Sellers need to transfer cars lawfully to avoid arrest
(CNS): People selling vehicles are being warned that if they don’t properly transfer ownership, they could face arrest if the car is connected to a crime and their name is still on the papers. With the rise in stolen cars being used in burglaries and robberies, police recommend that once a sale is done, the buyer and the seller attend the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing together to complete the forms, pay the fee and get a new logbook .
The RCIPS said its officers are continuing to encounter vehicles in their investigations which have not been properly transferred.
“Prior owners of vehicles who are still listed as the registered owner run the risk of having their name linked to a vehicle used in the commission of a crime, and also could be liable under Section 9(2) for a fine or imprisonment, or both, for failing to effect the transfer,” the RCIPS warned in a release this week.
Visit the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing to see the procedure here.
Category: Crime, Crime Prevention, Police
To sell a vehicle which is roadworthy to a person who is insurable by a person who has no unpaid fees is an easy process. Both parties agree upon a price, it is paid, the buyer gets an insurance rider and you both go to DVDL and sign it over. Easy.
I suspect that most of the complaints and problems have more to do with sellers and/or buyers with expired registration, unpaid fees/fines. Maybe the registration sticker needs to be larger and easier to read by the RCIP.
The process is more difficult than buying a house.
Why are people making this such a big deal?
Both parties go to DVDL transfer the car TOGETHER….and you’re done…what is so hard about that….GEEEEEEESHHHHH
This is a load of crap. The key is in the line ‘police recommend’ . That is not the same as ‘you must’ . If you follow the DVL proceedure you can have them witness a transfer without the buyer having to be with you. Such a BS antiquated system. Seems like the police don’t want to be doing their job.
Selling a car is not very difficult in most places. Why is it so complicated, with a joint trip to the DMV required. Let the seller keep the plates and send them in to prove he no longer has the car. New owner applies for new plates.
As usual the RCIPs is focussed on making it more difficult for the average law abiding Joe. Perhaps they should spend more time in the licensing centre lines before they encourage yet more people to go there. What is the point of having the transfer signature witnessed if you still have to attend with the new owner?
The new RFID plates are supposed to make it easier to weed out all of the vehicles with delinquent registries/fees, and any mechanical and insurance gaps within the next year. Will the RCIPS have a functional traffic presence before the yellow plates are gone?!? Ready, open, and willing to be amazed…
The only thing the DVL website tells you to do as the seller is to inform them of the new owner. So when you go into the DVL and the guy at the side witnesses and stamps the book with your signature and the owner details on, you have notified them. Why is it my problem when the next owner does not register. Get a timed and dated receipt, and they will struggle to hold you accountable. In my view
When I got rolled and sold my car I got them to witness my part of the form as seller. I also tried to hand them a letter explaining I was leaving Cayman and providing full contact details, physical and postal address of the buyer, and my contact details in case of any problems or questions. She refused to take the letter and told me to “just make sure the buyer comes in and registers”… Like I could!
So if the buyer doesn’t register the vehicle, he can decide not to pay licensing fees, insure it, have illegal tint, plate covers, not have it inspected for road worthiness, speed, drive without licence – and short of the police actually stopping him and arresting him on the spot, get off scot free because the tickets and summons will all go the former owner? Who of course can say nothing to do with me, see, I have registered the transfer with DVDL. Wow. No wonder we have a problem. Who came up with that idea?
So then why can you sign the log book in the presence of a JP or vehicle licensing employee and the log book be open for transfer? This should be stopped immediately! Talk about giving you the rope to hang your self. Usual Cayman backwardness…..
Yep agreed, bit hard for the seller to know if the buyer did their part until you get a traffic ticket on a car you thought you had sold…
called licensing department a few weeks ago and was informed I could sign it over and have it notarized and then the transfer was complete as far as I was concerned.
A poor guy at DVDL yesterday was trying to register a car he had bought from someone who was himself not the registered owner. It turned out there were 2 or more previous owners that were never registered in good faith. Good luck finding them now. The lesson here is do your homework before you buy a car and ask to see the logbook!
You can legally transfer your car out of your name and give the papers to the new owner. I believe your log book states this and if you call the licensing department they’ll tell you the same. I’ve done this in the last month. You need to be witnessed by an employee at the licensing department, or have your signature notarized to transfer this way – which is what I’ve done. This is a very common occurrence. The RCIPS need to work with the licensing department if they really want to enforce this. I agree that this is a good move and probably needed. But this threat isn’t the right approach. The news should come from the licensing department once they’ve changed their policy.
OK, go after sellers. Mind blowing.
That might be easy to enforce , but the fine might be only $50 or one day in prison. But I think that is all the original owner could be charged with, if was not caught in the crime/robbery.
I think that section 9(2) should go back to the LA for amendments and stiff penalties and fines. Then no one would do selling a car like that.
Wasnt me
Like that would ever be enforced.
And why do they have to make it so hard?
Keeps otherwise unemployable people in a job that’s why.
They need to enforce it and quicker the better , why be foolish and not transfer your vehicle to the new owner . I’m a law abiding citizen and wouldn”t want cops coming to arrest me for NEGLIGENCE. If the car isn”t transferred you are still the owner of it technically and you should suffer the consequences for any crime that the vehicle is involved with.
As mentioned by others the issue arises when you, the seller, does their part, signing the log book in the presence of vehicle licensing, hand over the log book and keys and get paid. The purchaser is then meant to complete the transfer by taking that to licencing, the problem arises when they don’t. How do you force someone to register it in their own name? It’s stupid not to, as the seller would still ‘own it’, but also gets you a car that’s not your responsibility if things go wrong. So as a seller, without both appearing at vehicle licensing, how do you ensure the buyer registers it.
Under the current system, that is the only way you can insure the [new] buyer is transferred.
After 32 years of both buying & selling privately owned vehicles here , the same ownership transfer system is still largely in place as in the ‘olden’ days. The only exception is if you absolutely know & trust the buyer to do the transfer under their own responsibility within a set time frame after you exchange payment, for purchase. Then you can adopt the notarized signature procedure & hand over the logbook.That route still comes with a degree of risk.