Business Car, Personal Registered Keeper Nightmare

[sho12345678]

Hi all, I would really appreciate some advice:

I bought my Model 3 through my business with a view that the business would be the legal owner and I personally would be the Registered Keeper. I notified Tesla of this, typically no reply from them. At the delivery appointment in September, I queried why the Registered Keeper details on their paperwork reflected that of the company. They stated that it needs to be in the same name/address as that on Black Horse's system (as I purchased the car through BH finance), but I was told that I could change this later on with Tesla and the DVLA.

When I received my V5 in the post with the wrong name/address, I assumed I ought to change it to my name and home address, as insurance (Churchill) is in my name/address and Churchill knew I was the Registered Keeper and the company was the Legal Owner. GAP insurance is also in my personal name. I filled out the change of details section, not selling. I then received the new V5 with the correct name/address, but now with "1 former keeper". I queried this with DVLA on the phone and they stated that they treat change of details and name as selling/transfer of ownership!

I sent a cover letter explaining the entire situation to the DVLA, with my V5, certificate of insurance (in my personal name/address) 2 weeks ago via Royal Mail 1st class signed for. Tracking shows the letter is still with the Post Office and DVLA stated they have not received anything but will need 4 weeks before they even begin to investigate. The Post Office stated that the letter may have been delivered but due to the volume of letters the DVLA receive, they may not have updated my tracking to show delivered!!!

DVLA stated they will want a letter from Tesla to state the car was registered to the wrong name/address before correcting mine. They also mentioned the car was now untaxed as it stands and I need to pay NOW, £160 for 6 months or £320 for 12 months!!! A refund may follow if things are resolved!

I called Tesla and they stated they will not give me a letter due to the way their systems work and I should not have been told I could have the car registered to me!!

If Royal Mail have lost my letter, I'm back to square one. If the car is registered to the company but insurance is in my name, does that cause an issue? To cut my losses, I'm now hoping DVLA would allow me to reverse the situation to how it was originally as now I'm going around in circles.

Help!

 

[Cowpring]

Insurance wise, it depends on the insurer, but should be fine.

With Direct Line for example, you can insure a Model 3 that you aren't the registered keeper of, so a lease or finanace company are the registered owner of it, and you can have the insurance in your own name. I rang them up specifically to check this, as my Model 3 (when arrives), will be owned by the lease company, but i'd be the sole driver and Direct Line said its fine.

My current lease, as well as previous lease, were both owned by VW Financial Services, and I had no problems insuring it even for business use. I even claimed on the insurance recently when the 2nd driver on the policy crashed it into a van. No problem with the claim at all. Dropped my no claims from 11 years to 3 years and almost doubled the cost of my upcoming Tesla insurace...joy.

Honestly i'd just leave all the documents under the business - why bother having yourself as registered keeper?

 

[sho12345678]

Many thanks for this. I think my initial qualms were with insurance accepting the Registered Keeper situation.

Here's hoping to the DVLA letting me reverse everything to how it was!

 

[Jason71]

On the plus side. whomever owns the car during year 6 will get a nice surprise when they find out that there is no AR VED to pay since you have brought the start and end of that forward by a year.
What are your plans for the car? do you plan to keep it that long? if so, especially if you plan to buy it from the business one day and make it a personal vehicle. The fact that the business have paid the equivalent of year 6 AR VED might be a win in the long run.
I know that may not seem like much of a consolation but just trying to look on the bright side.

 

[Tatoo1]

I had a very similar situation when I got my car in late June. Basically V5C turned up in my company name and I had insured with Direct line with my personal name. I did end up speaking to DVLA and got Tesla to send me a letter confirming that there had been an error and that the car should have had me and the company as registered keeper

I think the finance company will want your company as the registered keeper, so my V5 has my name and company name/address as registered keeper. It’s one way of dealing with it.

DVLA took ages/weeks for my case to be dealt with so don't worry too much about the delays.

 

[Rooster6655]

If its a limited company you need to have had the car registered in the company name if you wanted to claim it for 100% write off, yes you could of course have the company name and personal name in the title which would have resolved this like Tatoo1 said.

If the car is registered to the company and the keeper is the company, then you can simply tell your insurance this and its not a problem, with LV you can simply do this online by selecting company for the owner.

