Car sales warning
Published Wednesday, 11th June 2014
Motorists are being warned to ensure they fill in the correct documentation when they sell their vehicles.
The Council's Parking Services team is encountering a significant number of cases in which people have sold their cars but not filled in the V5C document that needs to be completed when a vehicle is transferred.
This is then supposed to be sent to the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) notifying them of the name and the address of the new keeper.
Parking Services Manager Martin Beard said: "This in itself is an offence which can result in a criminal prosecution by the DVLA. Even if that does not happen, the previous owner of the car may end up with parking fines, speeding fines, and potentially far more seriously, if the car is involved in an accident which causes injury to a third party, they could be involved in a police investigation."
The Council strongly advises owners to ensure that when they sell a car:
- Do not let the buyer take the V5C part of the document away with them; you must fill this in yourself and send it to the DVLA
- Keep a separate record of the name and address of the buyer and get some photo ID
Martin added: "It is a simple thing to fill in and return the document but not doing so can cause no end of difficulties. We want people to be aware that this is an important part of any vehicle transfer."
The Gov.uk website outlines the correct procedure and how to notify the DVLA when selling your vehicle:
