Car sold without my permission

user1977

paul_c123 said:

The garage don't have ownership of it, so you could legitimately walk up to the dealership, get in the car and take it.

Technically correct, but probably not the best tactic, especially for somebody who has just been on remand for something else...

born_again

Herzlos said:

A reputable trader/scrap yard wouldn't buy a car from the wrong name at the wrong address, so did he get a new V5 sent to her address transferring ownership to herself or did she falsify something for them?

Getting a new V5 would have been trivial - she'd apply online, the DVLA would write to your old address giving you 2 weeks to object, you wouldn't see it, then she'd become the registered keeper. Not the owner, unless she can prove you'd assigned ownership to her.

You can always ask whoever bought it and come to some arrangement to buy it back or at least find out how they managed to make the transaction.

But if the car was pretty low value and spent a year not moving, it may not be worth much money or stress, sadly.

Given SIL cleared out the flat. They might well have found V5, could easily changed registered keeper online. 

Herzlos

I hadn't thought of that. That'd still make it fraud, but it'd be very hard to prove that she used the V5 to transfer ownership without OP's knowledge or consent.

tedted

you dont need the v5c to scrap a car it can be done on the vin number