Bought new car, previous owner refusing to hand over V5

[KermitsLoveChild]

I have been stupid and too trusting.

Bought a car 6 weeks ago from a friend of a friend. At the time the owner told me they’d just moved house (true) and V5 was with DVLA having address changed. She promised to pop it through my door as soon as it came back. As she’s friend of friend and both she and her Mum know my Mum I trusted her to pass it on as soon as it arrived.

Needless to say all I’ve had since then Is lie after lie. I’ve been told the V5 came back but was immediately lost. Replacement V5 has been ordered twice (allegedly) at £25 a pop. Then that the document had to go to her old address as she hadn’t in fact changed address with the DVLA. Thankfully she used to live next door to DM so she spoke to her new neighbours and they promised to let us know if a DVLA letter arrived. Needless to say it hasn’t.

Now I am stuck with a new garden ornament. Can’t tax the car without the V5. DVLA would prefer we sort it out and I get the V5 from previous owner as that’s easier. I can pay £25 to change ownership but that can take 6 weeks to happen.

It’s all a mess. I am prepared to pay the £25 and wait the 6 weeks and have contacted the person I bought it from saying I’ll pay for the new V5 if she can’t afford it...message has been ignored.

I have offered to give the car back if she refunds my money but she doesn’t have it to refund.

Is there anything I can do?

Why is she not handing it over? Just being an arse, or do you not think she actually owned the car?

It might be worth doing an HPI check on it to see if there is finance or some other charge over it.

If clear, just pay for a new log book and put it all behind you.

I taxed my new car recently online. I didn't have the V5 as the old owner had it to send off to DVLA with details of sale, I didn't need V5 to tax my new car.

Have you checked there is no outstanding finance and are you satisfied the car is not stolen?

Definitely do a hpi check as if there's nothing wrong then there's no reason why someone wouldn't hand over the v5? Sounds odd to me.

Not stolen thankfully and no HPI.

She now says the V5 is ‘lost’ which is why she’s allegedly tried twice to order replacement docs.

PP said they’d taxed without V5 or tax reminder, can I ask how you did it?

Just go online to tax it. I googled 'tax car online'. Takes you to Govt website. You need to enter the registration no of car, then it talks you through it. I pay monthly by direct debit.

Ps you do need the tear off slip from the V5 to tax it online. Which from your post it sounds like you weren't given? So sorry my info doesn't help.

Don’t have the green slip bit .

I taxed my car when I first bought it, before the V5 had come back from the DVLA (the dealer had sent it off to register the change of ownership).

You can do it without the V5. I did. I had to or I wouldn't have been able to get to work.

Think I may have had the green slip though. Sorry.

Call the DVLA to ask what you can do about this.

DVLA say to try and get V5 from previous owner. No way she’s going to cough up £25 for that. Could offer to pay but it would be on receipt, she’s had enough money from me!

Other option is to apply for a new V5. Again £25 which I can pay but will take up to 6 weeks as they write to her to confirm change of ownership. If she replies then it’s fairly quick if not then they wait 4 weeks from date of letter before sending me V5 in my name. Looks like this is the only option open to me now .

If she’s been honest from the start and said she’d lost the V5 I could have started the process ages ago instead of all these false promises of the V5 being ordered/on its way/being out through my door/being popped through my Mum’s door.

Will go to Post Office first thing and get the ball rolling.