 

[Jason71]

If its a limited company you need to have had the car registered in the company name if you wanted to claim it for 100% write off, yes you could of course have the company name and personal name in the title which would have resolved this like Tatoo1 said.

If the car is registered to the company and the keeper is the company, then you can simply tell your insurance this and its not a problem, with LV you can simply do this online by selecting company for the owner.

The invoice should certainly be in the company name but the V5? are you sure? is that documented anywhere?
The police and the DVLA will tell you that the registered keeper should always be the person who keeps the car and that registered keeper does not equal owner (and that is documented).
If HMRC are really telling people a car must have a company as the registered keeper for XYZ reasons, and I would not put it past them they are a law onto themselves, then that will piss off DVLA given that the V5 is their doc and not HMRC's.

 

[MaDProFF]

My company car had to be registered in the company name, ironically my previous company car had both company and my name, Tesla does not, just company name, tbh it makes no difference as others have said insuring is easy, and oddly enough insuring to use in connection with business is hardly any dearer.

 

[Cowpring]

My company car had to be registered in the company name, ironically my previous company car had both company and my name, Tesla does not, just company name, tbh it makes no difference as others have said insuring is easy, and oddly enough insuring to use in connection with business is hardly any dearer.

Yeah I found this.

In fact, for some reason, it was cheaper to insure a £40k Tesla than it was a £10k VW Up! Was like £80 per month for the UP, and £55 per month for the Tesla...wtf.

 

[sho12345678]

Thanks all for all your replies!

I confirmed with Churchill that they would be happy if both the legal owner and registered keeper are in the company's name and address and it would not make any difference to the premium.

@Jason71 Always happy to see the positives! I'm kinda hoping Boris or the next PM abolishes the luxury tax so may be better off having the V5 back in the company's name.

@Tatoo1 Was it just a matter of emailing Tesla to get the letter I can send with a cover note to the DVLA?

 

[Rooster6655]

The invoice should certainly be in the company name but the V5? are you sure? is that documented anywhere?
The police and the DVLA will tell you that the registered keeper should always be the person who keeps the car and that registered keeper does not equal owner (and that is documented).
If HMRC are really telling people a car must have a company as the registered keeper for XYZ reasons, and I would not put it past them they are a law onto themselves, then that will piss off DVLA given that the V5 is their doc and not HMRC's.

Yes good point the invoice should be in the company name, the V5 I’m not sure about

 

[Tatoo1]

Thanks all for all your replies!

I confirmed with Churchill that they would be happy if both the legal owner and registered keeper are in the company's name and address and it would not make any difference to the premium.

@Jason71 Always happy to see the positives! I'm kinda hoping Boris or the next PM abolishes the luxury tax so may be better off having the V5 back in the company's name.

@Tatoo1 Was it just a matter of emailing Tesla to get the letter I can send with a cover note to the DVLA?

Yes indeed. I just emailed Tesla Delivery and I think the SC (Heathrow) where I collected it. Got a PDF copy of a letter on Tesla headed paper. The letter admitted the error and asked the keeper to be Personal name c/o Company name.

 

[Melsaid]

Hi guys,

I hope you can help. I am supposed to fill this now. The company is buying so its 100% write off. Its cash purchase.

I am the main driver. What should I fill here to make sure that no errors are made? Would I be the registered keeper? Is it the Co?

Any advise from those he where in this situation will be very much appreciated.

Here is the form fields

 

[greenbottle123]

Hi guys,

I hope you can help. I am supposed to fill this now. The company is buying so its 100% write off. Its cash purchase.

I am the main driver. What should I fill here to make sure that no errors are made? Would I be the registered keeper? Is it the Co?

Any advise from those he where in this situation will be very much appreciated.

Here is the form fields
View attachment 584831

when i filled the form the bit above co name was blank no title what so ever, confused?

 

[greenbottle123]

when i filled the form the bit above co name was blank no title what so ever, confused?

me too, thats why i was confused
when i looked at my account it had my name, company name, addresss
however i didnt want to take the risk of tesla putting the co name on the V5, so i reached out to them by email to update it
it seems they have done that now

let me know how you get on?

 

[greenbottle123]

OP did you need gap insurance, i read that your normal (non gap) insurer will give a new replacement / pay out for any cars new-1 year old