Getting my husbands car signed off the road/change in vehicle ownership

Doogieboogie

hey folks,

My husband died in feb 2010, since then his car has been parked on my mother's driveway. My sister's car recently gave up the ghost, and I'd like to give her my husbands car. Does anyone know the procedure for getting the car ownership changed over to me/her (obviously my husband can't sign the change in ownership declaration on the VRT) as well as getting the guards to sign it off the road? I presume I just need to send the Dept a copy of his death cert? Tried ringing them today but they close at 3pm :rolleyes:

Thanks folks, this is one of those jobs I just kept putting off and now I've no clue how to go about it!

Nissan doctor

Doogieboogie wrote: »

hey folks,

My husband died in feb 2010, since then his car has been parked on my mother's driveway. My sister's car recently gave up the ghost, and I'd like to give her my husbands car. Does anyone know the procedure for getting the car ownership changed over to me/her (obviously my husband can't sign the change in ownership declaration on the VRT) as well as getting the guards to sign it off the road? I presume I just need to send the Dept a copy of his death cert? Tried ringing them today but they close at 3pm :rolleyes:

Thanks folks, this is one of those jobs I just kept putting off and now I've no clue how to go about it!

Very sorry to hear.

I had a similar situation when my father died. The solicitor said that he would have sent a copy of the death cert to shannon with my details.
The problem was, as sorting the estate went on for over 2 years(long story) I had already sent off the log book having signed his name:eek:
I wouldn't think its the correct way but I can't see there being reason for any problem either.

seamus

You won't need to declare the vehicle off the road.

I would just fill in the change of ownership form on the logbook and sign your husband's name on it. Not strictly the correct way to do things, but no-one would give you any hassle over it.
If you don't feel comfortable doing that, then I would sign the change of ownership form in your name, and accompany a copy of the death certificate and an explanatory note.

Once the car has been signed over to your sister, she can tax it from the month it was signed into her name, and cover the untaxed period as the "past owner period". She will not need to have it declared off the road.

Please Kill Me

seamus wrote: »

I would just fill in the change of ownership form on the logbook and sign your husband's name on it.

This. It would save a load of trouble and will be done fairly promptly.

colm_mcm

I'd just sign it over as well.

Doogieboogie

I'm not sure I'd be happy signing his name to it - it hasn't been taxed for 18mths, and the NCT is overdue - that obviously can't be done until it's taxed and insured again.

Surely if I bring the death cert into the guards, they'll be able to sign it off the road without too much hassle? I got it towed form his workplace a couple of weeks after his death, and put it in my mother's drive, it hasn't been used or moved since, so it hasn't been on a public road.

Nissan doctor

Doogieboogie wrote: »

I'm not sure I'd be happy signing his name to it - it hasn't been taxed for 18mths, and the NCT is overdue - that obviously can't be done until it's taxed and insured again.

Surely if I bring the death cert into the guards, they'll be able to sign it off the road without too much hassle? I got it towed form his workplace a couple of weeks after his death, and put it in my mother's drive, it hasn't been used or moved since, so it hasn't been on a public road.

You don't need to have it signed off the road. Once its transferred to a new owner they are only liable for the tax from the time they take ownership.

As for signing it yourself, there really can be no recourse as, in our case, the only person who could object to you signing their logbook...can't, for obvious reasons.

colm_mcm

If a new owner buys a car, any tax that was due before they bought the car isn't their problem, they are only liable for tax after the change of ownership.

You can do it the difficult expensive way or just sign it over, I know it will feel strange signing the cert but it's a whole heap of trouble doing it properly

Doogieboogie

Nissan doctor wrote: »

You don't need to have it signed off the road. Once its transferred to a new owner they are only liable for the tax from the time they take ownership.

As for signing it yourself, there really can be no recourse as, in our case, the only person who could object to you signing their logbook...can't, for obvious reasons.

Who would be liable for the tax for the previous 18months though? I know my sister would only have to pay for it from when she takes it, but surely the tax office will require someone to pay for the period of time it was untaxed if I don't get it signed off the road? Sorry, I'm not trying to be awkward, but I don't want to be landed with a big bill. I should have got this all sorted out soon after he died, but along with all the other legal stuff, I just didn't have the energy

colm_mcm

Doogieboogie wrote: »

Who would be liable for the tax for the previous 18months though? I know my sister would only have to pay for it from when she takes it, but surely the tax office will require someone to pay for the period of time it was untaxed if I don't get it signed off the road? Sorry, I'm not trying to be awkward, but I don't want to be landed with a big bill. I should have got this all sorted out soon after he died, but along with all the other legal stuff, I just didn't have the energy

Nobody is liable. Simple as that.

Doogieboogie

colm_mcm wrote: »

Nobody is liable. Simple as that.

Really? Won't the tax office kick up a stink that it hasn't been taxed?

colm_mcm

Tax office don't care, only people who'd care are the guards if you're driving without tax. Tax office only print tax discs and drink tay

Nissan doctor

Doogieboogie wrote: »

Who would be liable for the tax for the previous 18months though? I know my sister would only have to pay for it from when she takes it, but surely the tax office will require someone to pay for the period of time it was untaxed if I don't get it signed off the road? Sorry, I'm not trying to be awkward, but I don't want to be landed with a big bill. I should have got this all sorted out soon after he died, but along with all the other legal stuff, I just didn't have the energy

You only need to sign a car off the road if the same owner hasn't taxed it for x amount of time and wants to put it back on the road.

