Originally Posted by
dynofiend
Unfortunately, what this person has done is commited theft. He has no legal right of ownership of that car.
Being the registered keeper of a car is not the same as being the owner of it. This person has simply registered the car as his, and then stolen it. When the real owner comes along and wonders where their car is, and reports it as stolen (which they eventually will), then the new 'owner' is screwed. All the real owner has to be able to prove, is that they bought the car, and owned it, and im sure somewhere theyll have paperwork for the car.
As the new 'owner' of the car has not really made any decent effort to trace the real owner of the car, then they are now guilty of theft.
It even says on your V5 that being the registered keeper of the car does not mean you own it ffs.
I warn anyone thinking of trying this, not to, you are commiting theft, plain and simple.
Originally Posted by
Adam-M
I always wondered the story behind it all
The OP has as good as stole it and that's nothing to be proud of, certainly not in my book. At the end of the day the OP is just the registered keeper and NOT the legal owner as the V5 IS NOT PROOF OF OWNERSHIP as quoted and the OP just has the registered keeper details for legal reasons for speeding fines, hit and run etc etc....Something as others have said may have happened to the true owner like a stroke or other serious head/brain injury and the owner may have had to move into some sort of residential care and may have no family who knows. They also maybe on contract working abroad (something I have done myself for years at a time) and still be there. From the state of the car when originally found it looks like it was involved in some sort of chase come accident who knows, but to just decide "ooh I like that car and it's been here such a long time I'll have that" is bang out of order and is no excuse to decide you want it and so will have it. What the OP states sounds iffy to me and I wonder is telling "the truth the WHOLE truth and nothing but the truth".
As far as the DVLA is concerned as with any job, don't know their ass from their elbow or it may have been a newbee at the DVLA who decided especially if the op said he'd contacted plod etc etc just him the V888 I think it's called and then...... I feel sorry for the poor sod that has unlawfully lost his/her car and seriously doesn't know where to find it!! Plus if the current registered keeper has put a personal/private plate on it then it will be almost impossible to find it. Note I said almost
I'm a true believer that "WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND and the OP has basically "taken this car without the owners consent and could eventually end up paying more than £450