Although these methods enable sellers to “cut out the middle man” it also has the potential to expose them to dishonest people.
Recently, a complaint was received by Police in relation to a vehicle that had been privately sold and the seller had failed to complete a “Vehicle Registration Transfer Application”. In this instance, the buyer did not transfer the vehicle registration into their name, this resulted in numerous traffic infringement notices being accrued after the sale date and subsequently issued to the seller. The seller now has to go through an investigative process to prove they were not the owner of the vehicle and therefore are not responsible for the payment of the outstanding fines.
When completing a “Vehicle Registration Transfer Application”, Part A is completed by the buyer and Part B of the form is for the seller. Please ensure this form contains the buyer’s full details (ask to see their drivers licence) and has both the seller and buyer’s signatures recorded.
The buyer has 14 days to present Part A to the Department of Transport and Main Roads. In the event you reasonable believe the buyer has not applied for transfer you may lodge Part B.
When selling a vehicle privately it is imperative that you visit the Department of Transport and Main Roads website – www.tmr.qld.gov.au where they provide all the necessary information, checklists and associated forms. By doing this it may save you a lot of grief in the future.
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