Sold car, log book still in my name

samach

I did some dumb stuff. I sold my car privately and the buy was a trader (or what he claimed). He said he will be selling my car and wanted to keep the log book. I agreed and after a month now the ownership has not still changed. Now I am panicking if the buyer committed a crime using the car, garda will come knocking on my door.

What are my options here? (apart from reminding him)

I have some proof that I sold the car as I transferred some money in his bank account as part of the sale

biko

Did you try contacting the buyer?

GypsyByName

Most likely hasnt sold it yet, I wouldnt start stressing just yet.

Schorpio

Our system of logbooks/transferring ownership in this country is terrible. The system in the UK (while not perfect) at least has tear-out bits so that when a car is sold both buy and seller keep the appropriate bit. Anyway, I digress...

It's not uncommon for a trader to take the full logbook. However, they should register that car as being under their custodianship (with Shannon). Provided they are a registered trader, then they won't count as an additional owner.

It sounds like the person you sold your car to isn't a registered trader, and thus doesn't want to update the details because it will add an owner to the car? That's my best guess. I wouldn't be comfortable with that situation either, and I'd be contacting them to find out what the situation is.

samach

biko wrote: »

Did you try contacting the buyer?

Planning to next week. My only concern is if he has something ill planned, I want to be two steps ahead of him before he switches off his phone number.

biko

If he is a trader he won't change name on logbook until a new buyer takes it.
That could take any amount of time.

samach

Schorpio wrote: »

Our system of logbooks/transferring ownership in this country is terrible. The system in the UK (while not perfect) at least has tear-out bits so that when a car is sold both buy and seller keep the appropriate bit. Anyway, I digress...

It's not uncommon for a trader to take the full logbook. However, they should register that car as being under their custodianship (with Shannon). Provided they are a registered trader, then they won't count as an additional owner.

It sounds like the person you sold your car to isn't a registered trader, and thus doesn't want to update the details because it will add an owner to the car? That's my best guess. I wouldn't be comfortable with that situation either, and I'd be contacting them to find out what the situation is.

Totally agree. the system of log book and transferring ownership needs to change. I lived in Denmark for a couple of years and over there you transfer ownership at the spot using an online system.

Yes I think the Guy I sold my car to is an unregistered trader and God knows when he will sell the car. In the meantime any over speeding/crime committed will drag me into the matter and I would have to clear my name. People reading this, DONOT ever sell your car and let them have the log book. It's a lot of stress.

I was thinking if things go south and he does not transfer the ownership in his name (after my repeated requests) may be I can politely mention to him that I will contact Sharron to issue a new log book?? (not sure if that will help as he still has the car)

User1998

Check Donedeal/Adverts etc and see if the car is being advertised by him. He probably just hasn’t sold it yet. I wouldn’t stress too much

samach

User1998 wrote: »

Check Donedeal/Adverts etc and see if the car is being advertised by him. He probably just hasn’t sold it yet. I wouldn’t stress too much

Thanks. I am stalking him on done deal and he is advertising another car but not mine.

Dr_Colossus

samach wrote: »

I have some proof that I sold the car as I transferred some money in his bank account as part of the sale

Curious as to why you transferred him money if you were the seller, sounds odd.

declan_8

samach wrote: »

I did some dumb stuff. I sold my car privately and the buy was a trader (or what he claimed). He said he will be selling my car and wanted to keep the log book. I agreed and after a month now the ownership has not still changed. Now I am panicking if the buyer committed a crime using the car, garda will come knocking on my door.

What are my options here? (apart from reminding him)

I have some proof that I sold the car as I transferred some money in his bank account as part of the sale

Same happened me earlier this year and was thinking the worst also, silly mistake. Sold the car in Feb and was 5 weeks later before it surfaced on DoneDeal but I knew there was work to be done to get it through an nct. Also when it was advertised it was a totally different seller that had it.

The lad that bought yours will prob push it on for a few quid extra to a proper small trader. Thankfully mine was sold quick and ownership updated. Lesson learned for me and anyone else out there selling at least get a copy or pic of the buyers license for proof of sale, sign the log book, dated and pic that also. That might help then.

samach

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

Curious as to why you transferred him money if you were the seller, sounds odd.

It was a swap. Gave him some money with my car

CiniO

samach wrote: »

Now I am panicking if the buyer committed a crime using the car, garda will come knocking on my door.

I wonder sometimes why people in Ireland are panicking so much over this.

Well - if someone commits a crime in a car you sold but still registered in your name, and garda comes knocing on your door, then you open the door and tell them that you don't own the car as you sold it a month ago.

They can't prosecute you for a crime committed with a car, just based on fact that it's still registered in your name. It would have to be proven that it was you how committed a crime (which you didn't).

And yes - I know there are exceptions in Road Traffic Laws which automatically assume (for certain type or road traffic offences) that vehicle owner was driving the car (like speeding for example), but it's still not the end of the world, as if you can prove you weren't driving the car then you obviously can't be prosecuted for such offences.
And considering you sold that car over a month ago, it definitely wouldn't be hard to prove that you weren't driving it in case of some road traffic offence.


I think people overthink that assuming that if car is still in their name, and bank gets robbed by someone using that car, then car owner will go to jail for bank robbery... Come on... It doesn't work that way.

samach

CiniO wrote: »

I wonder sometimes why people in Ireland are panicking so much over this.

Well - if someone commits a crime in a car you sold but still registered in your name, and garda comes knocing on your door, then you open the door and tell them that you don't own the car as you sold it a month ago.

They can't prosecute you for a crime committed with a car, just based on fact that it's still registered in your name. It would have to be proven that it was you how committed a crime (which you didn't).

And yes - I know there are exceptions in Road Traffic Laws which automatically assume (for certain type or road traffic offences) that vehicle owner was driving the car (like speeding for example), but it's still not the end of the world, as if you can prove you weren't driving the car then you obviously can't be prosecuted for such offences.
And considering you sold that car over a month ago, it definitely wouldn't be hard to prove that you weren't driving it in case of some road traffic offence.


I think people overthink that assuming that if car is still in their name, and bank gets robbed by someone using that car, then car owner will go to jail for bank robbery... Come on... It doesn't work that way.

I agree. I donot see anyone going to jail just because the car is registered in their name. Rather it's the hassle of clearing your name. If a crime was to happen and you had an interaction with garda, they are not going to turn away once I say "I sold my car". I would have to prove I sold the car. What proof do I have? Donedeal and mobile text messages? Is that going to be enough for the garda? I might have to prove where was I when the crime took place. Is my explanation going to be good enough? No idea.

mankteln

Yeah I think it's more the hassle rather than people thinking they're actually going to be locked up.
One of our cars had it's plates cloned last year and we found out when the guards found the car crashed, luckily it didn't seem to have been involved in anything dodgy that they knew about but they still told us we were likely to be flagged at checkpoints etc for the next while as the plates would be up as cloned on their system. So seeing as there was hassle involved and our car had never left the drive I can obviously see why people would worried that a car still in their name could end up with them being left explaining things.

User1998

Happened to my Dad a few years back when he sold his motorbike and didn’t do a change of ownership. Garda knocked on the door regarding a robbery or something. My Dad was never prosecuted or anything