Car due to be scrapped, garage put into their name

dobman88

Hi guys

Need some advice on this situation please. Will try to be as brief as possible.

6 weeks ago, missus car broke down, rang insurance who organised a tow truck to a local garage. They looked at the car and said engine was totally wrecked, no way of fixing and would need a new one.

They told us they tried to source a new one over the course of a week and had come up empty. I left the car with them, log book in the glove box and was told they would sort out scrappage and we would get a cert of destruction.

All of this was 6 weeks ago, I enquired about 2 weeks ago asking what's the story and was told they are still trying to source an engine. I told them I would just prefer it to be scrapped and wanted it sorted as it is just something that needs done..

Owner of the garage just rang me and said he has transferred the car into the garages name and theres €100 waiting for me in the garage.

I've never been in this situation before but could he have told me the engine isnt worth fixing with the intention of fixing it and selling the car for a massive profit and giving me 100 quid for "scrap".

This isnt our regular guy, he was unavailable at the time and we have never used this guy before. Missus was on the way to see her Dad in a hospice who has since died when the car broke down so things have been up in the air for us the last few weeks and we didnt give the car much thought.

Something not sitting right with me so just looking for opinions. Any help or advice appreciated

Isambard

how much was the car worth before the engine went bang? If it's a few hundred,fair enough...if it's a couple of thou, you've been robbed.

How can they transfer to their name without a signature?

swarlb

dobman88 wrote: »

Hi guys

Need some advice on this situation please. Will try to be as brief as possible.

6 weeks ago, missus car broke down, rang insurance who organised a tow truck to a local garage. They looked at the car and said engine was totally wrecked, no way of fixing and would need a new one.

They told us they tried to source a new one over the course of a week and had come up empty. I left the car with them, log book in the glove box and was told they would sort out scrappage and we would get a cert of destruction.

All of this was 6 weeks ago, I enquired about 2 weeks ago asking what's the story and was told they are still trying to source an engine. I told them I would just prefer it to be scrapped and wanted it sorted as it is just something that needs done..

Owner of the garage just rang me and said he has transferred the car into the garages name and theres €100 waiting for me in the garage.

I've never been in this situation before but could he have told me the engine isnt worth fixing with the intention of fixing it and selling the car for a massive profit and giving me 100 quid for "scrap".

This isnt our regular guy, he was unavailable at the time and we have never used this guy before. Missus was on the way to see her Dad in a hospice who has since died when the car broke down so things have been up in the air for us the last few weeks and we didnt give the car much thought.

Something not sitting right with me so just looking for opinions. Any help or advice appreciated

You did tell him you wanted the car scrapped, and not 'offered for sale'.

Firstly I would check with Shannon to see if indeed the car has been transferred to a 'new owner'.
If Shannon say it has not been, then go back to the garage and tell him you want your property back.
If it has been transferred to a 'new owner', contact the garage and tell them you did not give permission for this to happen, and inform them that someone obviously forged your signature on the log book.

Auguste Comte

What car? Make, year?

dobman88

Sorry guys, not used to this so left out some pretty major details it seems..

08 VW Golf. Bought for €3,500 about 18 months ago in good condition.

She said when it broke down, the car started stuttering and she heard a bang.

We did say we wanted it scrapped, yes. I was actually going to ring the scrap company tomorrow ironically enough as I'm sick of waiting for it to be sorted.

colm_mcm

If you were ok with letting the the car go, then just move on from it, you’re not gonna get the car back, fixed or otherwise. It’s very likely they could fix it up in their spare time and wait for the right parts to come available cheap or free.
Once it’s out of your name you don’t need to worry about tolls etc. I would say an 08 (assume petrol) Golf would be worth maybe €1500, and you could spend that on fixing it up.

dobman88

colm_mcm wrote: »

If you were ok with letting the the car go, then just move on from it, you’re not gonna get the car back, fixed or otherwise. It’s very likely they could fix it up in their spare time and wait for the right parts to come available cheap or free.
Once it’s out of your name you don’t need to worry about tolls etc. I would say an 08 (assume petrol) Golf would be worth maybe €1500, and you could spend that on fixing it up.

Agree with this tbh. And pretty much said the same to the missus but she didn't want to be taken advantage of. Just explained what you said in your post and she agreed, once it's in the garages name and there cant be any comeback to her, get the 100 quid and be done with it.

Sorry for the long winded post, I'm not a car person by any means so was very unsure of the situation.

Thanks for your post.

colm_mcm

No bother, where can I collect the €100?

newmember2

Put the reg in here to check if the ownership really has changed.

