Is It Car Theft

[Pattyrgn]

I have a car on finance my ex has taken without my knowledge, all the documents are in my name, is this theft or a civil matter

[ummmm]

Is he insured to drive it?

It's theft, call the police...

[fiction-factory]

How did he get the keys? Does he live with you?
Is he insured?
First step is contacting police (not 999 though) - they will help or tell you what to do

[EDDIE51]

Do you mean he gave you the car but did not tell you it was on finance?

[Old_Geezer]

Taken without permission sounds like theft to me, not that I'm an expert. Maybe threatening to go to the police might get it back without the fuss ?

[johnk]

Did your ex have general permission to drive the car?

[EDDIE51]

Sorry I think I misunderstood, you mean you have the car and your ex has taken it, that is theft !

[ummmm]

It doesn't matter if he had general permission. It'snot his car!

[EDDIE51]

If the insurance is in your name only he is also driving uninsured and if he is caught the police can seize the car .

[naomi24]

As I understand it, if he took the car without your permission that is theft.

[EDDIE51]

Also if the car is registered to you he can't get insurance on it without your permission. So again he is going to be driving uninsured. Call the police and report the car stolen!

[naomi24]

Eddie, he might have insurance in his own right. I'm insured to drive any car.

[waterboatman]

Unless he has his own insurance to drive any car. But that is with the owners permission. So he is driving illegally and he has indeed stolen the car.

You should contact the police now!

[bhg481]

Being pedantic, in the case of a car the crime is "taking without the owner's consent", not theft. For theft you have to prove the intention to retain the goods; in the case of a car you don't.
If you are the registered keeper of the car and it's been taken without your permissiion it's clearly a crime.

[Pattyrgn]

Firstly thanks to the people who have taken the time to reply, yes he was insured on it, and I did report it to the police, after a week the police got back to me, I told them were he lived they called on him, but he wouldn't tell them were the car was and that it was a civil matter, he also told them I had slashed all the tyres, I had said to the police if I had slashed the tyres how did he drive it away, his reply was "oh yeh" , yes he did have the spare key but wouldn't give it back when we parted x

[johnk]

Patty says he took the car without her knowledge not without her permission. If he hes general permission to take it then it's not theft if he hasn't then it is.

[naomi24]

^That sounds about right.

[EDDIE51]

Gets more complicated. If as you say, he was on the insurance and had a key , he could argue that the car was jointly owned and he has as much right to drive it as you do.

[fiction-factory]

So if the police have already told you it's a civil matter then taht seems to be the situation. You need legal advice

[dannyk13]

Unless he intended to permanently deprive you of the car then the offence is Taking without owners consent; not theft.

[ummmm]

Not if it's patty that pays for it.