Sold my car and gave them the log book

JoeThornton933

Hi there, I sold my car a few days ago and i gave the person I sold the car to the logbook to send off because i didn’t realise I was supposed to send it off myself until my father told me. I know that sounds stupid but I never sold a car before. Is there anything I should do? I’m slightly worried because I checked online and some people have said i would be liable for any accident the car would be involved in or any speeding/parking fines. if the person doesn’t off the log book. The person seemed genuine but is there anything I should do just incase they don’t send it off? Any advice would be appreciated, thank you

SouthWesterly

Phone Shannon and they can make a note on the file.

Do you have the name and address of the buyer.

If its not transferred you could request a duplicate and fill in the details to send off.

JoeThornton933

I do but only because I text him and told him I found the spare key and that I would post it off if he sent me his details, he only text back with his address though and seems reluctant to give me his full name which is what’s worrying me. I have the first name he gave me but obviously if the address is made up that would be too.

Dav010

Having the spare key gives you leverage, I wouldn’t post it until you get the log book, you now have an address, key to the car and unless the logbook has been sent, you are still the registered owner.

That is a strong position to be in.

horse7

How did you receive payment cash or ?

Padre_Pio

Is there much tax left on the car?

If the new buyer taxes the car, you might be able to log into the motor tax website and get their full name and address.

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120013138#Comment_120013138

Pretty sure the tax renewal is sent to the registered owners address along with a pin, if the new owner receives the renewal notice then the op has no worries, the new owner has sent in the log book. If the op receives the renewal notice, it will not have the new owners name as he hasn’t changed ownership.

lalababa

Afaik legally the car is owned by the purchaser, money and the car (+ keys) have exchanged hands. At worse if the buyer doesnt change name on log book you might get a speeding /toll ticket which you can query with the gardai. No worries. 😊

bazz26

Legal owner and registered keeper are two different things. The OP may no longer be the legal owner but is still the registered keeper of the car according to offical records. OP should contact the Motor Division of the Department of Transport in Shannon (https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/acb13a-contact-us/#shannon-office-motor-tax-log-books-and-change-of-vehicle-ownership) and inform them you sold the car and gave the logbook to the buyer in error, they will probably send you out a declaration form to fill in and get stamped by the Gardai to declare that you are no longer the registered owner. I don't think you can do anything else if you don't have the buyer's full name and address.

JoeThornton933

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120013133#Comment_120013133

It was an online bank transfer, AIB to AIB. I checked my app to see if his details were there but they are not. I’m guessing if worse came to worse I could find out his details from AIB somehow? Like I said he seemed genuine but I just want to make sure

JoeThornton933

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120013200#Comment_120013200

I can deal with a speeding/toll ticket for my mistake. I’m only worried that God forbid someone is hurt in an accident involving the car that i could be held accountable

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120013340#Comment_120013340

why would you be held accountable? I’ve never known any RTC where the “owner” of the vehicle is the one blamed.

For instance, if I loan my car to someone and they crash it, how is that going to be my fault? Obviously it won’t be. It’s the person who’s driving the car at the time.

If they happened to speed off and the Gardaí knocked on your door due to the registration being in your name it wouldn’t be difficult for you to show them how that’s not your car anymore. I wouldn’t worry about that anyway.

User1998

You’ll probably be fine. You can check here if there has been a change of ownership, if nothing shows within a week or so I would then get in contact with the new owner and the dept of transport.

https://www.motortax.ie/OMT/changeOwnership.do

TheWonderLlama

pretty sure it invalidates most car insurance policies if the person driving is not the registered owner of the car in question.

elperello

OP will have cancelled insurance and transferred to new car.

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120013501#Comment_120013501

I usually hand over the cash and immediately ring the insurance co. to transfer

Would that be an issue ownership not tranferred officially?

TheWonderLlama

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120013526#Comment_120013526

i was thinking more about the new owner. He technically has no insurance.

harmless

They should print transfer of ownership instructions on the log book.

3DataModem

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120013659#Comment_120013659

I mean... I presume you are kidding.

It's the entirety of one of the four pages of the log book.

bazz26

But they do, it's on the back page of the log book where you put the new owner details in the change of ownership section. They also put the address that you are supposed to send it to.

Problem is people simply don't read it, same way they don't read their insurance policy documents.

xabi

You are all reading too much into it, the new owner will have posted the logbook off already. Not everyone is a crook.

Shutuplaura

I did this once. The new owner made many, many trips on the M50. I had to notify the guards because the fines being clocked up were considerable.

Then the car was used in the committing of a crime and abandoned in a field in west Dublin.

The guards, Shannon and the Toll operator were decent about it and it cost me nothing in the end. But was a lot of hassle at different times.

harmless

The M50 run is my go to tactic if the previous owner is really slow posting in the book.

BarneyJ

I sold my previous car in October and made the same mistake as you. The purchaser assured me he would lodge the VRC to have the ownership changed. Stupidly I trusted him to do so. I realised at the end of November that he hadn't done so when I received an email reminder from the Department of Transport to let me know that the tax was due for renewal. I contacted the Gardai first and they told me to contact the motor tax office. I went into the local motor tax office and they told me to email motortax@transport.gov.ie and tell them what happened.

I did this and they emailed back to say that the vehicle was still registered in my name and they confirmed that they had not received a notification of change of ownership. They sent me a Declaration to complete and return to them along with supporting documentation to evidence the sale/disposal of the car e.g. a letter from my insurance company confirming that I had transferred my insurance from that vehicle over to my new vehicle.

When they receive this Declaration and supporting documentation they said they will input an 'end date' on this registration number stating the date I disposed of the vehicle. I will then be recorded as the “last valid owner” of the vehicle.

But as @xabi said above, chances are you won't need to do any of this as hopefully the new owner will lodge the VRC and it is being processed.

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120014610#Comment_120014610

The fines will be transferred back to you eventually

JoeThornton933

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120013480#Comment_120013480

You’re right, like someone else said I am probably just reading too much into it. Guess I’ll find out in a week or so 😅

JoeThornton933

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120014080#Comment_120014080

This really didn’t make me feel any better at all 🤣😅

Squatman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120013066#Comment_120013066

dont post it until you can verify on motortax.ie that it has changed ownership.

Theres no real repercussions to be honest. Worst case scenario, you might get a bit of hearburn, but you will not be convicted for any issues taht you are not responsible for, i.e. speeding, tools, robbing a pertrol station and using as a getaway car.

BENDYBINN

same thing happened to a friend of mine the guards just laughed at him when he said he sold it the previous week The car was involved in a robbery and parked back outside his house during the night

dontmindme

You have the buyer's phone number and you possibly have their address. Ring them and tell them you gave them the logbook in error, and ask for it back. Tell them you'll collect it when dropping over the spare key.

JoeThornton933

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120015131#Comment_120015131

Did they laugh at him before or after they locked him up and threw away the key?