Got home to find a letter from DVLA stating that I "failed to notify" them of me selling on the Panda. They are demanding £35.00 to be paid.

It's really annoyed me because I sent off the logbook to DVLA and did all the necessary paperwork when I sold the vehicle. But they are saying that they didn't recieve the paperwork as the man I sold the car to had to apply for a logbook :bang:

I rec'd a letter from DVLA a while back saying "Thanks for letting us know you are no longer the owner of the vehicle", etc. But in a clear out recently got rid of the letter as I assumed it was all done and dusted.

They've said I will have court action if I do not pay the money. Am I just best to pay them even though I've done my bit to get them off my back or stand my ground.............

:bang:

Help!!!!!!!

Contact them, explain your situation and that you've sent the documents back as required plus also that they sent a letter confirming receipt. It may just be an administration error.

Sometimes these things can overlap in the post, ive bought and sold enough cars to have had many letters from that lot in Swansea. There are so many different departments things get missed, the left hand doesnt know what the right hand is upto much of the time. Give them a call and explain and it may just be as simple as that.

How long ago was it you sold the Panda?

auto_blanco said:

How long ago was it you sold the Panda?

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October 26th it was sold. I sent the paperwork off that week

Spoke to them earlier and they said explain what happened on the back of the letter - they will then look into it more?

hmm that is quite a long time ago, I think you find you will be fine though, if they dont want to give in fight them for as long as possible, you are in the right so dont pay up, do you have any proof of the sale? or can you contact the buyer etc?

As most people have said it should sort it's self out, stick to your story, they can't blame you for anything regarding this matter or charge you £35 the Post Office lose stuff all the time im always opening post sacks at work & find letters in them, they have to prove you didn't send your part back & I can't see them takin you to court for £35 they would get laughed at in court.

inki said:

As most people have said it should sort it's self out, stick to your story, they can't blame you for anything regarding this matter or charge you £35 the Post Office lose stuff all the time im always opening post sacks at work & find letters in them, they have to prove you didn't send your part back & I can't see them takin you to court for £35 they would get laughed at in court.

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Thanks

They've said they want to see proof of postage that I sent back the logbook. I didn't get proof of postage tho - Didn't realise I had to?

There talking rubbish, they've already issued a new log book, I would ignore them,their get bored & p off, I don't know many people who send their part off recorded post, anyway what happened to the buyers half they sent in & why did they have to ask for a logbook without proof from you that you had sold the Panda,(or do the DVLA give them out to anybody who asks for them.) If this is not the case why has it taken this long to contact you.

Charlotte said:

Got home to find a letter from DVLA stating that I "failed to notify" them of me selling on the Panda. They are demanding £35.00 to be paid.

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Thats a bit odd as the standard fine is £80.

Charlotte said:

I rec'd a letter from DVLA a while back saying "Thanks for letting us know you are no longer the owner of the vehicle", etc. But in a clear out recently got rid of the letter as I assumed it was all done and dusted.

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Too late now but NEVER throw those letters away.

Charlotte said:

Am I just best to pay them even though I've done my bit to get them off my back or stand my ground.............

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Take it up with them as soon as possible and explain about the letter. They are an incompetent bunch at the best of times and may well accept your explanation. Bear in mind that if they don't go along with your explanation and it does go to court you will have the chance to tell the magistrates your story. They have to prove beyond reasonable doubt - you only have to raise that reasonable doubt. Going on oath to explain that you threw the letter away should be enough to do that.

inki said:

they have to prove you didn't send your part back

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It is the keepers responsibility to send the documents in AND to inform the DVLA if the confirmatory letter doesn't arrive within 4 weeks. They will say they didn't get the form and she didn't ring them to say the letter didn't arrive.

inki said:

& I can't see them takin you to court for £35 they would get laughed at in court.

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They do it all the time and don't get laughed at. Usually the defendant hasn't bothered to send the form back and gets hit with a nice big fine and court costs and £15 victim surcharge.

inki said:

I would ignore them,their get bored & p off,

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that is excellent advice - but only if she wants to get a conviction for fail to inform of change of owner. If she doesn't want a conviction she needs to contact them ASAP and explain.

Point taken John, but they must be at fault to issue a logbook to the new owner without speaking to Charlotte first to confirm this transaction, even though having the logbook in their name is not proof of ownership.

That's what that little green slip is for... it's signed by the previous owner with the date of the sale on it.

I've had to send it to the DVLA when my logbook didn't arrive.

johnw said:

and she didn't ring them to say the letter didn't arrive.

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but the letter did arrive

Charlotte said:

They've said they want to see proof of postage that I sent back the logbook. I didn't get proof of postage tho - Didn't realise I had to?

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Say you got rid of it when you got the confirmation letter back. Sounds like they're being compleatly unreasonable!

WTF? i've never heard of this happening in this situation. are you sure its the DVLA?

if you gave the new keeper the new keeper's supplement (little green section) then the new keeper had no need to pay for a logbook, and if the new keeper has already paid for a log book (why?) then you have no need to pay for one as well (seems odd charging you a £35 fine, same amount as a new logbook, and different to the usual fine amount). either way something fishy is going on.

i suspect a quick phone call will sort things out.

Apparently the bloke who bought the car off me had to apply for a log book using the green slip which I gave him. Hence why they have sent me a letter to say I've not notified them of the sale.

I had one of them when I stupidly let the garage forward on my log book which they never :bang:

my fine was £40 if i paid early or £80 if i paid later - I paid the £40 but 3 months later got a letter demanding £80 - I had to prove to dvla that I paid them, I had the cheque stump but was too much hassle to prove myself innocent

If they sent you a letter confirming that you notifird them it must be somewhere on one of their systems. If you get in touch ask the names of anyone you speaking to.

When they say something fishy remind them that false statements incur penalties and this goes for them too.

I told them once that their grandfathers died to stamp out Nazism for them to bring it back with their sadistic, brutal and arrogant attitude on the phone. The verbal fights I had with them in due course led for me them withdrawing their case.

dave said:

but the letter did arrive

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You have to see this from the DVLA point of view. The department that wrote to the OP will be different from the department that sent the letter. As far as the department that is demanding the cash is concerned, no letter was sent out and the OP hasn't told them. Therefore the OP is automatically guilty in their eyes.