so if my V5C is "not proof of ownership" then what is..?

so if my V5C is "not proof of ownership" then what is..?

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minimax

Original Poster:

11,984 posts

255 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
just got the reg doc through for a car and it seems to be of a new style: red, and in a large strapline across the top it says "this document is not proof of ownership"

..so what would be proof then? if "it shows who is responsible for registering and taxing the vehicle" then couldthe former owner prove ownership somehow? this all seems very odd to me.

could the massif shed some light please?


p.s search function is down for maintenance atm so apologies if necessary etc smile


Brian McGee

1,581 posts

176 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
A picture of you, the car and a custard tin.

minimax

Original Poster:

11,984 posts

255 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
soooper, anyone else?

Matt_N

8,900 posts

201 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
I had a new style V5C come through the other day too.

My first impression was, 'oh, it's red, whats gone wrong now then', then I saw the enclosed booklet explaining the change.

The new red format really does give the impression that something is wrong though when you first open it.

Defcon5

6,160 posts

190 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
The recipt from when you bought it

Kentish

15,169 posts

233 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
A purchase receipt smile

Signed and dated by the previous owner of course wink

Balmoral Green

40,660 posts

247 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
V5 is details of the registered keeper, not necessarily the owner. It refers to 'Keeper' all over it. Proof of ownership would be an invoice or a receipt maybe? For most new private cars, and nearly all company cars, the V5 would go to the finance company otherwise. Hardly any bugger with a new car would be holding a V5 if it went to the legal owner smile

With old snotters like yours though, I take your point tongue out

Munter

31,319 posts

240 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
Defcon5 said:
The recipt from when you bought it
Yep same as everything else you own.

Petrolhead_Rich

4,659 posts

191 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
Its the Vehicle Registration Document, which is proof the vehicle is registered in the UK as specified, and is kept by the registered keeper.

Nothing to do with ownership at all, hence the big "THIS IS NOT PROOF OF OWNERSHIP" along the top!

I would guess around 40% of cars are OWNED by someone else, company cars, finance, Hire Purchase, Rentals, Lease Cars etc etc.




minimax

Original Poster:

11,984 posts

255 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
well now! all is clear...I can't say i've ever had a receipt from a previous owner for any car i've bought, and i've never had a car on finance so can't say..

so theoretically if cops want me to prove ownership...I can't. beautiful! smile


Jeffmaniac

524 posts

198 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
Had this a lot when I was a part of an insurance fronting detection team. V5c shows that you are the registered keeper. The person with the 'financial interest' is the owner. So a 17 year old could be the registered keeper but if mummy or daddy is paying the finance then he or she is the owner.

Munter

31,319 posts

240 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
minimax said:
well now! all is clear...I can't say i've ever had a receipt from a previous owner for any car i've bought, and i've never had a car on finance so can't say..

so theoretically if cops want me to prove ownership...I can't. beautiful! smile
It's worth doing. Just a piece of A4 with the date, sellers name, buyers name and value on it is what I've seen done before. But at least you have something to show a transaction took place.

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
Munter said:
minimax said:
well now! all is clear...I can't say i've ever had a receipt from a previous owner for any car i've bought, and i've never had a car on finance so can't say..

so theoretically if cops want me to prove ownership...I can't. beautiful! smile
It's worth doing. Just a piece of A4 with the date, sellers name, buyers name and value on it is what I've seen done before. But at least you have something to show a transaction took place.
yes

Always ask for a receipt. Hand written is fine and better than nowt.

Risotto

3,926 posts

211 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
When I bought my 911 the previous owner had sent the V5 to DVLA to be amended (a par for the course screw up when private plates are involved).

The end result was that when my insurance company asked if I was the owner and registered keeper, I had to explain that yes, I was the owner, but I wouldn't be the registered keeper until the V5 issue could be sorted out.

They struggled with the concept initially but eventually decided that as long as I could prove a financial interest in the car (e.g. a receipt or transaction record, etc), they'd accept that I was the owner.



Edited by Risotto on Wednesday 25th August 16:02

varsas

4,004 posts

201 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
I got pulled over by the cops just after buying my Jaguar, it had been issued a new number plate which apparently had some history. The police still had it recorded stolen 6 years ago (but that didn't show up on the reg. check I did..be warned!) fortunately I was driving back from a wedding (with the new bride and groom in the car...bit embarrassing!) and had my passport, insurance certificate and V5C in the car with me, as well as the keys obviously (just in case something like this happened) and it was enough for them to be convinced that I was the owner of the car, and hence hadn't be stolen.

