Buying a car, v5/tax help

[Mark8815]

I’m probably making this 10x more complicated than it needs to be, but I’ve never been in this situation before.
I’m going looking at a car tomorrow with the intention of buying and driving away tomorrow, my only question is that it’s currently got the owners private plate on which he wants to keep. So how does the whole me getting the v5 thing work as the v5 he has now will have the private plate on it, not the old one which I will be having, will the little green slip thing for the new keeper still be enough or not? Sorry if I’m rambling.
Thankyou

[PistonTim]

Surely the owner should remove the plate before it's sold - thats what I've always done!

[DiscoSINGH]

The owner needs to remove his personalized plate before sale, so he should have put it on retention meaning he would have the v5 back with the original registration number meaning he can sell the car with the original registration number.

If he sells the car without removing his personalized plate prior to the sale then his personalized number goes with the car at sale time meaning he looses the right to use it and all rights to it are transferred to the new owner of that car - you OP!

Edited by DiscoSINGH on Monday 9th October 17:07

[akirk]

At present - removing the plate and getting back the new v5 takes only a few days - so I would be telling the owner to do that before you go and look...
otherwise you have two options:
- buy it on the day - you acquire the numberplate when he transfers the car to you - up to you to agree with him if you will then remove it and return it to him...
- go and view it, place a deposit and then return to finalise the deal once he has removed the plate

I have done several transfers in the last few weeks and each time the paperwork has arrived two days later - but the expectation currently is 5 days

[brillomaster]

get the seller to get off his arse and put the plate on retention.

then when the new V5C comes through with the original reg on, then you buy the car.

dont buy the car with the sellers private reg on if he is wanting it back, its just unnecessary faff caused by the seller.