STBXH taken our car

[Threecrookedhearts]

Hi all, my husband left without warning at end of January. He met someone else and just left to live with her totally blindsiding me. He's taken the car which is a big pain in the bum. He's asked me to find the V5 log book so he can tranfer the paperwork to his new address. I've found it but before I hand it over to him I wanted to check there's nothing I should be doing in terms of maybe placing a charge on the car (in case he tries to sell it) We'd just paid it off after paying off the 5 yr loan and it's worth about 12k. Of course it's all in his name but we only had a joint account and I'd paid half.

If the car is in his name there is nothing you can do to stop him selling it.

V5 doesn’t prove ownership. If the finance was in his name then that would, if it was joint then it’s a joint asset and you’d need to let the solicitor know.

Me ex took the car, then promptly crashed it the same day but as I was the insured party (he was a named driver) I got the payout and bought a new car… he didn’t see that one coming 😂

That's crazy. So as I purchased everything else throughout our marriage- even though we jointly paid as we had a joint bank account - it all belongs to me?

You’ll need to take advice about purchases from joint account etc. Everything bought within the Marriage is I believe classed as a joint asset; the cash equivalent of my car was counted in the financials because it was a joint asset, it was just that his stupidity left it in my possession. Had he kept the car I could have claimed half as we had jointly purchased it. Decent solicitor is your best bet- they know exactly what to do without appearing petty, for example I didn’t bother claiming half of the beloved dyson which he took with him (to spite me… he’d never once picked it up during the marriage) but large assets did need to be split.

The car is a joint asset, it would be considered as such when it comes to a property settlement. You need to tell him that If he disposes of it before you settle your property then the sale price would become the asset. He can’t just trade it in for another car for example and say the new car is his so you are not entitled to anything. You need legal advice.

The car will be seen as a joint asset when you divorce, because it was purchased during the marriage. If he swaps it for a different one, it will still be seen as a joint asset.

Until then, because cars are registered to only one person, it's his to take and use as he wants. Keep a note of the make, model & registration number.

It is a joint asset.

Tell him to drive over to pick up the V5; when he arrives meet him outside your property and take several photos of the car with a good clear shot of the registration plates.

Good advice to mention to him that it is a joint asset and to take care of it because you will be asking for half its value in cash at the date you separated.

Take a photo of the V5 logbook before you hand it over. Take photos of everything and make notes ready for solicitor.

What an arse, sorry for your situation.

Thank you everyone. Really annoyed with myself as he asked for the V5 and I reluctantly gave it to him on Saturday but didn't take a picture. I hopefully have enough pics of the car over the yrs. I told him it's a joint marital asset and he's having none of it. When I'd spoken to him about the car a few weeks before I said he shouldn't take me off the insurance as it's still half mine but he told me Saturday he has done. He was due to come over next week so I can take DS to a medical appointment that's impossible to get to by public transport and give me the car. He said he'll take him but he knows I want to take him so said don't bother and I'll get a taxi. We'd paid the full car insurance in December out of joint account and now he's pocketed a refund himself. He's so selfish. I realise that I really miss having a car as well so am looking at buying one even though can't afford it. Probably won't be long til he stops paying mortgage tbh.

If you paid half surely its a joint asset and he has to pay you half the value?

Find out the actual value which will be much less than the loan value.

Text him the approximate value amount and that you be using this as a marital asset in any financial discussions.

www.autotrader.co.uk/cars/valuation.

If you have a house and mortgage then again get an estimate now rather than later. This provides a baseline for any future discussions.