HELP

Lisblacker

My lease ended on my car during the pandemic and i was informed that the lease company would not be able to collect my car until they were open again. I contacted them to terminate the lease and provided the end of lease mileage and was told to park the car and not use it. Whilst the car was parked it sustained some damage. Even though it was no longer under lease and the insurance had ended they have said i need to pay for the repairs. I have appealed these charges and they have upheld their decision that i am responsible for the repair costs, despite the lease period ending. I have now received letters informing me that bailiffs will be round to collect property to the value of the fine. I really need some advice as i am terrified. Am i responsible for the repair costs?

Herzlos

Who are the letters from? Has it been to a court?

Unless it's been through court, you lost (or didn't respond) and the court appointed bailiffs, then this is just a debt collector trying to scare you. Legally I'd assume that your liability ended when the lease payments and insurance stopped - it's not your responsibility to look after their car which they can't be bothered to collect unless it was your negligence that caused the damage.

Ganga

Where was it parked and what is the damage ?

Grey_Critic

As others have said your liability ended when your lease did. It is not your fault the vehicle was not collected but was anything said about whwere the vehicle would be kept from that date. Nothing to stop you parking it on the road and any fines etc for no tax/insurance/MOT are their responsibility.

Has it now been collected? If not inform DVLA there is an untaxed vehicle parked on your road they will quickly send somebody around to clamp it.

flashg67

Is this a personal lease? if so, you can go to the FCA to review the case, once a final response has been received from the lease co

Sandtree

flashg67 said:

Is this a personal lease? if so, you can go to the FCA to review the case, once a final response has been received from the lease co

You mean the Financial Ombudsman Service, the Financial Conduct Authority empower the FOS but are not directly consumer facing.

Car_54

Grey_Critic said:

As others have said your liability ended when your lease did. It is not your fault the vehicle was not collected but was anything said about whwere the vehicle would be kept from that date. Nothing to stop you parking it on the road and any fines etc for no tax/insurance/MOT are their responsibility.

Has it now been collected? If not inform DVLA there is an untaxed vehicle parked on your road they will quickly send somebody around to clamp it.

Responsibility for tax/MOT etc would depend upon who is the registered keeper.

Apart from the "keeping" offences (tax and continuous insurance) which are down to the RK, there are the offences of "using" a vehicle on the road without tax etc. It would be difficult to argue that it was the lease company who had used the car when the OP was parking it.

BOWFER

[Deleted User] said:

Responsibility for tax/MOT etc would depend upon who is the registered keeper.

If it's leased, the lease company holds the V5 and they are responsible for the roadtax/VED.
However, the lease contract will say that if an MOT is due before the end of the agreement, the leasee (IE you or me) is responsible for that.
This is why I always try and get lease cars collected before the MOT is due, saves me hassle and money.

Car_54

BOWFER said:

[Deleted User] said:

Responsibility for tax/MOT etc would depend upon who is the registered keeper.

If it's leased, the lease company holds the V5 and they are responsible for the roadtax/VED.

Yes, they're responsible for tax and continuous insurance. But whoever parks the vehicle on the road is guilty of using it without tax/insurance/MOT.

roonaldo

Sorry if I missed something, but from their point of view they don't know if the damage occurred 2 years ago or after lease ended. Have you got any proof of when damage occurred?