Selling a car (dementia)

[Otispunkmeyer]

Not entirely sure where to put this, but I'll try here.

background: Father in Law has dementia, doctors have told him he can no longer drive (after an episode where he simply forgot where he was, what he was doing and just went on a nice jaunt across the country). This was 8 months ago. His Mercedes S350 has been sat for this time and now MiL wants to get rid of it. He keeps asking about it and keeps trying to go for a drive.

Its going to be difficult but I think the hope might be that once its gone he'll just forget he had it.

Anyway the problem is selling it. Probably WBAC or similar but its the fact you need the owners signature to do anything with the V5.

Can those with power of attorney sign on behalf? I can't imagine he'll ever agree to signing his car away....

Anyone had to go through similar?

[Pericoloso]

Do DVLA check authenticity of signatures ?

A decent forgery would be sufficient surely .even if that is a little underhand.

[soad]

DVLA should be able to advice? As hardly a unique situation?
They used to have a Sensitive Casework (SC) team/department.

[Pericoloso]

My step mum had to register dad's car in her name when he passed away last year ,he couldn't sign obviously.

[Otispunkmeyer]

Pericoloso said:

My step mum had to register dad's car in her name when he passed away last year ,he couldn't sign obviously.

That is what I was thinking.... but then, you get classed as another owner and potentially, that could knock you down on value. I'll give the DVLA a shout.

[Lily the Pink]

Otispunkmeyer said:

Can those with power of attorney sign on behalf? I can't imagine he'll ever agree to signing his car away....

I would think so, as long as it's a Financial PoA, which has to have been registered while the individual was of sound mind. If you don't already have a PoA and he already lacks mental capacity then I think you have to apply to the Office of the Public Guardian. That's my recollection when I had to look into this a few years ago. Beware, lots of web sites are/were out of date or applied to jurisdictions outside the UK. Best advice is certainly to get the PoA registered as early as possible.

[Otispunkmeyer]

Lily the Pink said:

Otispunkmeyer said:

Can those with power of attorney sign on behalf? I can't imagine he'll ever agree to signing his car away....

I would think so, as long as it's a Financial PoA, which has to have been registered while the individual was of sound mind. If you don't already have a PoA and he already lacks mental capacity then I think you have to apply to the Office of the Public Guardian. That's my recollection when I had to look into this a few years ago. Beware, lots of web sites are/were out of date or applied to jurisdictions outside the UK. Best advice is certainly to get the PoA registered as early as possible.

my wife and MiL both have PoA and it was signed when he was of sound mind (or at least sound enough to understand what it was).

Still, I'll give DVLA a ring to clarify.

Shame really. Its a lovely car, but I can't afford to have it and the MiL doesn't want to drive it and he can't drive it. So its just been sat!

[RSTurboPaul]

I think I read on here the other day that one only needs the V5 and the chassis number to change owner online?

[sprinter11]

what year and mileage is the car. I am looking to buy a s class for my old man.

[Lily the Pink]

I don't think you need to involve DVLA; you can just sell the car. FiL gets the proceeds, of course.

[StevenB]

A while ago now, but when my father passed away the DVLA said anyone could sign the V5 !

[grudas]

sell it and change owner online, takes 10 minutes and doesn't require a signature just v5 number/serial.