I don't know what absolutely proves you own a car, as that's impossible to do(?) but if you have the V5C in your name, it was registered to you and you had the keys I would think that's enough? Seemed to be for me anyway.

Gad-Westy

14,521 posts

212 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
300bhp/ton said:
Munter said:
minimax said:
well now! all is clear...I can't say i've ever had a receipt from a previous owner for any car i've bought, and i've never had a car on finance so can't say..

so theoretically if cops want me to prove ownership...I can't. beautiful! smile
It's worth doing. Just a piece of A4 with the date, sellers name, buyers name and value on it is what I've seen done before. But at least you have something to show a transaction took place.
yes

Always ask for a receipt. Hand written is fine and better than nowt.
I do this too but does it really mean anything? I like as much paperwork as possible so I was always get a receipt but a hand scribbled piece of paper with some bloke's name and a number with a £ sign next to it doesn't seem like any kind of 'proof' of ownership to me. Evidence maybe, but that's as far as it goes.

Is there any way of actually proving you own a car?

4988cc

25,867 posts

205 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
Balmoral Green said:
For ... nearly all company cars, the V5 would go to the finance company otherwise.
For leased/contract hire (personal or business) vehicles, the V5C (registered to the lessor, not the lessee) does go to the leasing company who retain it, which is why VED is factored into contract hire/leased vehicles even if maintenance isn't. Tax discs get posted to the end user. The vast majority are sourced through leasing companies, otherwise you're exactly right.

If a company chooses to hire purchase or PCP a vehicle instead; which a few do, usually small businesses funding the business owner's vehicle where there is no other fleet use - 5 company-operated vehicles (excl. commercials) are a typical requirement for a manufacturer to consider a small business a "fleet operator" (and so opening up the possibility of fleet discounts/incentives, even where only one vehicle is being supplied), then it's as per normal consumer finance, V5C shows either the end user company on the V5C or the business owner C/O his company address. The "Invoice To:" is made out to the finance company with the customer in the "Deliver to:" box. That invoice ties the registered keeper and the vehicle owner together on paper.

The OP has been answered so nothing more to add, apart from re-iterating how vital obtaining proof of ownership via a receipt or invoice is for a vehicle, irrespective of whether you buy your vehicle from a dealer or privately.

Paperwork still counts for a lot in case of disputes, such as the one I read of on here recently about a young lady who had unwittingly bought a vehicle with outstanding finance, from someone who was not the registered keeper nor the owner of the outstanding debt and failed to obtain anything in writing from the vendor - causing her problems with bailiffs and all that horrid stuff we don't like to think about when buying cars.

If someone is unhappy to put their name and signature in writing to a deal with you, then I'd always advise steering well clear of said deal. At least ask yourselves the question of why that might be the case. A genuine seller has nothing to lose by it. Likewise when you sell your car privately - should somebody go and commit a crime in yoru old car before you've sent off the V5C to record their details. Proof of ownership can aid both ways.

BCP007

32 posts

163 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
If you have finance on the car then a finance agreement in your name supports this, ultimately it all comes down to 'title' and that can become very complex, for e.g if a relative or friend lent you the funds ( some sort of informal loan as an example) to buy your car and then sometime later on you fell out and they got nasty and wanted their money back they could claim title to your ( i.e they were the owner) car even though you had the V5 in your name as it says the V5 just names the keeper. They of course would need to prove ownership and hence 'title' to the car.

coley20

2,944 posts

190 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
BCP007 said:
If you have finance on the car then a finance agreement in your name supports this, ultimately it all comes down to 'title' and that can become very complex, for e.g if a relative or friend lent you the funds ( some sort of informal loan as an example) to buy your car and then sometime later on you fell out and they got nasty and wanted their money back they could claim title to your ( i.e they were the owner) car even though you had the V5 in your name as it says the V5 just names the keeper. They of course would need to prove ownership and hence 'title' to the car.
Correct I think it says registered keeper rather than owner somewhere on the V5

C8PPO

19,533 posts

202 months

Wednesday 25th August 2010
quotequote all
V5/V5C has never been proof of ownership or title - with the red banner, they're merely emphasising something which has been the case since forever.

Edited by C8PPO on Wednesday 25th August 18:32

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