Buying a restoration project with no V5

Buying a restoration project with no V5

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Nara-w115

Original Poster:

42 posts

238 months

Monday 29th April
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The initial message was deleted from this topic on 14 May 2024 at 05:59

Nara-w115

Original Poster:

42 posts

238 months

Wednesday 1st May
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Any insight? rotate

smokey mow

928 posts

201 months

Wednesday 1st May
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If you’re worried the safest option would be to ask the seller to apply for the V5 before you buy it and offer to cover the fee for applying. Then at worst case if it’s not issued you’ll only be out of pocket for the £25 fee rather than the full cost of the car.

griffter

3,990 posts

256 months

Wednesday 1st May
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As I understand it, and I most definitely am not a lawyer, when you apply for the V5, the DVLA write to the current registered keeper and give them 6 weeks or something to object. If no objection, the DVLA issue you a replacement V5. From that point you are the registered keeper.

However, being the registered keeper is not the same thing as being the owner (although the two are usually the same person). Therefore, when you buy the car, get a receipt stating that the vendor has the right to sell the car and transfer ownership to you.

Then put the car on the trailer.

(As an aside, I really like these and am constantly amazed at how cheap they are. Is it viable?)

OutInTheShed

7,810 posts

27 months

Wednesday 1st May
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If the seller took it in P/X from someoen other than the registered keeper, then there is some potential for a dispute?
Ideally there would be a chain of receipts from the registered keeper to the seller.

The worst that can happen is keeper comes out of the woodwork and claims the car, the buyer then has a dispute with the seller and so on.

I know someone who bought a few bikes with no V5, he just avoided adding any value before he got the V5.

The keeper probably lost the V5 or his executor couldn't find it. Loads of vehicles change hands with no V5 and the majority of them are not a problem.

griffter

3,990 posts

256 months

Thursday 2nd May
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One further cautionary note. I once agreed a deal on a Jensen Healey (so a classic, not a shed) and before collection, the vendor called me, apologised profusely, and said the car had a “logbook loan” on it. He’d applied for a replacement V5…

I didn’t buy the car (he wouldn’t let me!). I don’t know how he resolved it.

Nara-w115

Original Poster:

42 posts

238 months

Thursday 2nd May
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Thank for the replies, folks.

Had it pretty much all set up for tomorrow but now it looks like it's fallen through. Seems the registered owner (who has left the car festering at a local classic specialist for half a decade) has now resurfaced decided at the last minute that he wants to keep the car. That would involve him back-paying said garage many years of unpaid storage so we'll see. I'd love to save this thing. It's clearly not going to be fixed by the present owner. Fingers crossed...!