V5 conundrum

[sparkythecat]

An elderly friend, in failing health has asked me to sell his quad bike for him. He's too ill to deal with potential buyers coming to his door and so
I've trailered it to my house
It's a road registered 500cc agricultural type quad in splendid condition, that was only very occasionally used and I don't anticipate any problems in attracting customers.
However, I've now found out that in order to save money at some time in the past he'd asked another friend to insure the bike for him on the friend's business fleet insurance to save money. ( Yes- illegal fronting)
He'd therefore allowed the friend to register the bike to the business.

So how best to unpick this?
I'm in possession of bike and the V5 which definitely belong to my old friend, on whose behalf I'm selling it, but it's registered to a third party.
This is obviously going to make any buyers suspicious.
Should I leave things as they are, or register the the bike in my own name in order to sell it?
Or is there a better way forward ?

Edited by sparkythecat on Friday 6th October 08:57

[BrettMRC]

Leave it as it is, when it's sold you can just do the transfer online.

[ingenieur]

Registered keeper is just an administrative thing. Says in massive writing on the V5 that the document itself is not proof of ownership. I'm wondering if this is a trick question?

[sparkythecat]

No, it’s definitely not a trick question.

[CLX]

I've sold plenty of cars privately and I can't remember the last time a buyer asked to look at the V5 when viewing/negotiating etc.

After the deal is done, I just get them to fill in their details in the appropriate section of the V5 and then do the transfer online.

[solo2]

The registered keeper is not the legal owner of the vehicle so I would not worry about it. As long as you are in possession of the most recently printed V5C then just carry on as normal

[119]

Shouldn’t the legal owner write a letter or something confirming that someone else has the right to sell it?

[Sebring440]

[redacted]

[NFT]

I have sold vehicles with company as keeper, and for others and never had any question about it, and as someone pointed out, buyers usually have no interest in looking at logbook.

You could get a new one in their name if bothered but adds a further keeper on logbook.