sold beloved car, now gardai have it

JMSE

I sold my beloved '92 VW Passat for 700euro to two foreign lads who I work with, they were delighted with their purchase and drove off into the sunset. They had intended going to Quinn Direct in Blanchardstown the very next day. Now being the grown up he is, the driver took the chance of driving it home without insurance but he got caught, the gardai took it off him at a checkpoint.

He was in court 2 days later (efficient or what!) and was fined 900euro plus a driving ban. Later that day the insurance was sorted out.

Now two weeks later, the car sits in a pound costing 50euro per day until its claimed by the owner bearing the logbook, valid current insurance certificate and fee payable.
Problem is, although I posted the logbook to Clare on the day of sale, it still hasnt been processed and its now a fortnight later a few more days still to go I think before they get it. This makes the fine around 800euro - I know they made their own bed....

Question is, since the insurance was sorted out on Impound Day #2, will they have to pay just the two days pound fees or all two or three weeks fees?

If the whole thing is worth near the grand then they probably will just leave my old car in the pound and after six weeks it will be scrapped. Ok I sold it and was paid but that car has had big work done to it recently, new head gasket 2000 miles ago, all new oil seals, timing belt, new clutch, new lambda, new tyres, honestly its set to go for another 150,000 miles with no major work expected! The bodywork is undented and unmodified, well looked after. Can't believe it could be for the mincer and wish there was something I could do, knowing how well this car could stand someone.

maidhc

Tell that story to the gardaí. They would want to be very officious not to at least sell it to you for its value.

Don't say you know the lads though or they will think you are pulling a fast one.

miju

the cars arent scrapped they are auctioned off to cover the impound fee usually by merlin auctoins

Turner

You could have taken or towed the car out of the pound on the day as you were the registered owner.

If the car is towed out insurance is not required.

Proof of identification would have been ok if you are the registered owner.

timmywex

you'll pay the full cost cause the gardai will keep the car in a private garage somewhere and in turn be charged

Fanboy

FYI...he cud have rang Quinn there and then, and been on cover the second he hung up the phone. Takes 10mins to be covered on any car, and u have a 10day grace for the cash.

steveland?

If he's still waiting on the logbook then ring up Shannon. Mine was posted on March 1st by the seller, I rang up on Wednesday and it arrived with me in the post yesterday. That's a week including the time it took to post.

They'll usually process and send on the logbook when you ring them and let them know you need it for taxing the car

JMSE

steveland? wrote:

ring up Shannon...They'll usually process and send on the logbook when you ring them and let them know you need it for taxing the car

sound advice

Fanboy wrote:

he cud have rang Quinn there and then, and been on cover

good idea only proof of phonecalls are hard to come by, insurance certs kick ass!

timmywex wrote:

you'll pay the full cost cause the gardai will keep the car in a private garage somewhere and in turn be charged

WTF? I havent owned this car since I posted the logbook

Chief wrote:

You could have taken or towed the car out of the pound on the day as you were the registered owner. If the car is towed out insurance is not required. Proof of identification would have been ok if you are the registered owner

If so well then thats a pity, although I understand the gardai insisting on logbooks because they dont ever want to find themselves in a situation where they confiscated a stolen car unwittingly, only to have it and then give it right back to the guys who stole it[/QUOTE]

miju wrote:

the cars arent scrapped they are auctioned off to cover the impound fee usually by merlin auctoins

possibly, the letter I received being still the registered owner says 'if the vehicle is not claimed and all charges paid within a period of six weeks from the date of it's detention, the vehicle will be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the Road Traffic Act '94 and so on.....

Thanks for the replies, will update on what further problems lay ahead for my two pals. I reckon the insurance will be an issue because the original driver is now uninsurable and his pal who is now insured to drive it is not actually the named owner on the logbook, also the car tax ran out in Jan and they will probably find the gardai insist on this being paid, also the NCT runs out sometime late this month. Its all against them, I just dont want to see it scrapped.

miju

JMSE wrote:

possibly, the letter I received being still the registered owner says 'if the vehicle is not claimed and all charges paid within a period of six weeks from the date of it's detention, the vehicle will be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the Road Traffic Act '94 and so on.....

disposed of is a bit misleading TBH , under the provisions on the Road Traffic Act they transfer the ownership of the car to the state and "dispose" of it by auctioning it off

old boy

keep an eye on the auctions then buy it for very little dosh, the re sell it again,

Esel

Chief--- wrote:

You could have taken or towed the car out of the pound on the day as you were the registered owner.

If the car is towed out insurance is not required.

Proof of identification would have been ok if you are the registered owner.

Tow seems to be the way to go!

_Kaiser_

JMSE wrote:

good idea only proof of phonecalls are hard to come by, insurance certs kick ass!

Well they could have done what I did when I picked up my Passat. Rang Quinn from the dealer and had them fax a letter over saying I was covered pending the issuing of a new cert.

Only took about 10 minutes

JMSE

Update......

Thursday of last week they got the car back, it had been in the pound for 2 days shy of 3 weeks. The charge........zero! The bangarda (wups, I mean garda) checked their paperworkgave and gave them the key. Do you think they could get out fast enough and even then they had to change a wheel first as one was flat!!!!!

Esel

Good to hear a happy ending - someone getting a fair deal from servants of the state.

Know it's off-topic, but contrast this with the Lithuanian who just got the 'mandatory' ten years for smuggling cocaine into the country. He was a 'swallower', and part of his defence was that he was doing it for €1000 to get medical treatment for his sick mother at home.

The judge didn't 'swallow' the story, and decided to make an example of him, so that others would be deterred. IMO, if you are going to 'make an example' of someone, you should pick an appropriate person. There have to be a lot of more suitable home-grown criminals who deserve a ten year stretch.

Is it possible that this member of the judiciary wanted to show McTool (c) that judges have balls?