Dear STW hivemind,

Old occupants of our house, left 10 months ago, still have two vehicles registered at our address. One of them has previous…issues shall we say with driving legally.

I’ve had a look on the DVLA site and can’t figure out how to register them as incorrectly registered.

Any ideas?

We’re getting “you’ve not paid your tax” paperwork in the door regularly – one of the vehicles is a company registered vehicle. We do know their new address.

Give the DVLA a call

I would imagine vechiles are registered to the person / company not the address. If you can prove your identity then your in the clear

The person is the company – sole trader / tradesperson. T’other vehicle is their private vehicle.

Will give them a call in the morning if I can find a bloody number!

Already had fun times with burly men looking for money a few months back. They we’re exceptionally pleasnt bailiffs 🙂

Who are the letter addressed to ?

If it’s not you, just stick them back in the post with “not known at this address” written under the address.

DVLA Contact Details

Thanks Swelper!

nealglover – we’ve been doing that for 5 months now….

Contacted them, turns out 8am on a saturday morning has quite short waiting lines. Sadly nothing they can do over the phone, but a cover letter, with the letter inside, and the forwarding address will at least stop post to me. And hopefully get two un taxed vehicle off the road.

I’d apply for the V5 documentation myself. They will contact the owner and if they don’t reply it’ll be registered in your name. (This is how it used to work anyway)
Once registered in my name I’d sell or scrap them.
Seriously, that’s what I’d do.

So you want op to be registered keeper of two vehicles that may be uninsured and may be used for nefarious purposes? What could possibly go wrong?

I’d apply for the V5 documentation myself. They will contact the owner and if they don’t reply it’ll be registered in your name. (This is how it used to work anyway)
Once registered in my name I’d sell or scrap them.
Seriously, that’s what I’d do.

Bizarre!

How are you going to physically get hold of the vehicles to get them sold? Will the DVLA send you the keys?

I’d apply for the V5 documentation myself. They will contact the owner and if they don’t reply it’ll be registered in your name. (This is how it used to work anyway)
Once registered in my name I’d sell or scrap them.
Seriously, that’s what I’d do.
Bizarre!

How are you going to physically get hold of the vehicles to get them sold? Will the DVLA send you the keys?

Keyboard warriors don’t need keys …

nealglover – we’ve been doing that for 5 months now….

Isn’t the definition of insanity “doing the exact same thing over and over an expecting a different outcome”?

Them, not you. You are the outcome. We had the same thing with a Gov dept once. Can’t remember which one but it went on for many months.

Muppets.

I’d apply for the V5 documentation myself. They will contact the owner and if they don’t reply it’ll be registered in your name. (This is how it used to work anyway)
Once registered in my name I’d sell or scrap them.
Seriously, that’s what I’d do.

Apart from the practicalities I don’t think obtaining an official document by deception then attempting to sell property that doesn’t belong to you would be a particularly bright idea.

Nonsense. It’s the perfect crime. As long as PP leaves the country before the victim unravels the complex paper trail leading to his door. 🙂

Bizarre!

How are you going to physically get hold of the vehicles to get them sold? Will the DVLA send you the keys?

Sorry I’d read it too fast and assumed he had the cars there, not just the document.
It’s Saturday and I’m at work OK? We all make mistakes.

Damn. Was secretly hoping you’d stumbled on some get-rich-quick loophole. 🙂

Doesn’t sound like a good idea, if you get the vehicles registered to you you could be deemed responsible for them and get chased for any tax or fines outstanding.

As it stands you have no affiliation with the vehicles so inform DVLA of the correct address and either bin or return the letters. That’s all you can really do.

Or SORN them, that’s bound to get someone’s attention*
*the first anpr camera they drive past

Don’t really do this!

Write to DVLA address with details of where you think the vehicle owners are. If a company vehicle point them to the registered office on companies house.

I think there is an address on the DVLA website which is for if you have lost your V5 and sold a car. We use it occasionally for work when selling cars we cannot find v5s for. This will probably get it to a human!

If they have a history of violence you may want to consider just continuing to Return to Sender. I don’t THINK you have any obligation to do the DVLA s tracing for them.

Edit…Doh! that’s what you said three hours ago!

Ignore them?

Ignore them?

This,

Opening letters not addressed to you is illegal.

Apart from the letters is has zero impact on your life. Write “no longer at this address” and pop them in the post box, Royal Mail will return them for you.

As you’ve discovered, even “big burly men” don’t come in the middle of the night and collect with menances, they thank you for your time and leave.

With mail addressed to previous residents, if I know their new address I always scribble out the address on the envelope and write “redirect to <new address>”.

It always seems to work.

Opening letters not addressed to you is illegal.

I’ve not opened letters. Try not to jump to conclusions. If you’ve gotten letters from the DVLA before asking to pay your tax it’s pretty obvious what they are for, and whom they are from.

Apart from the letters is has zero impact on your life

Not mine no, but for a driver who’s had to driving bans due to alcohol it may have an impact on someone else. Hence why I’d like to see it dealt with.

Oddly, I do know where one of the vehicles is. Hard to hide a branded vehicle in a small (ish) town.

Stick the letters under his wipers.