Your vehicle logbook, otherwise known as the V5C, is a document issued to all car owners by the DVLA, for their vehicles. However, it’s not uncommon for vehicle owners to lose or misplace their logbooks because it’s not a document that you’ll be needing every day. The logbook is only required during special occasions, especially when changes happen to your vehicle.
The logbook or V5C is extremely useful when you’re trying to sell your vehicle. But, do you need it when you’re scrapping your vehicle? Let’s find out.
What Do You Mean By A Logbook Or V5C?
According to professional car wreckers in Lower Hutt, it’s a very common misconception that the logbook is a permanent document that passes from one car owner to another – throughout the lifetime of the vehicle – so that the ownership of the vehicle can be proved. But, such is not the case. Each vehicle owner obtains a revised version of the logbook. The logbook is again revised when an owner changes his or her address.
It should also be learned that the logbook shouldn’t be a proof of ownership. Instead, the logbook will merely state the person who will be responsible for taxing & registering the vehicle.
What Does A Logbook Looks Like?
The Logbook of a vehicle is generally multi-coloured, with the first page’s top half being red.
What Information Does The Logbook Hold?
The logbook will hold the following set of information:
- The registration number of the car, as mentioned on the number plate.
- The date when the car was first registered.
- The number of former owners the vehicle had.
- The technical details of the vehicle such as the make, model, version, variant and fuel type.
- The current owner’s name of the vehicle along with the address of the owner.
Why Is The Logbook Important When Trying To Scrap A Vehicle?
Most people out there, when purchasing a used vehicle, want to know whether they’re purchasing from the correct person and there’s a log history of the vehicle. Otherwise, they will not know what type of vehicle they’re purchasing.
Logbooks help buyers because with the help of logbooks buyers can obtain the essential information they need about the vehicle – such as the technical details, how many people have owned it, how much time the vehicle has been on the road, whether the vehicle has been altered from its original state and so on.
So, without your logbook, you might struggle to even sell your vehicle to prospective buyers. However, when you’re deciding to scrap your vehicle, then such historical data will not matter much because the vehicle is already at the end of its lifespan.
Can You Scrap A Vehicle Without The Logbook?
Yes. It’s possible to scrap your vehicle without having your logbook because there’s no legal requirement to have the logbook during the scrapping process. However, be warned that the process can become complicated if you don’t have the logbook with you.
Based on the amount of value you’re getting out of your scrapped vehicle, it may be worth opting for a new logbook from the DVLA because the process will become simpler for you.
What To Do When You’ve Lost Your Logbook?
When you’ve lost your logbook, you can still proceed to get a new one and then scrap your vehicle. Hence, it all depends upon you whether you want to get a new logbook and then proceed to scrap the vehicle or scrap the vehicle right away.
How Can You Scrap Your Vehicle When You Don’t Have The Logbook?
Firstly, you have to ensure that you proceed to scrap your vehicle with the help of reputable scrap car companies so that you face no issues later on. These reputable scrap car companies are known as Authorised Treatment Facilities or ATFs.
Opting for unauthorised scrap car companies means that you’re breaking the laws and thereby opening yourself to attracting multiple types of fines. Authorised scrap car companies will always prove you with a ‘Certificate of Destruction’ within seven days of scrapping your vehicle.
What’s The Significance Of Certificate Of Destruction?
The significance of the Certificate of Destruction is massive for any vehicle owner who is opting to scrap his or her vehicle. This is because the Certificate of Destruction provides you with the proof that the scrap car company has scrapped the vehicle and has therefore notified the DVLA – instead of repairing the vehicle and selling the same to another owner.
When you opt for authorised scrap car companies, it means the scrapping process will be carried out legally and you as the owner will not be misled. As a result, you can enjoy peace of mind when you obtain the Certificate of Destruction.
It should be known that the Certificate of Destruction is issued by the DVLA and the authorised scrap car only acts as intermediaries. So, when you have that document, you can ensure that the vehicle is destroyed.