Given Car - No Docs - What to do??

[TimmmyB]

Hi,

I'm hoping someone on here can help. First of all I'm in Germany.

Someone gave me a car that was in their compound on camp. I managed to find out that the car was last BFG registered in 2005. There are no docs with the car at all. And because the car was basically abondoned I cannot even get a Bill of Sale off the last registered owner. So all I got is the chasis number.

The last owner cannot be tracked at all. Any suggestions on how to go about getting the car registered again but this time in my name??

Thanks
Tim

 

[TimmmyB]

Anyone have any info on this? Please its urgent.

 

[scruff_1]

Have you asked in the vehicle registration office. If you are in JHQ area number is 72 2934

 

[mandown]

hmm, could try giving the dvla a call, try getting it registered in your name in the uk first off, or as said above pop into your local bfg office, they are a good source of info.

 

[shortarms]

You can fill in a V62 from DVLA

 

[chocolate_frog]

You can fill in a V62 from DVLA

Phone BFGVLO first though. Talk to them, and see if there is any precident or system for doing this.

Trust me, you don't want t get in the limbo of the BFG VLO telling you have 30 days to get, what is essentially, a scrap car on the road.

Who "gave" you the car? If it was in "their" compound, why was it? Do they ahve the keys?

Either way, just from the chassis number you should be able to track down who owned it last.

 

[paddie25]

Has the car ever been on Garrison Orders?
If yes, there should be paperwork for this and will help you to register the vehicle. Do you have the keys?
Phone the VLO helpline on 724100 they will be able to give you the info needed.

 

[Markintime]

It may be worth contacting insurance companies too. If the car has ever been written off then it belongs to the insurance company and not any individual.

 

[msr]

Walk away.

msr

 

[harrier521]

Hi mate, I am ex RCT, and new to this site, however I am now a serving police officer of 19 yrs, my advice would be, as the last post suggested, WALK AWAY, sounds like you are just about to open a (possibly) huge can of juicy worms

 

[walt_of_the_walts]

What you don't want is someone to appaer some time down the line and say he/she want's their car back after you've spent money on it.

In the early 90's I acquired a Lada Cossack 4WD that had been abandoned on private land after informing DVLA that I would register it in my name. (They write to the last registered keeper and if he doesnt respond in a month, your name goes on the register)

Problem is, registration does not confer ownership. I never did get a straight answer about what happens if the original owner pops up and says I want my car back? Spoke to a few people who said in court it could go either way, but since the land wasnt mine either, I'd probaly be on the wrong side of the law.

Sold it on a year later and got £200 for it. Forgot to tell the new owner of it's past history

 

[TheIronDuke]

Any suggestions

1) Unscrew the number plates

2) Jack up the car

3) Slide the number plates out

4) Slide some new number plates in

5) Lower the car, being aware of Health & Safety Issues

6) Bolt on the new number plates

7) Start the engine and drive away in a calm stylee

hope this helps?

 

[halomonkey]

I can't give you the answer from BFGVLO side but can tell you the UK equivalent and see if you can make use of that. I was given a car that had been abandoned on private property. My first point of contact was civpol, who weren't interested as it was on private property. I then contacted DVLA and explained the situation and that the previous owner had left no forwarding address. DVLA advised that I send in a new application for registration, which was duly done. I then received the docs and the car was mine. After this there was no legal recourse for owner or any finance companies to claim the vehicle as all necessary steps to locate the owner had been taken.

 

[TheIronDuke]

I can't give you the answer from BFGVLO side but can tell you the UK equivalent and see if you can make use of that. I was given a car that had been abandoned on private property. My first point of contact was civpol, who weren't interested as it was on private property. I then contacted DVLA and explained the situation and that the previous owner had left no forwarding address. DVLA advised that I send in a new application for registration, which was duly done. I then received the docs and the car was mine. After this there was no legal recourse for owner or any finance companies to claim the vehicle as all necessary steps to locate the owner had been taken.

