Buying/selling a car with no VRC

sbmayo

Long story short:

I imported my car from the UK in March 2021 during the lockdown.

After I got the new Irish plates I discovered that no insurer in Ireland would insure me as I had no NCB in Ireland and the car was over 20 years old (it's a 97 Merc).

So am stuck with an imported car I cannot tax because I cannot insure. This was during Covid remember - nobody answering phones and all offices shut.

I took the phone advice of an insurer, which was to lock up the car for a year, buy a cheap car for a year and use it, then they will insure me as I will have 1 years NCB.

A year later I take out my old merc, insure it and put it through NCT, no problem. Then I discover I owe around 2500EUR in back tax. I couldn't afford this so it has sat unused since then. I tried to discuss this with the tax office but they are adamant I have to pay because I didn't declare it off the road. I pointed out I could not declare it off the road because I could never get it on the road in the first place.

I've now agreed to sell it. The buyer obviously wants the VRC but I can't get this without paying over 3,000 in arrears now. I don't have that money.

Can the buyer apply for a new VRC somehow? I understand the tax liability does not stick to the car.

Any thoughts?

PhatBoyDim

Do you know someone you can transfer ownership to, temporarily? Tax liability is then set to zero and then apply for VRC? I had motorbikes that were off the road for years but I forgot to SORN. Transferred ownership to wife, then signed off road and then transferred back to me. Now I left in wifes name for best part of year before moving back as they weren't being used. Not sure if anything would be flagged up if whole process is done in a few months.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120064722#Comment_120064722

You need the VLC to sell it even to your wife. In order to get the VLC you have to tax it. Not sure if the "new" owner will be able to get a VLC issued as usually they apply for a replacement if its lost.

OP of zero help now but there is no cross reference between motor tax and insurance. Both my car and bike policy numbers are 1234ABC with a random company when I renew my tax.

User1998

So first of all, you could have easily declared the car off the road shortly after importing it, but that is done with now.

Secondly, you do not need insurance to tax the car. You just enter any random number in the insurance section

Thirdly, and most importantly, the information above is incorrect. You do NOT need a logbook to transfer ownership. Please see below from motortax website:

“If you want to change ownership of a vehicle that has never been taxed either by current or last owner(s), please send us the details below:

• Vehicle Registration Number
• Vehicle Chassis Number (VIN)
• Name and address of new owner
• Date of sale

We will then record the new owner details on the computer records and post them Form RF100 which will enable the vehicle to be taxed”

So my suggestion to you would be to send the details to the Dept of Transport, transfer the ownership to your wife or a friend to clear the back tax owed. Tax the car for 3 months, receive your logbook and tax disc, and sell the car. Job done. I have done this several times with no issues.

You could also transfer the ownership directly to the buyer and let him tax the car and he will receive a logbook/tax disc, if he was okay with that

stezie

VRC does not legally prove ownership. You need to prove ownership... ie a written receipt to say I sold car with reg, xxx to bob, on such a such date

I bought a vehicle 3 years ago without a VRC as it wasnt taxed after being imported. I sent an email as follows which updated owner record, and they issued a new RF100 in my name so I could tax it for first time, use the following template, which worked for me, no back tax was paid and the vehicle was declared off road until I was ready to tax it:

Email to: motortax@dttas.ie

I purchased the vehicle XXXX on the 26th of March YYYY. This vehicle does not have a log book yet, as it has not been taxed by the previous owner since being imported.

Can you update the new owner and forward the correct form for first time tax to :

NAME & ADDRESS

Peugeot Boxer

Chassis VIN: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Please also mark this vehicle as SORN.

Regards,

sbmayo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120064773#Comment_120064773

Thanks - yeah, I thought about applying for a replacement but they'd check the tax status (and I haven't actually lost it, so that would be a lie). I also wanted to change the address but you can't do that without paying the arrears first. I tried pointing out that there was absolutely zero help available on the phone and all offices were shut but they are having none of it. They say if they make an exception for "people in my circumstances" they would have to for all (which is exactly what they did do for lots of other circumstances during Covid!). How many people imported a car during Covid and then found an insurance system so disfunctional that they would not insure it?!

sbmayo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120065222#Comment_120065222

Stezie - if this works, I'll owe you a pint!

gipi

I bought a car in Dec 2021 which had been imported but never taxed by seller, so no VRC

Did exactly as described by previous posters (wrote to Shannon), car was registered in my name, and I could then tax it with no arrears due.

Buffman

OP, you should have received an RF100 form when you registered the car. Point 5 on the notes covers this scenario. 👍️

https://www.kilkennycoco.ie/eng/services/motor_tax/rf100.pdf

"Change of Ownership Prior to First Taxing

On the sale of the vehicle to a new owner (other than to a motor dealer) the registered owner selling the vehicle must forward this form RF100 and details in writing of the name/address of the new owner and date of transfer of ownership to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Driver and Vehicle Computer Services Division, Shannon, Co Clare. (If sale is to a motor dealer, completed form RF105 must be forwarded.)"

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120075045#Comment_120075045

The OP was the 1st owner in Ireland. You don't get the VLC until you tax it and that's done by using the last 6 digits of the VIN as the PIN on motortax.ie

Buffman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120077292#Comment_120077292

I never mentioned the VLC. In this situation you use the RF100 which you get upon first registration of any vehicle.

hello2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120077292#Comment_120077292

thank you that's helpful to me as i plan to import one.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120078279#Comment_120078279

You don’t get an RF100 form after registering a vehicle. And you definitely don’t use it for changing ownership. You just follow the steps outlined in my post and tax the car online

mgbgt1978

Exactly as User1998 said way back in Post#4. I have had to do this twice in the last 8 years, and on both occasions the Transfer went through without any issues.

Buffman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120078447#Comment_120078447

I've registered a few myself and always got a RF100, either hand written or typed in the post later on. If you didn't, either the NCTS or selling garage didn't do what they should have. The OP is the seller. It's the sellers obligation to transfer ownership. The method for a seller to fulfil their obligations and transfer ownership on a 'newly' registered vehicle that was never taxed and never received a VRC is laid out in point 5 of the RF100 form I linked to.

If the seller chooses not to fulfil his obligations and let the buyer do all the donkey work in transferring ownership then the method you've used as a buyer will work as you said, although I'm surprised they don't look for a statutory declaration.