In your case, its only a legal requirement to tax a car if its being driven on the road, so there is no back tax liability in your case and no-one comes looking for back tax or proof that a car was off the road.


It's likely been hard enough as it is without more hassle for yourself. Just sign the log book in his name and sent if off with your sisters details as if the car had been sold in the normal way. When the log book comes back to her she can tax, insure and NCT it from then.

Doogieboogie

colm_mcm wrote: »

Tax office don't care, only people who'd care are the guards if you're driving without tax. Tax office only print tax discs and drink tay

:D

Well, that'd certainly make for less hassle - so I just fill in the VRT with my husband's sig and sister's details, send it off, when the new VRT arrives my sister taxes and insures it and that's all there is to it? Phew, thought it would be more complicated than that.

Doogieboogie

Nissan doctor wrote: »

You only need to sign a car off the road if the same owner hasn't taxed it for x amount of time and wants to put it back on the road.

In your case, its only a legal requirement to tax a car if its being driven on the road, so there is no back tax liability in your case and no-one comes looking for back tax or proof that a car was off the road.


It's likely been hard enough as it is without more hassle for yourself. Just sign the log book in his name and sent if off with your sisters details as if the car had been sold in the normal way. When the log book comes back to her she can tax, insure and NCT it from then.

Beat me to it... thanks folks, I think I'll do that then. As long as there'll be no hassle about the fact that it hasn't been taxed, it's all okay I guess. Thanks for the help... my sister will be very pleased, she's had her eye on the car for a while!

Nissan doctor

Doogieboogie wrote: »

Beat me to it... thanks folks, I think I'll do that then. As long as there'll be no hassle about the fact that it hasn't been taxed, it's all okay I guess. Thanks for the help... my sister will be very pleased, she's had her eye on the car for a while!

Just being nosey...what car is it?

Doogieboogie

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Just being nosey...what car is it?

It's a sh1teheap! It's a '99 Hyundai Coupe 1.6 -I always hated it, called it a hairdresser's Porche, my husband adored it (no clue why!) My sister, unfortunately, is similarly impressed with the look of it, and not the fact that it's rubbish, but hey, she'll be getting a free car.

colm_mcm

Id get her to get the car checked over, tyres etc mightn't be in the best shape if sitting since early 2010

Doogieboogie

colm_mcm wrote: »

Id get her to get the car checked over, tyres etc mightn't be in the best shape if sitting since early 2010

Yeah, it needs new tyres and a new battery, once the legalities are organised she's going to get it towed to a garage and get it checked over and battery & tyres replaced

mgbgt1978

Apart from the tyres and battery make sure she fills up the tank with fresh petrol as the old petrol will have gone a bit "stale".
Apart from that, unless there are any serious noises or something hanging off, just get her to put it through the NCT test and see what they find.
It will usually work out cheaper to pay for a retest (after getting any repairs taken care of) than to let the garage decide what it needs for the NCT and then fail for something else.

marryabroad

here's one that'll get some of ye excited.

when selling your car you don't need to sign the logbook. just fill in new owner details and bang it off in post to shannon. even though there's a space for you to sign you don't have to.

this is fact, ring the Vehicle Registration Office in shannon to check it out.

@OP just fill in your sisters details and send off the logbook to shannon. neither you nor your sister will be liable for tax whilst car was off the road.

sorry to hear about your husband, i'm sure he'll be proud of the fact that you're giving your sister his car.

colm_mcm

marryabroad wrote: »

here's one that'll get some of ye excited.

when selling your car you don't need to sign the logbook. just fill in new owner details and bang it off in post to shannon. even though there's a space for you to sign you don't have to.

this is fact, ring the Vehicle Registration Office in shannon to check it out.

@OP just fill in your sisters details and send off the logbook to shannon. neither you nor your sister will be liable for tax whilst car was off the road.

sorry to hear about your husband, i'm sure he'll be proud of the fact that you're giving your sister his car.

What a ridiculous idea. Of all the situations that you wouldn't want the vro rejecting or verifying the change of ownership....

marryabroad

colm_mcm wrote: »

What a ridiculous idea. Of all the situations that you wouldn't want the vro rejecting or verifying the change of ownership....

the whole 'signing' the log book was abolished 2-3 years ago. i found this out when my keys were fished from my hall table but they fell on floor before they could pass them through letter-box. they couldn't get the keys so prodded the button to open car. they went through car and took the ownership cert from glovebox (was only in there because i taxed car earlier that day). i contacted shannon to alert them to possible false change of ownership and signature wouldn't be mine. girl explained to me that you no longer needed to sign the logbook.

again, check this with shannon.

Paddy001

I wouldn't go signing anyone else's name, it's fraud. I would sign your name to it as you are his wife, get the solicitor who handled his will and all that to sign the change of ownership, or you can go to the tax office get an affadavit form and your sister gets this signed with a commissioner of oats or a solicitor to say she didnt steal it, then submit this with the book and thats it. I done an affadavit lately, cost me a tenner. Probably easier to do this as it is fully above board and you are not signing anyone else's name.