No V5 = No road tax

[BaldyVasco]

Have seen a car I really want to buy but it has no V5. Done all the checks and it is legit, just ex-fleet, who are notoriously bad with paperwork.

I have the MOT and am insured to drive but need road tax, which of course is not possible until the V5 is in my name. So how do I get it home? Once home I will put in the garage till I have V5 (3-6 weeks) and then tax it.......it is just the 250 mile road trip home?

Any idea's/suggestions/advice appreciated.

[kempie]

Until the V5 is in your name, the previous owner remains the registered keeper and they would be liable for any payment of fines for not taxing the vehicle until they notify the DVLA.

[BaldyVasco]

Granted...but what if I am stopped?

[kempie]

Since you are asking the question, I presume you already know that technically, as the driver, it is your responsibility to ensure the vehicle has a valid VED disc on display before driving it on the public highway and failure to do so could lead to a fine of up to �1000 or roadside fixed penalty but with no license endorsment.

I am sure that the situation you describe occurs daily, however the DVLA seems to offer no advice on the matter.

I would presume that if you were stopped by the police you could explain the lack of VED, especially if this were backed up with a sales receipt.

[BaldyVasco]

Thanks for that, you are right that I am aware of the risks, I have been doing a lot of reading............it seems crazy that even though I want to be 100% legal, if I am stopped I would have to rely on a good natured / reasonable policeman taking the paperwork I have with me into account.

[Loosehead]

You don't need a V5 you can tax it with a special form all post offices that do car tax it's a V62, it asks a few simple questions, you can then tax it as long as you have the mot and insurance as normal. The post office will keep the V62 and you'll get a V5 in your name in the post. If it's ex fleet the person who was the last keeper would have sent of the slip so they don't get pursued for parking tickets etc so the DVLA will in all probability be aware of the legitimacy of the car anyway.

[BaldyVasco]

Thanks Loosehead, it seems this was the case, but I have checked the V62, and with the changes for the V5C this is no longer possible without a new keepers supplement.

[tubeway]

Since Feb 2003 the law has been tightened - you can't buy RFL (tax disc) at the post office without a V5 or V11 (the form that DVLA send as a reminder your tax is due)

[Loosehead]

I see didn't realise things had changed in this area. I had no trouble a couple of years ago when I bought an ex fleet car at auction. Still I suppose they are clamping down on all sorts of potential fraud areas these days. Just makes it more difficult for genuine cases. Perhaps you could get the dealer to get a V5 with the promise that' you'll buy it if he does, just a thought.

[BaldyVasco]

I have come to the conclusion that the correct answer is, having saved yourself �1200 on the book price by getting a vehicle with no V5, spend a few hundred on paying somebody to transport it, and save myself the worry.

[Grunty]

I rang the DVLA at the beginning of this week.  If you get the V62 from the post office and send it to DVLA with �19, you will receive a V5 in your name.  (They do security checks, so the last named owner will need to know who you are).

To get it home without tax, forget that you have the MOT.  Make an appointment for an MOT at a garage near your home.  If you are stopped on the way, refer to the appointment - the police will check that it exists and you are then exempt from tax for that journey only.  If you pass your home on the way to the testing station, stop there.  A bit devious.