Do I own the private numberplate that came with the car?

[chalky123]

Hello all!

I've bought an M3 fairly recently. It was on a private numberplate when I bought it, and the people were going to put it on retention. 2 months later, it turns out they sent the plate documents to the wrong place and they've been lost. I wanted the log book, so I applied for it as if it never turned up (which it didn't) and it came back registered on the private reg. So it's on this plate, but there's no documents for it.

Do I now own this numberplate? It's worth a few quid...

Any help would be handy,

Cheers

[Lambo FirstBlood]

It's yours.

[ewan221]

Personally I would be contacting the previous owner to see if they still want it

[chalky123]

Ok thanks!

Looks like I need to send a V317 off with the log book and MOT cert. Hate sending the DVLA documents, always worried they'll lose them!!!

[S3_Graham]

ewan221 said:

Personally I would be contacting the previous owner to see if they still want it

Thats the moral thing to do as they clearly wanted it back having tried to put it on retention, however as far as I'm aware if you buy a car with the plate still on it. Yes you 'own' it.

[rsv gone!]

Reminds me of when I worked at a Vauxhall dealership many years ago. One of the used car salesman let a Senator go out with the company's private plate still on. VML 1, I think it was.

They did get it back so I can imagine there was a lot of grovelling involved.

[TonyHetherington]

S3_Graham said:

ewan221 said:

Personally I would be contacting the previous owner to see if they still want it

Thats the moral thing to do as they clearly wanted it back having tried to put it on retention, however as far as I'm aware if you buy a car with the plate still on it. Yes you 'own' it.

Quite correct. Well almost - no one ever "owns" a plate, but that's getting a bit specific. The plate belongs to the car that it's on, and the person who can put that plate on retention is the registered keeper which is you.

Morally though, if they did want it back, and you of course did not buy the car with the plate included in the deal, then just do the nice thing and put it on retention for them

[chalky123]

Yes you're right chaps, I'll give them it back. Karma comes back around at the end of the day. I'll give the bloke a ring later.

Really I just want the standard plate on it - the private one means nothing to me.

Just looking at the V317 form to put it on retention, it looks like it needs to be taxed to do it? It's currently SORN'd. Can anyone confirm?

Thanks

[chalky123]

Yes you're right chaps, I'll give them it back. Karma comes back around at the end of the day. I'll give the bloke a ring later.

Really I just want the standard plate on it - the private one means nothing to me.

Just looking at the V317 form to put it on retention, it looks like it needs to be taxed to do it? It's currently SORN'd. Can anyone confirm?

Thanks

[JR]

chalky123 said:

Yes you're right chaps, I'll give them it back. Karma comes back around at the end of the day. I'll give the bloke a ring later.

Really I just want the standard plate on it - the private one means nothing to me.

Just looking at the V317 form to put it on retention, it looks like it needs to be taxed to do it? It's currently SORN'd. Can anyone confirm?

Thanks

I think you're doing the right thing now morally and legally. What's said above by others is in the absence of an agreement which does not appear to be the case here; as I read it you agreed to buy the car after they had transferred the plate.

[chalky123]

From here: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/PersonalisedR...

It says the car needs to be taxed to retain the plate.

But then it says:

However, if the vehicle is not taxed, you can still apply to retain provided:
•there is no break between the date the tax disc runs out and the start of the SORN
•and the tax disc run out no more than 12 months before the date you apply

So slightly confused. Does it need to be retaxed or can I do it with the SORN currently on it because it has been taxed in the last 12 months.

Confused.