Buying secondhand car that was previously adapted for disabled passenger

Slevster · 03-12-2012 11:42am #1

I looked at a car which I'm interested in buying privatly. The car is 2 years old and in good condition. The current owner had the passenger seat adapted to a swivel type seat for ease of access. He is buying a new car and will be transfering the seat and replacing it with the orginal (done by approved technician). I have no problems with this.
But my question is - He would have claimed the vrt back when buying orginally under the disablity grant scheme. If I buy the car, now for ordinary use, will I have any issue with regards vrt once I register it in my name?

haminka · 03-12-2012 11:54am

No, you shouldn't be having any. I bought a car in North that was previously driven by a disabled person and he paid no tax and it had no influence on the VRT whatsoever. Taxed as normal, VRT as normal.

MuppetCheck · 03-12-2012 12:06pm

The car will need to be taxed. I bought one once with tax on it but had to tax it from the month I bought it.

Also make sure there are no nasty holes in any trim from additional controls etc. I got the steering column surround changed in the car I had as part of the deal as they just cut it to git the controls.

Slevster · 03-12-2012 1:08pm

Thanks for the replys.
So the vrt isn't an issue. cheers.
Muppetcheck-There may be a bit of carpet trim at the site of the fixture that will be exposed, but shouldn't be an issue really.
The current tax is on it till may, so are you saying that that will become invalid ?(as perhaps the tax rate the current user is a special one because the car is used for a disabled person, that once I register it, it becomes an ordinary car, and so , the current tax disc is invalid, and I will need a new one? )

Henry Ford III · 03-12-2012 1:21pm

It isn't a Focus C-Max by any chance is it?

Light Switch · 03-12-2012 1:23pm

Slevster wrote: »

Thanks for the replys.
So the vrt isn't an issue. cheers.
Muppetcheck-There may be a bit of carpet trim at the site of the fixture that will be exposed, but shouldn't be an issue really.
The current tax is on it till may, so are you saying that that will become invalid ?(as perhaps the tax rate the current user is a special one because the car is used for a disabled person, that once I register it, it becomes an ordinary car, and so , the current tax disc is invalid, and I will need a new one? )

Current Tax is invalid because it was a disibility car (Presume your not disabled?),

If so you will need to re-tax it at normal rates.

Slevster · 03-12-2012 1:36pm

no, not a ford.
no, not disabled.
will chance leaving tax there till may, and then sort it out (will have lost nothing if I have to back pay tax).

ian87 · 03-12-2012 9:11pm

I know a girl from an island of Donegal who pays 90 a year for her tax. Car tax isn't as much on the islands apparently. The tax disc is identical save for saying €90 on it rather than the full amount. You would want an eagle eyed Garda to spot that in fairness. I'd imagine it may be similar with this car. Unless you are super duper honest I'd say nothing..

Slevster · 03-12-2012 9:54pm

thanks for replies. don't think a guard would really pay that much attention. its when i go to the tax office that i'm wondering about. Will chance I think.

Atlantic Dawn · 03-12-2012 9:55pm

ian87 wrote: »

I know a girl from an island of Donegal who pays 90 a year for her tax. Car tax isn't as much on the islands apparently. The tax disc is identical save for saying €90 on it rather than the full amount. You would want an eagle eyed Garda to spot that in fairness. I'd imagine it may be similar with this car. Unless you are super duper honest I'd say nothing..

The disc says on it clearly island vehicle and it will show up on the Garda ANPR as such, in addition she would have had to sign a declaration to say the car will be permanently used on the island. Car will likely be seized and if she has a non diesel car it will be caught in a revenue audit as not being an island vehicle as there's no petrol stations on any offshore islands of Ireland.

mickdw · 03-12-2012 10:01pm

As far as I know, the disabled car exemption is a 2 year deal and once the original owner keeps it 2 years, there are no issues with selling on the car etc and as such the car then becomes a fully tax paid car when being sold to other parties.
If inside 2 years, you would have problems though.

Slevster · 03-12-2012 10:26pm

thanks mickdw. thats what i thought (hoped). current owner is buyong a new car in jan. has deal done with garage, as he fears that the budget may have some nasty surprises. the car would be just over the 2 years (reg in may 2010).

colm_mcm · 03-12-2012 10:29pm

Make sure the airbags haven't been disconnected for the conversion

Jack breen · 03-12-2012 10:30pm

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

The disc says on it clearly island vehicle and it will show up on the Garda ANPR as such, in addition she would have had to sign a declaration to say the car will be permanently used on the island. Car will likely be seized and if she has a non diesel car it will be caught in a revenue audit as not being an island vehicle as there's no petrol stations on any offshore islands of Ireland.

It wont show up on ANPR or Pulse. The only things that comes on ANPR is if the Vehicle is out of tax more than 2 months.

Slevster · 03-12-2012 10:48pm

Colm_mcm-Good point. it is a swivel fixture for the passenger seat. No atlerations to the driving column or area. But there would be connections for the airbag sensors under the passenger seat i assume. the work will be done by an approved tech. but I will inspect for any hard wiring. thanks

Wicklowandy · 04-12-2012 3:30am

Plenty of ex taxi 300td / 320 cdi / 530d have been on the road the last 2 yrs since rumours of rule changes surfaced. Often these cars were sold purely because they had close to 12 months (albeit in thewrong class) tax.

And of the 5 ive known of, no checkpoint ever had a problem.

Im not saying you couldnt get into trouble re motor tax, but in my experience if a guard sees a tax disc that matches a reg, thats a ok

L1011 · 04-12-2012 9:48am

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

The disc says on it clearly island vehicle and it will show up on the Garda ANPR as such, in addition she would have had to sign a declaration to say the car will be permanently used on the island. Car will likely be seized and if she has a non diesel car it will be caught in a revenue audit as not being an island vehicle as there's no petrol stations on any offshore islands of Ireland.

There's a petrol station in Kilronan... on top of that, some people do actually operate petrol cars on other offshore islands, its as awkward to bring petrol in as diesel as not all the islands even have diesel facilities. We've a petrol car back home even though there is a diesel pump on the island (and no petrol ones).

Buying secondhand car that was previously adapted for disabled passenger

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