Going back with a French reg car

[ixy]

Hi, I have done a search but can't find anything that answers my questions.       Our car was exported from the UK and within 2 months of arriving here we had it immatriculated to french plates.     We are selling up now and was hoping to drive back to the UK with our car as we need to transport our cat too.     Very shortly after arriving back we plan to buy another UK plated car.    My questions are :

1.  If our house is sold here then we'll no longer be a resident of France so what about the carte gris and insurance?   Are we still ok to drive it?

2. How long have we got to enable us to buy another car?

3. Although our car is 9 years old its in great condition and still looks/acts A1 compared to a lot of wrecks on French roads, however, taking it back to the UK I suppose it will have to be scrapped, I can't see it being taken in under the "scrappage" package with french plates and documents?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

[Russethouse]

The scrappage scheme may have finished now anyway...

The scheme - as announced in the 2009 Budget - is available to the first 400,000 eligible buyers or until March 31, 2010, whichever is sooner.

[Pickles]

[quote user="ixy"]1.  If our house is sold here then we'll no longer be a resident of France so what about the carte gris and insurance?   Are we still ok to drive it?[/quote]

Once you are resident in the UK, you can't drive the French-registered car.

[quote user="ixy"]2. How long have we got to enable us to buy another car?[/quote]

There is no period of grace for cars imported into the UK by UK residents.

[quote user="ixy"]3. Although our car is 9 years old its in great condition and still looks/acts A1 compared to a lot of wrecks on French roads, however, taking it back to the UK I suppose it will have to be scrapped, I can't see it being taken in under the "scrappage" package with french plates and documents?[/quote]

The UK scrappage scheme has come to an end.

Regards

Pickles

[ixy]

Thanks for that Russethouse, looking at ads for cars for sale in the UK I see on lots of new vehicles theres a £2000 immediate discount for a vehicle exchange, I've probably misunderstood and believed it was part of the scrappage deal.

[ixy]

We will be staying with relatives for a couple of weeks until the house sale is finalised.   It was in that period we were hoping to buy another car.   At that stage the details given for insurance and log book etc will be relating to our new home address where we will be residents and not guests.    Surely not everyone can part with their french plated cars prior to going back?  I can see this works very well for those who have never bothered to immatriculate in the first place!!

[krusty]

I have traded in UK  French plated cars a few times back in the UK . But I remained a French resident . The dealers only give you book price but it is easy letting them sort things out.

[suein56]

[quote user="ixy"]  Surely not everyone can part with their french plated cars prior to going back?  [/quote]

No, but staying legal means you must either have another UK registered car lined up to buy thereby disposing of the old car by sale or exchange or you must reregister your 'old' car in the UK pdq.

Sue

[Iceni]

ixy, in the Driving in France section there is an FAQ about taking an ex-uk car back to uk. Though this is dated 2005 I am confident that between it and the DVLA website you could work out what to do.

I have been told that re-reg will cost £55 plus annual tax but I have not read this for myself. If true why would you sell your healthy car and buy a new one ?

John

 

[ixy]

I will have a look at that Iceni and thanks.   I think the road tax plus the change of the headlights cost would be a deciding factor.     As the evening has gone on from me posting my initial question it has riled me a tad that people who don't bother to immatriculate don't have this problem.    I know the police are beginning to catch up with a few with no MOT or road tax (these drivers expect the best of both worlds!), but a pound to a penny there'll be 100's getting away with it!!

[mint]

Yes, ixy, but the point is, you have done the right thing.  Sometimes virtue is its own reward. 

I know because we also have done "the right thing" to the point of me not even driving my car until the immatriculation was through (about 6 weeks on account of having to wait for the lights for my Hyundai which in those far off days was a rarity).

What you don't want to do is break the rules because other people do.  It's right on occasion to put your money where your mouth is and to ignore the siren calls that urge you to do otherwise.

[ixy]

We'd never break the law which is why I'm contacting DVLA PLUS the police tomorrow to get the precise law  regarding our situation.   

[Sunday Driver]

[quote user="ixy"]

We will be staying with relatives for a couple of weeks until the house sale is finalised.   It was in that period we were hoping to buy another car.   At that stage the details given for insurance and log book etc will be relating to our new home address where we will be residents and not guests.   

[/quote]

Staying with relatives for a couple of weeks doesn't make you UK resident in terms of prohibiting you from using your foreign registered vehicle.  By the time you move in to your new UK home, you'll have bought your new car and taken the old French car off the road.

Nothing to beat yourself up about...........[;-)]