Vic_08

colm_mcm wrote: »

If you were ok with letting the the car go, then just move on from it, you’re not gonna get the car back, fixed or otherwise. It’s very likely they could fix it up in their spare time and wait for the right parts to come available cheap or free.
Once it’s out of your name you don’t need to worry about tolls etc. I would say an 08 (assume petrol) Golf would be worth maybe €1500, and you could spend that on fixing it up.

Only a crook would do that, this being the Irish motor "industry" of course that level of underhand dealing is to be expected.

It says something about you that you see nothing wrong with it either.

On principal I wouldn't let it slide, if they are lying about scrapping it then it is also far from impossible for them to have exaggerated the damage to the car as well.

colm_mcm

Are you trying to say I’m dishonest?

ba_barabus

Vic_08 wrote: »

On principal I wouldn't let it slide

What exactly would you advise the OP to do?

un5byh7sqpd2x0

Isambard wrote: »

How can they transfer to their name without a signature?

Dealers do it online

Vic_08

ba_barabus wrote: »

What exactly would you advise the OP to do?

Inform the garage that scrapping is arranged and get an ATF facility to collect the car from them.

ba_barabus

Vic_08 wrote: »

Inform the garage that scrapping is arranged and get an ATF facility to collect the car from them.

But according to the logbook a transfer of ownership has taken place and scrap value has been paid. It's no longer theirs to scrap.

So what should they do next.

elperello

In my opinion there is very little option open to the OP that does not involve a lot of expense and trouble.

To get the car recovered to another garage and find an engine and get it fitted will likely end up costing the value of the car.

However I wouldn't think the garage man acted correctly. A simple phone call to the OP offering the €100 before he transferred ownership would have been appropriate.

The OP got the result he wanted but the process was wrong.

Mango Joe

Aside from all of the rationale, logic and mathematics here I think the real issue is whether the Garage was being sneaky, underhanded and taking the OP and his wife for fools.

If it was me in the above hypothetical situation I'd by far rather that this Dealership never made a cent out of my car regardless of any other ancillary details.

OP my sympathies to your wife and your family for your loss.

joeysoap

Sorry for your loss,

Watch for ‘storage’ costs if you manage to repossess the car. Some insurance companies tow your car to a garage of your choice as part of the policy. Not much good to you now I accept.

dobman88

Ok so the update is, garage rang me this morning after seeing this thread. Gotta love Ireland. And seems there was a miscommunication over the phone and he explained things from his side. Got the vibe that he would have rathered I spoke to him directly but as I said this is a new situation for me so wanted to check things out before committing to anything. He offered to go ahead and scrap the car if we want but that it's up to the missus at the end of the day.

Seems he is going to fix it up on his own time and expense, something I'm not willing to do obviously so €100 seems more than fair in this situation.

Thanks for the replies and help from both sides as always.

elperello

The garage man has no business being miffed. If he had been businesslike in his dealings with you all this could have been avoided.
Good luck with the replacement.

ba_barabus

dobman88 wrote: »

Seems he is going to fix it up on his own time and expense, something I'm not willing to do obviously so €100 seems more than fair in this situation.

I think that's fair enough. That price is about right for scrap at the minute and it's a practice that being ongoing by mechanics for years.

Most people when they say "scrap my car" literally just want it gone and don't want to know anything about what happens next. At least he is taking it out of your OH's name and doing things right.

ba_barabus

elperello wrote: »

The garage man has no business being miffed

Both sides say there was a miscommunication and lack of understanding.

There was no effort to deceive anyone.

dobman88

Yeah he wasn't miffed, just explained to me what was happening and back dated the car a month so we arent liable for tax etc if it was due.

As I said, an unfamiliar situation for me and all fairly normal at the end of it.

Isambard

you get more cash if you stripped it for spares or even advertised it for a few hundred spares or repair.

you wouldn't be liable for back tax until such time as you came to tax it, which you won't , so back dating makes no sense.

ba_barabus

Isambard wrote: »

you get more cash if you stripped it for spares or even advertised it for a few hundred spares or repair.

That's all well and good if you have the interest, time and space to do so.

OP has clearly said they've no interest or knowledge of cars.

Isambard

ba_barabus wrote: »

That's all well and good if you have the interest, time and space to do so.

OP has clearly said they've no interest orknowledge of cars.

second option of selling it on DD would inolve no time space or interst

ba_barabus

Isambard wrote: »

second option of selling it on DD would inolve no time space or interst

I can see you've never sold a cheap car on dd before

And that hassle doesn't factor in the fact OP would have to pay the garage for it's time, pay to have the car towed and then sit and hope someone offers enough to cover their cost.

It really isn't worth it.