Vehicle seized and how to get it back

Hoenir

MeteredOut said:

Emmia said:

Aretnap said:

bluelad1927 said:

Without sounding harsh or sarcastic it sounds like there's a bit more to this than is being told.

Only now are you worried about the value but for the last 7 yrs it hasn't been insured. 

How has it now come to being on a road then to be seized.

And then there's the dogdiest reason ever given for it not being registered  with the correct owner

Also... I'm pretty sure that the police don't routinely seize random vehicles off the street just because they happen to be parked somewhere distance from the address that they're registered at - surely the point of having a vehicle is that people take them away from home? So why did they think that this one was stolen?

The number plate came up as untaxed (which is possible if the plate is also on another vehicle, which hasn't been taxed)? Or belonging to a different type of vehicle than the van in front e.g. potential cloning...

We still don't know why the relative was using a vehicle the OP knew wasn't insured, taxed or MOT'd.

All we know is "A relative parked the vehicle on a main road" - it could have just been moved from private land to there, but not actually driven any further.

Makes no odds. The vehicle was on the public highway.  Going to be an expensive error of judgement as a consequence. 

MeteredOut

Hoenir said:

MeteredOut said:

Emmia said:

Aretnap said:

bluelad1927 said:

Without sounding harsh or sarcastic it sounds like there's a bit more to this than is being told.

Only now are you worried about the value but for the last 7 yrs it hasn't been insured. 

How has it now come to being on a road then to be seized.

And then there's the dogdiest reason ever given for it not being registered  with the correct owner

Also... I'm pretty sure that the police don't routinely seize random vehicles off the street just because they happen to be parked somewhere distance from the address that they're registered at - surely the point of having a vehicle is that people take them away from home? So why did they think that this one was stolen?

The number plate came up as untaxed (which is possible if the plate is also on another vehicle, which hasn't been taxed)? Or belonging to a different type of vehicle than the van in front e.g. potential cloning...

We still don't know why the relative was using a vehicle the OP knew wasn't insured, taxed or MOT'd.

All we know is "A relative parked the vehicle on a main road" - it could have just been moved from private land to there, but not actually driven any further.

Makes no odds. The vehicle was on the public highway.  Going to be an expensive error of judgement as a consequence. 

I know, but we're getting statements like "We still don't know why the relative was using a vehicle the OP knew wasn't insured..." which makes it sound like more regular driving. I was simply pointing out that the OP has not clarified that.

Flugelhorn

so the vehicle has been untaxed, uninsured, unMOTd and not in OP's name for 7 years.

Has it been SORN'd or was it still under dealer? Don't the dealers usually say who they have sold it to?

How did it move to the road - I would have though the old brakes would have seized up in that time 

Mildly_Miffed

Anyway, to answer the original question...

To get it out of the pound, as well as proving it is actually yours, you'll need to prove it's insured - and normal insurance doesn't cover that, you'll need a special policy. And that'll need to be against the actual plate, not the one that was transferred off.

Given it's untested, of course you can't tax it. So, given it's untaxed, you'll need to pay a bond - £160 or £330 for a van, depending on size. If it's still "worth £18k" at 7yo++ with no MOT or use for seven years, it must be a fair size.
https://www.gov.uk/get-a-clamped-or-impounded-vehicle-released
You get that back if you tax it within a certain time.

You'll need to pay the £200 release fee plus £21/day storage.

You will also be liable for the back tax for the entire period since it was last taxed, plus a fine of up to £1k. There may well also be a prosecution for it being uninsured, unregistered and bearing the wrong plate.

Oh, and since it's untaxed and untested, you won't be allowed to drive it home.

This is all explained in the INF32 leaflet you should have been provided with a copy of.
https://www.surrey.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/surrey/notices/dvla/dvla-inf32-uk_registered_vehicles.pdf

jimjames

Herzlos said:

If you send the New Keeper slip in tomorrow Special Delivery then it may get registered in your  name in time even if it hasn't made it to you.

New keeper slip doesn't do that though does it? It's down to the seller to notify the DVLA who they've sold the vehicle to, not the new keeper to inform them.

Car_54

jimjames said:

Herzlos said:

If you send the New Keeper slip in tomorrow Special Delivery then it may get registered in your  name in time even if it hasn't made it to you.

New keeper slip doesn't do that though does it? It's down to the seller to notify the DVLA who they've sold the vehicle to, not the new keeper to inform them.

Precisely. DVLA will write to the old RK for confirmation, and give them 28 days to respond.

Okell

MeteredOut said:

... I was simply pointing out that the OP has not clarified that.

And I don't think he'll be back again to clarify anything... 

Herzlos

jimjames said:

Herzlos said:

If you send the New Keeper slip in tomorrow Special Delivery then it may get registered in your  name in time even if it hasn't made it to you.

New keeper slip doesn't do that though does it? It's down to the seller to notify the DVLA who they've sold the vehicle to, not the new keeper to inform them.

Good point. I wonder why the seller didn't send off the form at the time.

Mildly_Miffed

Herzlos said:

jimjames said:

Herzlos said:

If you send the New Keeper slip in tomorrow Special Delivery then it may get registered in your  name in time even if it hasn't made it to you.

New keeper slip doesn't do that though does it? It's down to the seller to notify the DVLA who they've sold the vehicle to, not the new keeper to inform them.

Good point. I wonder why the seller didn't send off the form at the time.

Because it went into the trade.

Previous keeper sends off yellow V5C/4 slip to DVLA, hands remainder to trader.
The trader SHOULD have sent the rest back with the OP's details on, and given them the New Keeper slip.

But if the plate's been taken off, the OP can't have a correct V5C for it at all - possibly the trader took it in before the new V5C came back?

Aretnap

Emmia said:

Aretnap said:

bluelad1927 said:

Without sounding harsh or sarcastic it sounds like there's a bit more to this than is being told.

Only now are you worried about the value but for the last 7 yrs it hasn't been insured. 

How has it now come to being on a road then to be seized.

And then there's the dogdiest reason ever given for it not being registered  with the correct owner

Also... I'm pretty sure that the police don't routinely seize random vehicles off the street just because they happen to be parked somewhere distance from the address that they're registered at - surely the point of having a vehicle is that people take them away from home? So why did they think that this one was stolen?

The number plate came up as untaxed (which is possible if the plate is also on another vehicle, which hasn't been taxed)? Or belonging to a different type of vehicle than the van in front e.g. potential cloning...

We still don't know why the relative was using a vehicle the OP knew wasn't insured, taxed or MOT'd.

Indeed, but the police (as opposed to the DVLA) wouldn't usually be hugely bothered about an untaxed etc vehicle parked up on the street; they have bigger fish to fry than that. And the OP said "it was seized because the police believed it was stolen since it was 300 miles away from the registered keeper's address...", which suggests that either someone has given him a completely wrong reason for the seizure, or there is a lot more to the story than meets the eye...