Private plates. Few questions.

[Lee]

To cut a long story short, about three years ago my transit was repossessed after a long drawn out argument with Ford. As I was expecting it to be repaired, I didn't bother to transfer my plate off it before it was taken. I assumed I would have lost it but..

The van is now back on the road with its original plate, and my plate has not shown up on any auction sites (i've been keeping a very close eye out for it), but without knowing what car its on, if any, I cant do a DVLA check online. is there any other way to check where a plate is?

What are the chances that i still legally own the plate? I don't have a retention certificate. I don't know the ins and outs of it and probably need to speak to the DVLA but before I try to visit that minefield I wondered if anyone had any experience with stuff like this? If the car had gone to a private seller I know it would be gone, but im not sure if ford would have a different policy regarding this.

[Royston]

If you don't own the van, or have the logbook in your name would think it is lost.

The rights to the plate transfers with the logbook.

Plate I suspect has been put on retention.

[hotrod]

You prob don't own the plate anymore as it would of stayed with the transit.

Apparently there's a site you can go on and check if a vehicle has t & t on it not sure what site it is but might be worth trying that if you can find it!

Not sure if dvla could help if you phoned them with the reg no? But data protection and all that!

Good luck on your hunt though!

[mowgli]

what was the reg?

[SimonTW]

I had some dealings with a plate a while ago and was told the following by the DVLA.

Technically you never actually own the plate. You just buy the right to use it from the DVLA.

If you own the vehicle the plate is on then it's yours to use, place on retention or transfer it's usage to another person. If you don't have it on the vehicle and don't have the retention document then you don't have a right to use it.

[Lee]

what was the reg?

D17 LMR

All the replies are confirming what i pretty much thought. probably wishful thinking.

Time to shop for another one :(

[Spudly]

My icarcheck app doesnt show the reg number as being on anything, it comes up as 'invalid' so i would say ford had just requested the DVLA take it off, ring them and explain what happened and ask if you can re-request/buy it back, if its not on anything then thats a good sign i wouldve thought, you will have been the last registered user of the plate so there shouldnt be a problem, but they will probably want monies for it though!

[hotrod]

And them moneys would prob double soon as you go sniffing around! :(