Safety Camera Team - Request for "previous owners" details

[Gallen (BPH)]

...no probs there - checked it all out beforehand. I have bought and sold cars before, never putting them in my name.

[Big Fat F'er]

This is an easy one. You have to do it by 'law' so you have 2 options.

1) Stand up and be counted, refuse to do it on principle, go to jail and get your story in the paper.

OR

2) Write to them and explain that you only have his first name etc (the Act asks you to provide what is in your power to give).

Easy, whats the problem?

[GreenV8S]

[quote=Gallen (BPH)]...no probs there - checked it all out beforehand. I have bought and sold cars before, never putting them in my name.[/quote]

If you are a dealer the V5 should be transferred to you but you won't appear on the history. If you are an ordinary owner the V5 should be tansferred to you. It would be pretty stupid for the previous owner to fail to transfer it to you via one of these two methods as they would remain liable for the car, fines for non-payment of road fund license, speeding/parking tickets etc. As well as being pretty stupid I suspect it is an offense not to inform DVLA of a change to the registered keeper, and I think most normal RTA insurance policies would be voided.

[Gallen (BPH)]

Big Fat F'er said:

This is an easy one.... 2) Write to them and explain that you only have his first name etc (the Act asks you to provide what is in your power to give).

...That's exactly what I'd hope.


GreenV8S - I suspect you're bang on. Hopefully they'll be liable, not me!

>> Edited by Gallen (BPH) on Wednesday 12th October 14:19

[Observer2]

Posters who have mentioned s.172 are correct. Any person must give information which it is in his power to give. However, the request has to be made "by or on behalf of a chief officer of police" and it must be in connection with an alleged offence. If the letter you have received does not state that the request is made on behalf of the CC and that there is an alleged offence and that the request is being made under s.172, then you have no legal obligation to comply.

Of course, you can decide to comply anyway, in which case you cannot be faulted if you give all information in your power.

[7db]

Dwight VanDriver said:

When SCP identify an offence of speeding then they have the clout of S.172 (name and shame) RTA 88 to get to the driver. Not only can a request be made of poor old Reg Keeper but also using a request made by or on behalf of the Chief Officer of Police on ANY PERSON who SHALL if so required give any information which is in his power to give and which may lead to the identification of the driver. Failure to do so IS AN OFFENCE. So my friend I would tread very carefully least you get stung. You may wish to consider sending a carefully worded reply outlining the facts as you have done above. dvd

DVD - always so frustratingly right. But where's the fun in that?!

[Gallen (BPH)]

ok, I will be replying and telling them all I know.
However, I don't think it would be enough for them
to prosecute anyone, definately not from my evidence alone as I can only provide his first name and postcode.
...can't be much help at all, but if it keeps me out of twubble (which I hope it displays willing), then it can't be bad.