Buying a car (deceased + missing v5c)

HungryHippos · 1 Dec 2020 at 13:47

Sadly my uncle passed away a year ago. His family are selling the car to me as they want to keep the car in the family. It's been sat in the garage for a year with expired tax and no MOT until recently.

The car has now been through an MOT so it's road worthy, but the v5c can't be found.

What is the best way to get the registered keeper changed over to me so I can drive it? my tax and MOT on my old car run out at the end of this month, so I was hoping to change my insurance over to the new one prior to that, MOT my old car, then sell it on.

As far as I can see we can either fill in a V62 by post to change the keeper details to me, or they can request a duplicate V5C online (his old house is still in their possession), then fill in the new keeper details on that like you would with a regular person to person sale.

Any advice on this is welcome, it's been a long, long time since I bought a car, much less one in this scenario.

Quartz · 1 Dec 2020 at 14:30

Ask the DVLA.

Semple · 1 Dec 2020 at 14:32

HungryHippos said:
As far as I can see we can either fill in a V62 by post to change the keeper details to me

You might need the document reference number on the v5c to do this though, so that option might be out of the window.

tom_e · 1 Dec 2020 at 14:34

Semple said:
You might need the document reference number on the v5c to do this though, so that option might be out of the window.

No you don't the V62 is for use if the V5 has been lost or you've never gotten one after buying a car so should be fine in this case.

£27.50 inc the fee to get the postal order IIRC and a couple of weeks later you'll have the V5.

Scythe · 1 Dec 2020 at 14:40

I dealt with the DVLA's sensitive team 5 years ago when I inherited my father's vehicle (although I had the V5c).

You will have to pay the fee as mentioned above, but DVLA's sensitive team will sort it out especially as it's within the family. The DVLA are usually awful to deal with, but in my experience the sensitive case team did a great job.

https://www.gov.uk/tell-dvla-about-bereavement/selling-the-vehicle

Semple · 1 Dec 2020 at 14:40

tom_e said:
No you don't the V62 is for use if the V5 has been lost or you've never gotten one after buying a car so should be fine in this case.

I did say "might"

. What mechanism is in place to stop a non-legit vehicle transfer then?

Edit: It looks like you only need the Reg/Vin and the postcode it was registered to.

HungryHippos · 1 Dec 2020 at 14:42

Quartz said:
Ask the DVLA.

I think they are quite hard to deal with right now (busy/not answering) due to the pandemic, normally I would do that in the first instance.

tom_e said:
No you don't the V62 is for use if the V5 has been lost or you've never gotten one after buying a car so should be fine in this case.

£27.50 inc the fee to get the postal order IIRC and a couple of weeks later you'll have the V5.

VIN number seems to be required to fill in the V62, which we should be able to find on the car itself.

Is it potentially quicker/better to request a new V5C online? we have the requisite details to do so and the address will still accept mail. I am wondering if it's quicker as that can be processed/paid for online.

In respect to either the V62 or sending off a registered keeper change from the V5C, am I legally able to drive/insure the car once that is sent? or do I need to wait for the new V5C to arrive?

Gaygle · 1 Dec 2020 at 16:00

HungryHippos said:
I think they are quite hard to deal with right now (busy/not answering) due to the pandemic, normally I would do that in the first instance.

They're actually answering the phones quite quickly - it's anything to do with post that they are taking 2-3 months to process.

HungryHippos said:
VIN number seems to be required to fill in the V62, which we should be able to find on the car itself.

Is it potentially quicker/better to request a new V5C online? we have the requisite details to do so and the address will still accept mail. I am wondering if it's quicker as that can be processed/paid for online.

I would *strongly* advise that you do this. I'm currently going through the V62 process at the moment and aside from it costing £25 - it's taken 8 weeks so far and they've sent me a letter only last week saying they'll be processing it early December. Up until last week, I thought the application must have been lost because the cheque hadn't been cashed and when I called they had no record of receiving it. Avoid if possible.

To shortcut this - do the online application to get a new V5 sent (which should take 5 days max and although costs £25 - it's all automated when done online so is much much quicker). Then when you get the new V5 through at your uncles house - transfer the registered keeper to yourself via the "I've sold the car" option online, which will then take another 5 days for the V5 to come through in your name to your home address.

HungryHippos said:
In respect to either the V62 or sending off a registered keeper change from the V5C, am I legally able to drive/insure the car once that is sent? or do I need to wait for the new V5C to arrive?

You can legally drive a car you aren't the RK of any time, so don't worry about that. Just make sure it's insured and taxed. You'll be able tax it when you get the 2nd V5 through in *your name* (don't tax it when it comes through in your uncles name, because as soon as you transfer the keeper to yourself, they'll cancel the tax and you'll have to reapply for it and lose a month in the process.)

HungryHippos · 1 Dec 2020 at 16:20

Thanks @Gaygle the tax is expired so not sure how I can tax it before I get the v5c through in my name in that case?

tom_e · 1 Dec 2020 at 16:27

HungryHippos said:
Thanks @Gaygle the tax is expired so not sure how I can tax it before I get the v5c through in my name in that case?

New keeper slip in person at the post office, if I remember rightly

Gaygle · 1 Dec 2020 at 17:05

tom_e said:
New keeper slip in person at the post office, if I remember rightly

Even better, just do it online when you have the new keepers slip from the V5 (the one in your uncles name) when it comes through. Then you won't have to wait the 5 days for the V5C in your own name to come through before taxing it.

Follow the instructions here:

https://vehicletax.service.gov.uk/

tom_e · 1 Dec 2020 at 17:15

Gaygle said:
Even better, just do it online when you have the new keepers slip from the V5 (the one in your uncles name) when it comes through. Then you won't have to wait the 5 days for the V5C in your own name to come through before taxing it.

Follow the instructions here:

https://vehicletax.service.gov.uk/

Problem solved, I was getting mixed up with when I sold my last bike. They had to tax it in person as I'd only declared it SORN a day or two earlier.

HungryHippos · 1 Dec 2020 at 17:18

Thanks fellas I shall pursue that course of action then, new V5C online, followed by change of ownership online

HungryHippos · 2 Dec 2020 at 21:42

Just an update in case anyone is interested.

Couldn't get the V5C online.

Instead spoke to DVLA, my uncles family need to send a letter to the DVLA bereavement dept, giving them my details as the new keeper.

I then need to file the V62 to get the logbook in my name. This V62 will probably take 6-8 weeks to process.

The chap on the phone said I could tax it there and then though, so I've paid for that ahead of getting the V62 completed. MOT is done. Insurance with Admiral didn't seem to mind when I told them I was in the process of filing the V62 so not the registered keeper yet.

Fingers crossed all works out and I can get the car later in the month.

mjt · 2 Dec 2020 at 21:49

Hope it all goes well. What is it, out of interest?

HungryHippos · 2 Dec 2020 at 21:53

mjt said:
Hope it all goes well. What is it, out of interest?

Thanks! Nothing exciting or that expensive, it's a 2008 VW Polo. It's newer than my current car though which is a 2002 VW Polo (I am not much of a car person, this one still works, so I've not changed it!).