Partner died without Will, what happens to car?

Herzlos

I'm sorry for your loss.

Have you checked what the car is actually worth? It may be worth contacting some local dealers to see if they'd buy it. But if it's not worth much there are options for donating it that should result in someone collecting for you. For example the fire brigade often take old cars to use in training exercises.

chrisw

If you just want rid of it, cartakeback.com will
collect it and maybe give you any extra scrap value.

https://www.cartakeback.com/

p00hsticks

Waves_and_Smiles said:

Thank you. We weren't married, we just lived together for 32 years. I would be quite happy if the council just took it and recycled it, I have no idea what to do with it. I presume I need to inform the DVLA that he has died? I do have the log book if that is any help. I honestly know so little about cars and driving, so sorry for sounding ignorant.

No he has no property, no savings and was disabled for 10 years before he died.

Sorry for your loss.
Have you (or someone else) registered his death yet ?
When you do (and assuming it is the same in Wales as in England) you get given a unique access code to the 'Tell Us once' (TUO) service
What to do after someone dies: Tell Us Once - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
As part of this you can tell the DVLA the car registration and they will remove the deceased as the named keeper. 
However you need to be aware that once this happens the car is automatically no longer taxed, so needs to be off-road. 

I'm currently going through this myself, and like you don't drive or know much about owning a car. In my case as the police were involved they located the car which was parked in a public on-street parking area and drove it back to the house for us and put it in the garage. 

After using TUO I did then have a webchat with DVLA because you have to be the registered keeper to SORN a car and I intend to sell it in the near future so didn't really want to put it in my name. However they told me that as long as I keep it off-road then it's ok until I come to sell it (at which point I can sign the VC5 myself with an indication that I am the executor of the estate). 

sammyjammy

chrisw said:

If you just want rid of it, cartakeback.com will
collect it and maybe give you any extra scrap value.

https://www.cartakeback.com/

They won't give OP anything, the car is not hers, nothing to do with her and she has no legal right to any money made on it.

HampshireH

Ultimately its not your car and you aren't responsible so you can just leave it where it is and eventually the local authority will sort it out. They will go to the dvla etc find the owner has passed and remove it


You could notify dvla he has passed if you wish to that way they have a record. 

BlueHarbourBouy

 try giveacar.com   

EssexExile

Waves_and_Smiles said:

EssexExile said:

We gave my Dad's car to charity. They collected it, auctioned it and our nominated charity got any profit. Google will help you find people who do this.

Did you have to SORN it first? There is nowhere off road that it can be parked and I can't drive it anyway. Charity would be a lovely option

Luckily it was on his drive. As I remember I wrote the Sensitive Case Team at the DVLA - https://www.gov.uk/tell-dvla-about-bereavement/selling-the-vehicle. I'm afraid I can't remember all the details after that, it was during Covid too so things were different.

mgfvvc

Waves_and_Smiles said:

Thank you. He has one brother in England who is unwell himself and also cannot drive or travel here. I am the one dealing with the funeral and death certificate which I am allowed to do but the car seems a grey area. I would be very happy if someone towed it away really but obviously I do not want a fine because I haven't done something I should have. He was 63 years old from a very small family. for 10 years there has been no family for either of us but each other.

That doesn't sound like a grey area to me. As the last living (legal) relative, I believe his brother inherits the car.
It sounds as though this qualifies as a small estate and a much simpler process than formal probate or letters of administration applies. I am not a lawyer and I have not handled a small estates, so I am not qualified to give you detailed advice.Googling "handling a small estate" should find information on the formal processes.

For the car itself, maybe your brother could write a letter authorising you to dispose of it?

To sell the car, I Googled something like "selling a scrap car" and there were a number of services that gave me a price.Obviously that would be a scrap price and might be less than you could get for a runner.

uknick

When my brother died intestate his estate went to our mother.  She asked me to deal with it.  Regarding his car, she verbally gave it to me.  I then wrote to DVLA asking for the V5C to be changed to my name explaining how I had become the owner.  I then sold it to webuyanycar with no issues and reclaimed the remaining car "tax".  I then gave  the few hundred £ proceeds back to my mother.

Having said that, one difference to the OP is I used the car for a couple of months whilst clearing his house.

But the basic principle is the same, the surviving brother must inherit the estate assets, however little they are, and then instruct someone to deal with them.  I would be very worried somebody with no legal paperwork referencing them could dispose of a car.
     

macman

OP, your partner's brother would have inherited the car, and all his goods and chattels under the intestacy rules.
But it doesn't sound as if he would want it.