Controle technique - selling a car

[Mishtoon]

Hi,

I have a question which is probably in the Forum somewhere but being a bit lazy to search for ages..........  Can I ask the question here.  If we are selling our used (older than 4 years) car, are we legally obliged to get the control technique done before handing over the vehicle to the new owner?  Or can the new owner buy it, take it away and get the control technique done straightaway??  Who is obliged to do it, us or them?

Many thanks

[Benjamin]

As the vehicle is more than four years old then presumably it already has a CT. If the CT is less than six months old on the day you sell it then no one needs to bother doing anything.

If the CT was issued more than six months ago then you as the seller are required to obtain a new CT.

[Mishtoon]

Hi there,

Thanks for your response.  Yes, the car had a controle technique done when we reregistered it here in France but now we want to sell it on..  What you are basically saying is that the CT is valid for six months, unless we sell it within the period 6 months to 2 years after the CT was done (which seems barmy to me, but then we are in France!!)

Thanks for your help.

[Benjamin]

[quote user="Mishtoon"]

Hi there,

  What you are basically saying is that the CT is valid for six months, unless we sell it within the period 6 months to 2 years after the CT was done (which seems barmy to me, but then we are in France!!)

Thanks for your help.

[/quote]

Not sure that I fully understand what you are saying here so I'll try to be a bit clearer.

A CT is valid for two years unless you sell the vehicle when the CT is six months or older in which case you need a new CT.

[suein56]

[quote user="Mishtoon"]

Yes, the car had a controle technique done when we reregistered it here in France but now we want to sell it on ...  [/quote]

We bought a 5 year old car which had a CT more than 6 months old so just took it along to the CT place ourselves to get it done for the new carte grise; but only because the English vendor had no idea that he was supposed to have had it done when he put it up for sale privately. Do beware that if you sell without a recent CT some purchasers might want a discount.

Sue

[Bastet]

I would be very surprised if a french buyer went ahead with a sale of a 4 +year old car without a valid, less than 6 month old CT.   From their point of view, it would be a huge risk.  How would they know what faults the car may have?  They could cost a fortune to recify. 

[ESB]

I understood that to register a vehicle of 4 years or more old there had to be a CT valid for six-months and outside this normally? (not quite sure of this bit) there is an exception for car dealers. I further presume, but dont actually know, there may be other exceptions. 

[raindog]

I think it's actually illegal to sell a car, more than 4 years old, without a current CT. No?

[Benjamin]

[quote user="ESB"]I understood that to register a vehicle of 4 years or more old there had to be a CT valid for six-months

 [/quote]

Not correct. The CT must not be more than six months old.

[Bastet]

The prefecture will not register a car which is more than 4 years old unless it has a CT  less than 6 months old. 

I know some documents used by dealers are different than those used by individuals, when selling a second hand car, but I don't think there is an option regarding the CT.    

 

 

[ESB]

Sorry if I got it wrong guys- live and learn!

[Nick Trollope]

[quote user="ESB"]Sorry if I got it wrong guys- live and learn![/quote]

Here's a thing, you are all wrong;

There is no requirement for a CT (of any age) on a vehicle when it is sold. However, the new owner cannot register the vehicle unless the CT is less than 6 months old.

If it is impossible to get a CT, the new owner can still register the vehicle with failed process verbal.

ie. it is perfectly legal to sell a car with or without a CT.

 

[oakbri]

[quote user="Nick Trollope"]

[quote user="ESB"]Sorry if I got it wrong guys- live and learn![/quote]

Here's a thing, you are all wrong;

There is no requirement for a CT (of any age) on a vehicle when it is sold. However, the new owner cannot register the vehicle unless the CT is less than 6 months old.

If it is impossible to get a CT, the new owner can still register the vehicle with failed process verbal.

ie. it is perfectly legal to sell a car with or without a CT.

 

[/quote]

Nick is quite correct. As the seller you are not obliged to get a CT. The buyer can only get a Carte Gris with a CT issued 6 months or less before.

