Buying spanish car in uk

1890 Views 14 Replies 5 Participants Last post by mrypg9, May 21, 2012

badbilz

Discussion Starter · May 17, 2012

Hi, hope you can help me, I'm moving. To Spain later this year but have found a car in the uk with Spanish plates already, my problem is I don't have my nie number yet.

How would this work and how long could I keep it in the uk until I go, also what paperwork do I need from the seller for doing a deal? Is there any way of checking online if any outstanding bills with the car?

I will get my NIE number at end of June. As going over for house hunt then, also if anyone knows of any cheap villas with pool for rent between Alicante and Murcia drop me a message

Thanks Billy

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mrypg9

· #2 · May 17, 2012

I bought a car on Spanish plates from the UK. In order to register it in your name in Spain there are several important documents you must have...copy of previous owner's NIE or DNI, copy of his/her passport, all the 'technical' docs relating to the vehicle and importantly a signed declaration from the previous owner authorising the sale. This 'Solicitude' I think it's called can be obtained from a gestor in Spain...well, that's where I got it from. I sent it to the garage I bought my LR from and they sent it to the owner who returned it signed.
I can't see that you would have any problem keeping or using the car in the UK for a short period. My son had a French-registered LandRover with all the required documentation he used for family skiing trips to France and Switzerland. He kept it at home in Surrey and occasionally used it there. I had my LandRover delivered to my then home in Prague so have no personal experience of driving it in the UK.
You do need to check that there are no outstanding fines on the vehicle as you will be responsible for them. There is a website for this but I have forgotten it, sorry....
As for a 'cheap' villa...I'm sure there are plenty available.
But there's usually a reason why something is 'cheap'......I think that you usually get what you pay for.
My advice would be to go for a decently-priced house and negotiate the rent down.
That's what we did and over almost four years we have negotiated a massive 800 euros a month reduction in our rent.

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djfwells

· #3 · May 19, 2012

make sure that you check with Trafico that the vehicle is free of debts, fines, finances and charges etc... and that the person you are buying the car from is legally permitted to sell it.

badbilz

Discussion Starter · #4 · May 19, 2012

Does anyone know the address? Thanks

xabiaxica

· #5 · May 19, 2012

badbilz said:
Does anyone know the address? Thanks

what address?

djfwells

· #6 · May 19, 2012

Any Gestor, and quite a few specialist private agencies here in Spain will be able to do it for you, or failing that you can attend your provincial DGT offices and do it yourself if your spanish is up to scratch.

badbilz

Discussion Starter · #7 · May 19, 2012

For the trafico to check car

mrypg9

· #8 · May 20, 2012

badbilz said:
For the trafico to check car

Don't go to Trafico. There is a site online, I used it but have forgotten its address.

Maybe someone can find it for you?

The process of buying your car in the UK can be made to seem more complicated than it is.
I've done it and there were zero hitches or glitches.

Just make sure you have the documents I mentioned. If you are buying from a reputable dealer, as I did, they will help you.

badbilz

Discussion Starter · #9 · May 20, 2012

This one is a private seller hence the reason for wanting to check

Thanks very much for your help

mrypg9

· #10 · May 20, 2012 (Edited)

badbilz said:
This one is a private seller hence the reason for wanting to check

Thanks very much for your help

De nada

Private seller.....hmm.

Have you been given all the documents I listed? Is the seller selling his/her car directly to you or for a third party?

You really must check but there is no need to do it in Spain or by using a gestor - they will use the same website I used.... for free!!

Have you looked at reputable LHD dealers in the UK?

And to answer the question in your first post: yes, you will need your NIE, passport p/copy and I think but can't remember for sure your padron certificate.

badbilz

Discussion Starter · #11 · May 20, 2012

yeh think you are right i might just leave it until i go over and buy one there as dealers are very expensive and this one was a deal for my RHD one which made it worth while

never mind thanks very much

Seb*

· #12 · May 20, 2012 (Edited)

badbilz said:
This one is a private seller hence the reason for wanting to check

Thanks very much for your help

With a private sale you have to be extra careful! A lot of former expats have the tendency not to pay their road tax. To make it clear, even if you are not using the car or it is out of the country you have to pay road tax as long it is not on "baja" (SORN). Within short time this can be several hundred euros, which have to be paid before the transfer of ownership is done by trafico, your gestor will bill you for it.

Make sure, you have the NIE AND a passport copy of the former owner (the one on the papers!), without that the car can't be transferred. I would suggest to get a spanish car sale contract signed as well (you can download those on the internet). Make sure you get (at least) the last road tax receipt as well.

Reactions: 1

mrypg9

· #13 · May 20, 2012

Seb* said:
With a private sale you have to be extra careful! A lot of former expats have the tendency not to pay their road tax. To make it clear, even if you are not using the car or it is out of the country you have to pay road tax as long it is not on "baja" (SORN). Within short time this can be several hundred euros, which have to be paid before the transfer of ownership is done by trafico, your gestor will bill you for it.

Make sure, you have the NIE AND a passport copy of the former owner (the one on the papers!), without that the car can't be transferred. I would suggest to get a spanish car sale contract signed as well (you can download those on the internet). Make sure you get (at least) the last road tax receipt as well.

The signed Solicitud from the previous owner is MOST important...

Don't worry about the 'baja'. My vehicle was out of Spain for months. I paid the road tax due, that's all. It is unlikely the previous owner notified the authorities that the vehicle had been taken out of Spain. The woman from Mallorca from whom I bought my LR via a dealer hadn't done that.

I repeat: the procedure is simple if you have all the necessary documents.

I know whereof I speak...I've actually done it and gone through the procedure hassle-free!!

Seb*

· #14 · May 20, 2012

mrypg9 said:
Don't worry about the 'baja'. My vehicle was out of Spain for months. I paid the road tax due, that's all.

Yep, that's how it works, but imagine the seller has not paid for several years. It would be quite annoying to have to pay another 500 or so euro old tax on top of the +/- 250 EUR (example, depends on car, region, gestor etc.) the transfer will cost. At the very least you can deduct this from the agreed price (if it would be the case)

mrypg9

· #15 · May 21, 2012

Seb* said:
Yep, that's how it works, but imagine the seller has not paid for several years. It would be quite annoying to have to pay another 500 or so euro old tax on top of the +/- 250 EUR (example, depends on car, region, gestor etc.) the transfer will cost. At the very least you can deduct this from the agreed price (if it would be the case)

Simple, Seb...you don't buy! You go look elsewhere.

The road tax in my area for my big LandRover is only 99 euros and it's unlikely any fines will stretch beyond a couple of years.

As I've said, if you want a reliable deal on a LHD Spanish-plated car....go to a REPUTABLE UK LHD dealer.

I would do that over buying in Spain as I don't do 'mechanic talk' in Spanish and reputable UK firms have their good name to protect and won't foist a dodgy deal on you.

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