Thread: DVLA summons - for vehicle I didn't have

I bought a car from a local dealer back in August 2008, after only owning the car for 3 days the engine blew and we had to be rescued by the AA. I contacted the garage owner and he arranged for the car to go into a repairers he usually used. The vehicle was taken there on the same day. After a couple of days we noticed that the vehicle was no longer at this repairers so contacted the garage to find out where the car was. We were told it had been moved to another repairers. After a few days, we noticed the same car advertised for sale again through the garage we bought it from! Obviously we contacted them and was advised that the engine was shot and was going to be sold as spares or repairs - we were refunded in full for the sale price of the vehicle (less the vehicle tax that I paid for!)

Now obviously in that time I never got the log book as the new keeper as I only had the car for 3 days, but only had the green slip.

I have now received a summons to appear in court for failing to notify DVLA of a change of keeper which took place in November last year, with the threat of a £1000 fine and £60 costs.

I couldn't notify them of a change of keeper in November as the Garage had the car not me and wasn't aware that it had been sold again as it was no longer my car. The garage should obviously have notified the DVLA that they had sold the car to a new owner and that sale should be shown on their books.

I have spoken with the DVLA this evening and have been given the local DVLA enforcement office phone number to call tomorrow.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I should approach this with them?

Once you were given the green slip, then the garage should have sent off the reminder of the V5. In which case, you should have got the V5 a couple of weeks later.

When the garage resold your car, then they would bot have had the green slip for the new owner and should not have still had the V5.

Have you still got your green slip?

If you had purchased the car, why were the garage selling it without your knowledge or authority - to have done so would have been illegal. Why did you not query the V5 at the time that they refunded your money?

This is all very strange. If the garage never sent off the V5 with your name on, then you wouldn't be the RK now; if they did, then you should have received your own V5 and passed it on - minus the yellow slip - to the dealer.

Have you contacted the dealer?

When I purchased the vehicle I was given the green slip, however when the garage tried to resell the car (without informing me first - I found it advertised again by chance) I contacted them to find out what was going on.

When they agreed to refund the money I had paid in full, they also asked for all the documents back including the green slip - saying that they hadn't sent off the V5 for changing yet.

I didn't receive a V5 registered in my name, but never thought to query it because I never expected to receive one for this car. The summons is the first thing I have had showing me as the registered keeper at any time for this vehicle. I certainly could not have informed DVLA of any change of keeper in the November as they state as I wasn't aware that the vehicle had been sold on, and certainly wouldn't have been able to advise them of who that new keeper was as I wasn't party to the transaction.