Log book - selling car dilemma

KJC1990

Hi Guys,
So I have an issue - I'm selling a punto (that isn't mine). Background info - Bought a punto in Dublin, it was sold without a logbook as he told us its easy to get one. Drove it 10 miles and the car started smoking and eventually did not drive at all.....You guessed it... we were sold a dodgy car (with 6 months NCT) and had to hire a car trailer to go collect the car (journey of 3 hours)... This was last Xmas... Brought it home, fixed the head gasket, water pump, timing belt the whole lot... Was running very well... then a friend of mine took it on...he was french and living with me to learn english and help out (exchange programme) he has paid half of the car fee as it was going to be a shared vehicle, I had then planned on buying him out. So he then took the car and starting fixing shocks/pads all that stuff. I'm a girl and know nothing about cars clearly. he drove the car for a month after and then the car started missing. Like a subtle misfire. I parked the car up as I no longer had faith in it. It remained on my driveway till now and I bought another car those few months back. The french guy went back to France and we never sorted out the money for the car (it only cost 400) and I cannot locate him. So now I want to sell this car to get it off my driveway as its no use to me... It was never legally my car, I have no idea who the last owner was as he gave us a fake name (don't ask, we were totally shafted). I don't know if the car has inherited penalty points, parking tickets etc. There is a guy that wants to buy the car and is willing to give me €300 and I've told him there is no log book etc. Could there be repercussions on me here? I personally haven't done anything wrong BUT..... the previous owners might of. Could this come back to haunt me? All advice greatly appreciated.

JamboMac

If you were never the owner or given the logbook as such, how can you really sell it. I know you can do the thing by going to a lawyer and the gardai to get the logbook in your name, but what is this bloke who's willing to buy it from you wanting it for to screw some other unsuspecting person.

KJC1990

But you see the car was sold as a dodge, we were completely screwed by a guy in Dublin. The car has had a lot of work since then but off the road, now I want it gone as its on my driveway and I'm moving house...etc... So I ask again - Will this come back to haunt me? and I will say again I have done nothing wrong. The car was bought WITHOUT a log book.

KJC1990

Can I add the guy that wants to buy it is a local farmer, who wants it to drive to the shop and back, instead of using the heavier vehicles he owns. He will never be using it much. I've told the guy that there is no logbook and we bought it without a logbook, he doesn't seem to care :S

mgbgt1978

No particular reason for this to 'come back and haunt you', apart from the fact that the prospective buyer knows your name and address.
But it could possibly have repercussions for the 'current' registered owner, assuming they are even still in this country, etc.

KJC1990

I honestly have no idea who it is.. It could of passed an awful lot of hands since the registered owner was on the booklet. The guy I bought it off turned off his phone and left us stranded. We rang the gardaí but no good. Buyer beware etc. So this car could have penalty points recording...parking tickets... god only knows.

YbFocus

Just on an off point. If you had this insured who's name was it in?
Usually you tick a box saying that it's your car etc.

KJC1990

Was actually my name, open insurance.... Didn't think about that.

KJC1990

Could they look into the insurance and who had it insured all along... that might help? although I'd doubt they'd go to that trouble. Maybe I'm just thinking of the worst possible scenarios here.

Atlantic Dawn

How did you tax the car?

JamboMac

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

How did you tax the car?

I'm guessing it had a couple, so it was never actually legally covered to drive on the road as any insurance company would see your policy as void.

You can check the last time a logbook was issued by going to the site and put in the registration.

https://www.motortax.ie/PSE/start.do;jsessionid=0aa0114830d90afe396f14ae488c887fd25aad15470f.e38PaNaSbhuOay0Ra310?page=welcome

ganmo

As it stands that car isn't yours because you have no log book, get a log book then go from there

YbFocus

KJC1990 wrote: »

Could they look into the insurance and who had it insured all along... that might help? although I'd doubt they'd go to that trouble. Maybe I'm just thinking of the worst possible scenarios here.

No that's under data protection.
You have to do it via a solicitor/pave commissioner now.

bazz26

OP for next time. Never buy a car without a log book and make sure the person selling it is the person who's name is on the log book. Also it is absolutely crazy buying a car (especially from a private seller) without having a mechanic check it over first. I know this doesn't really help your current predicament but you could easily have avoided buying what turned out to be dog or worse case a stolen car.

Drawing a line under all that, the proper thing to do now is go down the route of getting the registration transferred into your name by getting a affidavit form from the motor tax office, going to a main dealer with the car to verify the car's make and model, paying a Commission for Oaths/Peace Commissioner for a statuary declaration and then Gardai to witness and stamp the form.

Of course the easiest thing to do but not the correct way would be just to sell it on to someone who won't bother looking for the logbook as they probably don't want it in there name to begin with.

mgbgt1978

JamboMac wrote: »

I'm guessing it had a couple, so it was never actually legally covered to drive on the road as any insurance company would see your policy as void.

You can check the last time a logbook was issued by going to the site and put in the registration.

https://www.motortax.ie/PSE/start.do;jsessionid=0aa0114830d90afe396f14ae488c887fd25aad15470f.e38PaNaSbhuOay0Ra310?page=welcome

....only for the last 3 months.

CiniO

ganmo wrote: »

As it stands that car isn't yours because you have no log book, get a log book then go from there

She bought a car, so car is hers.
It's just not registered in her name.

JamboMac

CiniO wrote: »

She bought a car, so car is hers.
It's just not registered in her name.

From a legal stand point, no they don't own it until it's signed over to you.