I can find loads of cars that have been abandoned on private property. Rangeys, Mercs, Beemers, Maybachs, jet-skis, you name it.

No docs? Walk away. Like the Busy said.

 

[halomonkey]

I can't give you the answer from BFGVLO side but can tell you the UK equivalent and see if you can make use of that. I was given a car that had been abandoned on private property. My first point of contact was civpol, who weren't interested as it was on private property. I then contacted DVLA and explained the situation and that the previous owner had left no forwarding address. DVLA advised that I send in a new application for registration, which was duly done. I then received the docs and the car was mine. After this there was no legal recourse for owner or any finance companies to claim the vehicle as all necessary steps to locate the owner had been taken.

I can find loads of cars that have been abandoned on private property. Rangeys, Mercs, Beemers, Maybachs, jet-skis, you name it.

No docs? Walk away. Like the Busy said.

Find as many as you like if they are legitimate, as mine was. In fact, if you want to share the locations I'll give you a % of the profits gained from selling any that are left, with key, for over a year with no way of contacting the previous registered owner and no instructions given to a 3rd party to take care of them.

 

[halomonkey]

What you don't want is someone to appaer some time down the line and say he/she want's their car back after you've spent money on it.

In the early 90's I acquired a Lada Cossack 4WD that had been abandoned on private land after informing DVLA that I would register it in my name. (They write to the last registered keeper and if he doesnt respond in a month, your name goes on the register)

Problem is, registration does not confer ownership. I never did get a straight answer about what happens if the original owner pops up and says I want my car back? Spoke to a few people who said in court it could go either way, but since the land wasnt mine either, I'd probaly be on the wrong side of the law.

Sold it on a year later and got £200 for it. Forgot to tell the new owner of it's past history

I can answer that one to a certain extent, if the vehicle has been sold , for any amount even a penny, from the person first registering to any other , then there is no legal recourse to reclaim it. The reason I know is because about 6 months after I sold mine I got a letter from a finance company claiming ownership, so I took legal advice and that was the answer. Oh and doesnt matter if it's not your land if the owner of the land gives you permission to remove it and you go through all reasonable steps to locate the original owner.

 

[Litotes]

Don't forget the cost of putting it back on the road:

New discs and pads all round
New tyres all round (the current tyres will be at least 5 yrs old and shot!)
New battery
Change oil

Start the engine (you do have the correct key and security codes?) and cross your fingers that nothing else fails!

Litotes

 

[halomonkey]

Don't forget the cost of putting it back on the road:

New discs and pads all round
New tyres all round (the current tyres will be at least 5 yrs old and shot!)
New battery
Change oil

Start the engine (you do have the correct key and security codes?) and cross your fingers that nothing else fails!

Litotes

There is that too. I was lucky as the one I was given had only been there a year. Cost £241 to get back on the road but was worth about £3k.

 

[TheIronDuke]

In fact, if you want to share the locations I'll give you a % of the profits gained from selling any that are left, with key, for over a year with no way of contacting the previous registered owner and no instructions given to a 3rd party to take care of them.

OK. Dubai International Airport, terminals 1 and 2. Keys mostly in the ignition and many with a touching note on the dash saying 'sorry', as their owners legged it onto a flight leaving negative equity, or as we say in the West, deadbeat debt, behind them.

We'll have to beat DCA Parking Services to the swag, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

What % did you have in mind?

 

[halomonkey]

In fact, if you want to share the locations I'll give you a % of the profits gained from selling any that are left, with key, for over a year with no way of contacting the previous registered owner and no instructions given to a 3rd party to take care of them.

OK. Dubai International Airport, terminals 1 and 2. Keys mostly in the ignition and many with a touching note on the dash saying 'sorry', as their owners legged it onto a flight leaving negative equity, or as we say in the West, deadbeat debt, behind them.

We'll have to beat DCA Parking Services to the swag, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

What % did you have in mind?

Don't suppose you know the transport costs? % would have to worked out of end profits and not sure if it would be worth it now.