keeper/owner

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Tue 23 Mar 2004 10:46
keeper/owner - tunacat
A post by Volvoman yesterday made me wonder:
As the DVLA website states, the V5 shows only the registered keeper of the vehicle, and that person is not necessarily the vehicle?s legal owner.
If a car is bought new from a dealer, and paid for outright, without finance, then there will be a bill of sale, which is probably reasonable proof of ownership.
But if a car is bought privately from say its third registered keeper, how do I know that he is not selling it from under the nose of its legal owner? And even if he is selling it legitimately, what document do I have which states that I am now the owner? Just the receipt? And what about someone who buys a new car but then gives it to their daughter as a present?

Insurance companies do indeed ask ?Are you the vehicle?s owner and keeper??. I have a document which says I?m the keeper, but if I reply that yes, I am the owner, how can I be sure I?m not giving false information?

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Tue 23 Mar 2004 13:04
keeper/owner - patently
Re the insurer's question, you are required to answer to the best of your knowledge and belief. If you reasonably believe that you are the owner then it is true for you to state that.

As regards buying the car s/h, a veritable can of worms methinks. All you have are HPI checks, the history showing the right address, etc etc
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Tue 23 Mar 2004 21:41
keeper/owner - kithmo
You are the registered keeper if your name appears on the V5, but if the vehicle is on a hire-purchase agreement then you are not the legal owner of it, until the final payment has been made on the agreement, it belongs to the finance company.
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Wed 24 Mar 2004 07:23
keeper/owner - Dwight Van Driver
..........and under Road Traffic Act 1988 :-

"owner" -in relation to a vehicle which is the subject of a hiring agreement or hire-purchase agreement, means the person in possession of the vehicle under that agreement.

DVD
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Wed 24 Mar 2004 13:16
keeper/owner - tunacat
It seems 'sense' to me that one doesn't actually 'own' anything until one has paid the entire amount of the price for which it was sold.

But the one time I bought a car on HP, I don't remember receiving any document which said "You are NOW the legal owner" once the final payment had been transacted.

And if I read DVD's post correctly, I would be classed as the legal owner as soon as I took delivery (?)
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