Mrs Trellis Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 Our UK bought car was in the French system and we recently took it back to UK and it was taken in part exchange. I have just realised we have done nothing to inform the the French authorities that we no longer have the car.I suspect there is a procedure!I also worry that our number was cloned as we had a parking fine a couple of years ago, stating our registration number but the wrong make of car and from a place we had never heard of, let alone been to. This could happen again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 Absolutely right there is a procedure !If you had taken it back to UK and registered it there before parting with it then that would be no real problem but if you P/X'd it still on it's French plates then there is a very real chance that it could have come back to France and in that case, since I take it you did not fill in a certificate de cession and deposit it with the prefecture after you had parted with it, then legally the car is still yours meaning of course that you remain responsible for any and all offences committed by someone who may have bought it and is currently driving it around in France without registering it in their own name. Also, as it's still technically your car, then you should have insurance for it which presumably you don't.I don't mean to frighten or worry you but if the car has found it's way back to France then you are potentially at great risk and in your position I would go to the prefecture tomorrow and explain what you have (not) done and get it on record that you sold it and when. You may already be facing a fine for failing to do things properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 [quote user="Mrs Trellis"]I also worry that our number was cloned as we had a parking fine a couple of years ago, stating our registration number but the wrong make of car and from a place we had never heard of, let alone been to. This could happen again. [/quote]We received a parking ticket from a place we had never been to, at a time when our car was tucked up in the car park at Nimes airport. Right reg, wrong make (said to be a Merc rather than our Yaris!). My suspicion is that the parking warden wrote down the wrong number, perhaps transposing digits. We wrote a letter, took it to the hotel de police, got them to sign a copy as a receipt, and asked how long it would be before we would receive a reply. "un petit mois, ou encore une petite année". Never heard anything again.If someone had cloned your reg, they would be picking up tickets left, right and centre. If it only happens once, it's probably just an error on the part of the agent. But as AnO points out, get the transfer document sorted out PDQ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroTrash Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 I hope you managed to cancel the insurance? French car insurance doesn't lapse if you don't pay the renewal premium like UK insurance does - it remains in force until you cancel it, which normally requires giving the insurers a copy of the cert de cession. Failing that, it stays insured and they keep sending bills and expecting you to pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Trellis Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 The insurance was changed to the new car.... I'd best check the bank account to make sure they aren't charging us twice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomoss Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 [quote user="Mrs Trellis"] Our UK bought car was in the French system.....[/quote]Sorry, but do you mean you originally bought a french registered car in UK, or bought an english registered car in UK and imported and registered it in Franceor something else?Also, how was the "insurance changed to the new car"? Is the new car french registered and the dealer selling it changed over the insurance? If so, he probably did the necessary paperwork to change the registration of your old car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Trellis Posted October 10, 2012 Author Share Posted October 10, 2012 We brought our older car over 4 years ago and got it into the French system with French plates. This year we took it back to UK, part exchanged it for a newer one and brought that back. It seems unlikely someone in UK will buy it and bring it to France and if so, I guess they would have to get it registered in their name, in France. More likely it would be bought by someone staying in UK and would have to be re-registered in UK.We bought in UK because it is so much cheaper.While there, I phoned our French insurance agent and she arranged for the newer car to be insured here. We are now in the process of getting a certificate of conformity so it can be given French number plates.I remembered a bit late that we need to de-register the old car in France. which is why I asked about the procedure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 If it was a RHD car then there is probably little if any chance of anybody buying it to bring back to France. I'm guessing in fact that that the dealer who took it in PX gave you a low price because of the French plates and may well be pitting it back onto UK plates to enhance it's value for resale, it's not a difficult or expensive process.Ultimately the act of re-registering it in UK will result in the French being informed of the fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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