How to Sell a Car When the Owner is Deceased

When someone is deceased, their vehicle much like their other possessions falls into the hands of the executor of the will, an administrator, or a relative. The rules for selling such a car vary slightly from those of a normal car. This comprehensive guide for the state of NSW will help you if you ever find yourself in such an unfortunate situation.

Estimating the Value of the Car

Before you proceed with anything, you need to ensure that you are aware of the value of the car in question. There are many ways to go about this but the easiest way is to contact a reliable car wrecker like Scrap Car Removal. Since they are up to date with the current ongoings in the market, they will be able to provide you with an accurate estimate.

Share all the information regarding the car, including the make, model, and condition, so they can share a precise estimation. If you find the provided quote acceptable, they will make things easier for you. Not only will they share all necessary information, but they will also arrange for car removal and handle the paperwork.

Taking Care of Documentation

When the owner of a car is deceased, proving ownership might be a little more tricky, unlike in other cases. To start with, the executor of the will has to obtain a probate to transfer the car to the next of kin or to who it is willed. You will also have to furnish the death certificate to the authorities to move any further.

If there is a will, a valid government ID, probate document, and proof of ownership must be provided. In the case of no will, you as the seller will have to obtain a statutory declaration proving your relationship to the deceased. This can be as a joint operator of the car or next of kin. Before you sell the car, take the time to obtain all the necessary documents.

Transferring or Cancelling Registration

Note that if the car is still registered, you have to either transfer the registration or cancel it. There is a pretty stringent procedure involved to cancel the registration, which you can examine . This process is comprehensive for a reason – to avoid fraudulent dealings or cases of theft. If the vehicle is unregistered, you will have to fill out a vehicle sale form.

In case you are selling to a car wrecker, you don’t have to take the trouble of visiting Service NSW yourself. Someone like Scrap Car Removal will have the complete know-how. So you can sit back as they take care of the transfer of registration process. All you need to provide is the relevant registration information and proof of ownership. You should inform the car wrecker beforehand if the car is unregistered, so they can get the relevant forms.

Understand the Liabilities

Between the time of death and the final sale or disposal of the car, you must take up the responsibility of managing the car. Firstly, it is essential to find out if there are any outstanding fines and pay them promptly. Additionally, the executor will have to also keep up to date with the details of registration, insurance, and tolls.

Before the sale of the car to a third party or distribution to a beneficiary, payments to registration, insurance, and tolls must continue. You must know that the transfer fee or stamp duty will not apply in certain cases. If the vehicle is transferred to – a will-nominated beneficiary, administrator of the estate, joint registered operator, next of kin, or proven beneficiary in subsequent transfers.

Cancel All Remnants

Unfortunately, selling the car to a wrecker or a third party isn’t the end of it all. Post the transfer of registration, you must take the trouble to update all related accounts with new owner information. The toll account will have to be closed if it is sold to a third party as it can only transfer to a spouse or partner.

You will also have to cancel the driver’s license of the deceased. The Transport NSW authorities will have to be notified about the death if you want things to move quickly. As mentioned before when dealing with the authorities, you will have to provide a death certificate, newspaper death notice, or any other approved document

While this is a rather unfortunate situation to deal with. We recommend you deal with it sooner than later will be better. In the long run, it only becomes more complicated and harder to deal with. We hope this guide is helpful in this regard. If you have any other queries about selling a car for cash like this, please do not hesitate to contact us at 0432 022 021