Failure to notify change of keeper

[puddingandpie]

Hi Everyone,
I need a little help. Anything would be very appreciated.

I have a friend who used to share a flat with my sister, she now lives in the US but has received a court summons (at the flat) for failing to notify change of keeper and therefore breaching sections 22, 23, and 24 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002.

She actually sold me her car when she was emigrating but she couldn't find the V5 docs before she left so she thought she had packed them. Once in the US she still couldn't find the V5 so i called the DVLA and asked what the correct way forwards would be. I explained the situation to the advisor and i asked if she needed to apply for a new V5 doc and then transfer it into my name or if there was another way to proceed. I was advised that the best way forward was to fill out a V5C (i think) to request a V5 doc in my name.
My sister then received a letter at the flat saying, "A change of keeper has been requested, if this is not correct then please contact the DVLA, but if the change of keeper is ok then please ignore this letter." We therefore ignored the letter and did nothing.
I received the new V5 document in my name and thought nothing more of it till the court summons arrived at my sisters flat.

Where do we stand since we acted on the advice of the DVLA?

[puddingandpie]

Hi All,
Sorry the form i was asked to fill out was a V62.

[patdavies]

You are in the clear - you have acquired keepership of the vehicle and applied for (and received) a V5(C) in your name.

As to the person who sold the car, they are liable. However, what matters, I guess, is whether they intend to return to this country. If not, ignore it - it's not an extradition matter.

[puddingandpie]

Hi Pat,
Thanks for your reply. As far as i know she doesn't intend to return to this country. My main worry as far as she was concerned was that she is in the process of getting US citizenship and i worried that this could affect it. She has joined the US army (partly to help her application) and is on her 3 month basic training at the moment (for the next 2 months) so she can only receive stuff by snail mail.
I understand what you say that i am in the clear, but i feel more than a little guilty for this because it was me who spoke to the DVLA and acted on the advise they gave me. So in many ways because i told the DVLA that the seller was my friend i feel like they advised me the way they did to purposefully drop my friend in it!
Thanks
Steve