At end of december I sold a car that was out of registration by about 2 months. We agreed I'd knock $100 of the price to cover the two months owing and add some extra.Then between Xmas and new year I get a bill for two months rego up until the date I sold it. I tried ringing them but they were shut till January. In January I checked online if the car had been registered and it had been so as I understood it they must have paid from the date it expired so I assumed the letter would catch up and not be owing anymore. Today I've received a debt collection letter stating they've sent me several letters and I still haven't paid so they're going to start proceeding in 7 days if not paid! I've only had the one bill and that was end of December. My question is, is it even possible for the new owner to register it without paying the outstanding amount and have the previous owner billed for it! I didn't think you could do that as a car has to be continuously registered.
dropsofjupiter,
Jan 19, 8:58am
i have no idea but would imagine the new owner would only have to pay from the date they took over ownership.and that the previous owner would be pursued for owed funds prior to date of changeover.sucks though cause you thought you were doing it right and now face this!
good luck getting it sorted
fatdx,
Jan 19, 8:59am
Yes when you buy a car, the rego is dated from the day you put it in your name. Any outstanding fees for the rego is the old owners responsibility as you let it run out while you owned it. I dont think you have a leg to stand on, so you might as well pay it. If it was a verbal agreement to knock of the $100 then it would be hard to prove.
pico42,
Jan 19, 8:59am
The new owner is only responsible for the licensing (not registration) of the vehicle since the transfer of the vehicle into their name. You are and continue to be responsible for the unpaid portion of vehicle license.
It is very likely the new owner knew this while welcoming your discount.
a.woodrow,
Jan 19, 9:02am
Cars have to be continuously licenced unless you have applied for exemption. if you let the licence lapse for two months, then re-licence, you back pay the two months. However, if the ownership is changed, the new owner only pays the licencing from that date on, and the previous owner is sent the bill for the arrears. You have to pay the 2 months as you owned it during that time.
lilyb,
Jan 19, 9:04am
Yes I know she's only responsible from the date she bought it but as I understood it she wouldn't be able to register it at all without the outstanding being paid. If its possible not to and that's what she's done then that bloody sucks coz that's not what the deal was.Looks like I'm out even more money! The only reason I didn't go do it myself before they took it away was coz I was at my work Xmas do and couldn't get there to do it easily.Lesson learnt, next time ill do it myself from my phone if I have to!
a.woodrow,
Jan 19, 9:08am
They could have back paid the rego then changed the ownership but either:
A. They didn't know that they could so they changed ownership first, or
B. knew full well, and were grateful for the extra $100 knowing that you would get the bill anyway
pico42,
Jan 19, 9:09am
Yep, you understood wrong. The change of ownership affects it. And you can licence your vehicle online too.
lilyb,
Jan 19, 9:14am
Yes I know I can do it online and usually do but like I said I was at my work Xmas do which I was actually organising and I'd worked all morning and was running back and forth seeing them about the car so really just didn't have the time or ability to do it easily before they took it away!
franc123,
Jan 19, 9:31am
Unpaid LICENSE fees aren't the buyers problem, its yours due to the fact the debt occured during your period of legal responsibility for that vehicle. The buyer must have thought it was quite funny receiving a bonus like that to pay a bill they were never going to receive lol. The backdated license fees should have been sorted before it was even put up for sale and not left to the buyer to sort out, which as has been said they arent responsible for.
lilyb,
Jan 19, 2:50pm
They weren't "left" to the buyer to sort out! We made an agreement that as I hadn't had either the time or the money to do it that the $100 would be dropped off the price to cover it! And yes thank you for pointing out that it is actually LICENSING fees, I do realise that as well but as you'll be aware everyone calls it registration and what I've called it here is pretty irrelevant to what I was asking. The lady and her daughter seemed very nice and I went out of my way to get the car shown to them when it suited them and I guess I was just fool enough to trust that they would do what we agreed she would do. Like I said, lesson learnt.never trust anyone with anything for any reason. But thanks for your comments.
directorylist,
Jan 19, 6:50pm
have you tried talking to the buyer!
planespotterhvn,
Jan 19, 7:07pm
Maybe they were not able to pay the money owing on the vehicle relicence fee as the system would not let them. See if you can find those buyers, you wrote them a receipt and kept a copy. And get in touch with vehicle registration, don't just sit and do nothing or you will have interest applied to your debt. Pay up and get that money off the new owners. Good luck.
chebry,
Jan 19, 7:13pm
The threatening letters are standard fare from Dunn and Bradstreet just pay 5 bux off it and they have to redo all their threatening paperwork.
gabbysnana,
Jan 19, 7:14pm
you had money once you sold it so you have sorted your debts at that time!
franc123,
Jan 19, 9:41pm
Sounds like a wad of excuses. You DID leave it to them to sort out, you handed them the money to pay a debt that YOU incurred instead of dealing with it beforehand, a debt that the buyer cannot pay on your behalf, how could they if the relevant paperwork was only ever going to be sent to you after COO was done!Registration and Licensing are two completely different things,registration is the process of putting a vehicle on the road legally, issuing plates and WOF etc and is not the ongoing purchasing of windscreen labels. Its completely relevant and an incorrect term when used in this context. No wonder these stuffups occur if the correct terminology can't even be used.
aragorn2003,
Jan 19, 10:27pm
You were ill informed and they probably weren't aware of the process either so are probably still unawares . Only thing you can do is contact them and sort it out , instead of coming on here and getting all shirty at people whoare giving you the correct infomation
lilyb,
Jan 20, 12:30am
I resent being told I left them to it. I'm aware I owed the money but the deal was they would pay it from the date it lapsed. Of course they can pay it on my behalf, anyone can "re license" a car, it doesn't have to be done by the owner. The reason I didn't "pay my debt" once I had the money for the car was because the deal discussed was that they were paying it all before they left town that afternoon with the money I knocked off the price. I wasn't aware I owed anything on it until yesterday as I wasn't aware they could only re license from the date they bought it. As explained I understood they would have to pay what was owing from the date it lapsed. I've had my answer now and a lot more criticism besides which I didn't ask for. I just wanted an answer to the question. As I said, lesson learnt. Lesson learnt asking for an answer in here too.
franc123,
Jan 20, 12:40am
Not back license fees they can't, for the upteenth time its not the buyers problem that you didn't put it on hold or paid the fees up to the COO date. You've certainly had you answer, pity itsnot been understood.
kazbanz,
Jan 20, 1:13am
lilyb -Look short version. You made a mistake. It really is that simple. I'd suggest that the error was in trusting the buyer to do the rego and change of ownership in the correct order to cover the back rego. The ORDER in which the two transactions are taken care of will dictate what is and isn't paid. If the buyer had registered the vehicle first then done change of ownership second then you wouldn't be posting here. But they did it no doubt at the post office where they were told "you HAVE TO do c of o first" Which for the record is utter bullpucky. I bet the new owner was unaware its an issue My first advice to you is do whatever you need to do to utterly chill out.-Agro will fix nothing. When you are totally chilled then phone the new owner and explain what has happened. Given that the receipt sighned by you and them will clearly state that the buyer will take care of the back registration and you have their contact details it won't be an issue getting them to agree.
gta3,
Jan 20, 3:44am
As other have said you are liable for the back rego.The new owner probably went in topay it and could of said I have just brought this car and it has 2 months rego owing on it, to be told that the previous owner is responsible for paying it and they are only liable for rego for the day they change the ownership, so seeing they didn't have to pay it, they didn't.Unless you have an signed agreement from them stating that they would pay the back rego, there is not a lot you can do.
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