That is why you very often see the words " CT OK" on an advertisement for a car, this shows the CT is under 6 months and the buyer can get a CG without having to go through a CT.

[Chancer]

Or you can sell a car for spares with no CT or less than 6 months CT.

CT OK - Non[:)]

[Will]

When you trot along to the prefecture with your bundle of paperwork and your cheque book in order to register your car, one of the things you must have is a CT that is not more than six months old, as has been said before. You can certainly sell a car with an older CT, or none at all - in that case it is up to the buyer to organise a new CT before it can be registered in his or her name. So it's probably not actually illegal to sell a car with an old CT, though I have seen links to sites that suggest it is. It's certainly OK to sell or part exhange a car with older CT to a dealer. However, unless the vehicle is sold for parts or repair - which is perfectly legal - any private seller would be a bit daft not to get the CT done before parting with the vehicle, and a buyer would be equally daft not to not insist that this is carried out.

[raindog]

[quote user="Nick Trollope"]

[quote user="ESB"]Sorry if I got it wrong guys- live and learn![/quote]

Here's a thing, you are all wrong;

There is no requirement for a CT (of any age) on a vehicle when it is sold. However, the new owner cannot register the vehicle unless the CT is less than 6 months old.

If it is impossible to get a CT, the new owner can still register the vehicle with failed process verbal.

ie. it is perfectly legal to sell a car with or without a CT.

 

[/quote]

Good Lord, I seriously thought nobody was allowed to flog a car here without a valid CT. Well you live and learn [:)]

[Will]

No, it looks as if for once Nick might be wrong. I knew I had seen something. Here is an excerpt from an official French site:

"Le vendeur d'une voiture particulière soumise au contrôle technique obligatoire doit fournir au vendeur un procès verbal de contrôle technique favorable (donc sans défaut appelant une contre-visite) de moins de six mois."

This is apparently part of the code de la route - see http://www.securiteroutiere.equipement.gouv.fr/infos-ref/vehicule/le-controle-technique-des-vehicules.html

[oakbri]

I just had coffee with a few French friends, one of whome is currently selling his car and I asked him what the rules were.

Will is actually correct, the law does state the car must have a CT under 6 months old, provided by the seller. My friend explained the reason you often see "CT OK" on a car advert is that the law is very often simply ignored, (why am I not surprised?)

Top marks Will !!!

[AnOther]

[quote user="Bastet"]I would be very surprised if a french buyer went ahead with a sale of a 4 +year old car without a valid, less than 6 month old CT.   From their point of view, it would be a huge risk.  How would they know what faults the car may have?  They could cost a fortune to recify. [/quote]

A CT is akin to a UK MOT but somewhat less stingent (so I believe). It is concerned primarily with safety and only at the point of test and will not automatically reveal faults which are not related to that.

Engine, gearbox, air conditioning, etc. etc. none of these are "safety" items so it's quite possible for a car to pass a CT but have a very serious fault, or faults, and suffer a catastrophic failure driving away from the CT station !

The CT should be regarded as but one of a raft of indicators leading to a balanced judgement of a cars overall condition and I don't think many would really consider buying say a 5 year old car as a particularly "huge risk" unless it had obvious signs of abuse or perhaps a gargantuan mileage recorded [:D]

[Anton Redman]

I did not have a problem buying a car without a MOT in the UK. I would buy a car without 18 months CT in France. In both cases whoever is selling accepts a much lower price for the convienince of selling as is. In broad terms I think a CT is more not less stringeant than a UK MOT for instance it is very hard to get a car with sigmnificant welding through a CT 

[AnOther]

I agree although many are insufficiently knowledgeable to be able judge a car purely on it's merits and therefore have no option but to rely on the various bits of paper.

[quote user="Anton Redman"]In broad terms I think a CT is more not less stringeant than a UK MOT for instance it is very hard to get a car with sigmnificant welding through a CT [/quote]I suppose it varies from station to station but I think you'll find that in UK too, for some time now, the MOT has required all welding to be continuous which can be pretty tough to achieve when attempting to attach a flapping wing back to the body car when all that's left is fresh air [:-))]