the answer I really need right now is will Toyota have or have a copy of my log book?

System

Playle1 wrote: »

If i was given a small claims court order, i would have to settle for small monthly repayments if it came to it. Why would the figure be £3k out of interest?

They are within their rights to pursue you for the payments for the remainder of the lease plus the £150 towing cost, the costs of releasing the vehicle plus any storage charges that the compound charge which are usually in the order of £20 per day.

Then there's the DVLA. You will be fined for using an untaxed car on the road and they will also bill you for the back tax owed as well.