Safely transferring a private plate during a private sale

Post by **campbell** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 5:30 pm

As some may have spotted, we're putting the MINI Clubman on the market.

It wears a private plate which I am retaining. I'm sure many people on here have experience of the following...although I think it recently got worse with the closure of many DVLA Local Offices.

I have the Retention form for DVLA, and am about to fill out and dispatch. But have already had a warning from someone who found this process took ages recently. Don't want it to unnecessarily delay any sale, so what's the reality?

DVLA website says that, if I complete the V317 ("Application to transfer or retain..."), and send it off with sums of money, the current V5 and MOT cert, then in about 2 weeks...

Once your application is approved you’ll receive:

a confirmation letter with the replacement registration number
a confirmation letter showing that vehicle tax is paid and the replacement registration number
a V948 authorisation letter which you’ll need to get your number plates made up
a replacement MOT test certificate (for cars and motorcycles over 3 years old, and heavy goods vehicles over 1 year old)

At this point, with the private plate "in limbo" awaiting the V778 Retention Document and updated V5 being sent to me, am I safe to release the car to a new owner? DVLA quote a further 4 weeks to receive those two docs (pretty ridiculous but there you are...). Is there a risk that the private plate can still be hijacked by the new owner before I receive the V778?

Post by **campbell** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 5:43 pm

Oh dear. Just read this on the V317 notes:

you must not sell or get rid of the vehicle until you receive a replacement V5C. If you do, the new keeper is entitled to keep the registration number if they want to

So I can't sell the MINI for another 6 weeks?

B*stards.

mckeann · Post by **mckeann** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 5:50 pm

Your assuming you will find a blind man with a driving license in the next 6 weeks???

Fluoxetine · Post by **Fluoxetine** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 5:56 pm

Just been through similar with my BINI - Revised V5C arrived back with MOT etc in around 2 weeks - V778 took a little longer to arrive (another week or two).

I've sold cars with the p/plate in-situ, and handed the buyer a completed V317 with a cheque for the DVLA. When they got the V5C back from Swansea, they stuck the plate on retention for me, and set me as 'assignee'.

(You'd obviously need to trust the buyer a bit to do this).

Easiest thing is to stick it on retention now - Shouldn't be too long before the V5C is back, and you can sell without hassle.

P.S eBay classifieds got the most response for me; nothing from Autotrader, scammers and timewasters from Pistonheads...x3 offers on eBay, and someone who appeared and paid close to asking without issue.

Ferg · Post by **Ferg** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 6:12 pm

I'm coming up for the 6 week mark on a transfer. Feels like an age since I sent away the forms.

H8OAG · Post by **H8OAG** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 7:26 pm

Whilst the formal warning is correct, I would go ahead with the sale and print out a receipt that states you have received £***** for Mini Clubman .
And state registration plate **** **** is not included in the sale.
It is only a cherished plate after all......
Send off the V5 and the retention form to DVLA........My transfer was two weeks and that included Christmas and New Year holiday.

However

If I owned the reg 1 B......I would not be handing over the car

Post by **campbell** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 9:08 pm

mckeann wrote: Your assuming you will find a blind man with a driving license in the next 6 weeks???

Make me an offer big guy

You know you want to.

jj · Post by jj » Sat Jan 24, 2015 9:39 pm

When I sold the G wagon recently I did the retention and sale transfer at the same time. Sent the v5, application for tax in buyers name, two cheques (one for retention and one for tax), and retention form.

I got the retention cert back and the "you no longer own this car" and he got the v5 and the car taxes for 6 months. Took about 2 weeks. He was driving around with the plate on the car until he got the v5 then swapped over to original reg.

Post by **campbell** » Sun Jan 25, 2015 12:38 am

I am receiving some suggestions that completing the V5C/2 (new keeper's supplement) with the buyer at time of sale, and dispatching with V62 (request for new vehicle registration document) and V317 (application to transfer) may be the way to do it.

Tune in next week...

Thanks everyone, for live Wiki support as ever

BigD · Post by **BigD** » Sun Jan 25, 2015 9:40 am

campbell wrote:I am receiving some suggestions that completing the V5C/2 (new keeper's supplement) with the buyer at time of sale, and dispatching with V62 (request for new vehicle registration document) and V317 (application to transfer) may be the way to do it.

Tune in next week...

Thanks everyone, for live Wiki support as ever

That's the way it was done when I bought the Elise. Docs completed at purchase and drove on the private plate until new docs arrived. Pretty straightforward.

Lazydonkey · Post by **Lazydonkey** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 11:54 am

Took plate off my bike about 3 weeks ago and V5 and MOT came back in under 2 weeks for me.

Retention document was a few days after that.

It CAN take a lot longer but seems to be speedy at the moment.

Lazydonkey · Post by **Lazydonkey** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 11:54 am

Post by **campbell** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 1:29 pm

Is the face for the fact that the bike's on the way out?!

Lazydonkey · Post by **Lazydonkey** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 3:23 pm

No it's more cos i double posted

I'm ok with the bike going, i had fun and i will miss it but I'm hardly going to use it when LazyFoal arrives and the money will mean i get to keep the evora.

Post by **campbell** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 8:28 pm

Man-o-nomics in action. Impressed.

Scottish Elises