Car ownership after split

Georgiah406

Hi all, 

Me and my partner of 8 years have recently split. In 2019 he took out a bank loan to purchase a new car for me as our old one wasn't suitable for us anymore (we'd just had a baby).

Now I'm in a situation where the loan is in his name solely, he has been making the payments but I'm the registered keeper and have been maintaining the car, paying tax and mot etc.

Am I right in thinking I'm just going to have to hand the car over to him and that's that?

Slightly panicked as I'm now a full time student, with a toddler, no income apart from a student loan and I imagine I'll soon have no car either... 

Any help or suggestions welcome...

TIA X

DrEskimo

What has he said about it?

Being the registered keeper isn't proof of ownership, so it was bought by him and he has been paying the loan used to purchase it. He is the owner of the car so it is up to him.

The fact you have being paying to maintain it whilst you have been using it doesn't mean you should get anything back or be entitled to keep it going forward IMO.

Do you have money to purchase the car and settle the loan for him based on its current valuation? 

Georgiah406

DrEskimo said:

What has he said about it?

Being the registered keeper isn't proof of ownership, so it was bought by him and he has been paying the loan used to purchase it. He is the owner of the car so it is up to him.

The fact you have being paying to maintain it whilst you have been using it doesn't mean you should get anything back or be entitled to keep it going forward IMO.

Do you have money to purchase the car and settle the loan for him based on its current valuation? 

He's said nothing yet but it's a conversation that's coming so just wanted to prepare myself!

The car has about £7,500 left so me buying it is absolutely out of the question.

It's what I thought but thank you for confirming for me!

X

superbigal

Maybe when you get his child maintenance payments this will fund the car payments ?

DrEskimo

Georgiah406 said:

DrEskimo said:

What has he said about it?

Being the registered keeper isn't proof of ownership, so it was bought by him and he has been paying the loan used to purchase it. He is the owner of the car so it is up to him.

The fact you have being paying to maintain it whilst you have been using it doesn't mean you should get anything back or be entitled to keep it going forward IMO.

Do you have money to purchase the car and settle the loan for him based on its current valuation? 

He's said nothing yet but it's a conversation that's coming so just wanted to prepare myself!

The car has about £7,500 left so me buying it is absolutely out of the question.

It's what I thought but thank you for confirming for me!

X

The positive way of looking at it was you got use of a car and didn't have to take out a loan, pay interest and take a hit on the depreciation of that car over the time you used it.

superbigal said:

Maybe when you get his child maintenance payments this will fund the car payments ?

I wouldn't advise the OP to keep the car with the loan still under their ex-partners name. Being tied financially like that would only create issues....

They could apply for a loan to pay off the existing loan and buy it from their ex partner (assuming they want to sell it), but I suspect the OPs chances of a good rate loan for £7,500 under their current circumstance is going to be difficult.

Besides, it then opens the question of whether this car is the one they want to purchase anyway. They could use the same loan for a cheaper car.

Grumpy_chap

Georgiah406 said:

Hi all, 

Me and my partner of 8 years have recently split. In 2019 he took out a bank loan to purchase a new car for me as our old one wasn't suitable for us anymore (we'd just had a baby).

Now I'm in a situation where the loan is in his name solely, he has been making the payments but I'm the registered keeper and have been maintaining the car, paying tax and mot etc.

Am I right in thinking I'm just going to have to hand the car over to him and that's that?

Slightly panicked as I'm now a full time student, with a toddler, no income apart from a student loan and I imagine I'll soon have no car either... 

Any help or suggestions welcome...

TIA X

Most likely - I know that is not what you want to hear.

I assume he bought the car and you just used it, rather than the car being given to you as a gift.

You may be best in the long run letting the car (and him) go, and then looking to an alternative transport solution in your independent future.