Buying a French car/van

Hello - after the success of my last question, I’m returning with another. I’m struggling to buy the van I want - it’s a 4x4 one - I live in the mountains and a lot of my customers live up steep muddy tracks. The particular van i want is rare. I tried to buy one a month ago only to find 3 weeks into the process that it was on LOA (hire purchase) and it would take a further few weeks to buy only if i paid the debt off on the car first (to the finance company). I wasn’t willing to do that. Paying €20k+ by transfer and waiting would kill me with anxiety :joy:.

Anyway, I’ve found another, this time being sold through a garage/car dealership. Apparently the car was the dealership owner’s friend’s Father’s, who died. I asked whose name is on the Carte Gris and he said it was still the former owner (deceased). I asked if it was a problem registering the car in my name since the ‘owner’ is dead, he said it was pretty easy and something to do with notaires. My French is getting better but I wasn’t able to glean more. Does anyone know the process and is it in fact straight forward as the garage guy says?
I think his friend (dead owners son) gives him all the access he needs for documents and everything. I told him i would give a yes or no over the next day or so, but i’m not prepared to wait weeks since I’ve sold my car/van and am relying and another 23 year old vehicle in the time being. Thanks again, Jon

If it’s a decent garage, they should do all of the re-registration for you - and if they’re selling it, they should sort out the notaire/succession stuff.

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thanks, but do you know if this is another one of those long convoluted French bureaucratic processes?

There are registered specialists who help with carte grise problems. Check this site
https://immatriculation.ants.gouv.fr/services-et-formulaires/geolocaliser-des-professionnels-habilites-a-limmatriculation

:face_with_hand_over_mouth:

It’s a nightmare. And that’s even without any succession or notaires involved. A friend of mine who is addicted to Citroëns bought a little Ami to add to his collection a few years ago from some charlatan car dealer. We tried to get ir registered but because the receipt and CG weren’t in the same name we were rebuffed, twice. We then used a “professional” CG getting crew and they gave up too, no fee refund mind. In the end my friend drove the car to Ireland where the receipt and CG don’t have to match to register it.

From the Var to the Cherbourg ferry (and in due course back) is quite a shlep in his Ami. Even without the paddle board.

So, Dusty, long way of saying take Mark’s advice. Buy it done and dusted (:face_with_hand_over_mouth:) registered in your name or walk.

Thanks. But the garage maintain they will do the registration stuff. I understand that i would probably have issues doing that throught ANTS (Titre site), but these guys are the supposed professionals, so if i were to pay them and they process the paperwork on the day would that work? I mean when a garage does this for you, they process the papers, give you some kind of attestation and you wait a few weeks for the Carte Gris. Can the process actually fail a week or so into that process once i’ve already paid leaving me in some kind of limbo?
I don’t think it’s unusual for a garagiste to sell a car for a friend, after all, people are weary of buying off a particulier so it gives more of a professional air. Cheers

cheers, i’ll give that a read

Pay them a deposit (maybe the cost of the registration- easy to work out) to show you’re serious, which is refundable if it all goes tits up. It’s unlikely to all go through on the same day, but you never know. So, pay deposit and then the balance when the car is ready to pick up with all the correct paperwork.

The inheritors can get an attestation from their succession Notaire which is stamped confirming they are in agreement to sell items that have come into their possession after the death. My kids did it for me when I wanted to sell the family car but the CG was in OH nameonly. Very straightforward but it was at the prefecture as ANTS did not exist as such then for such things. As long as there is a legal document approving the sale, it should be no problem for the garage as it protects them too.

I don’t think they’ll require a deposit TBH. I’ll ask though

very useful thanks

Happy days :slightly_smiling_face:

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hmmm.

the garage has been in business for 21 years. On Societe.com the garage owner has the same surname as the son which is the garage business name. There are over 110 very positive google reviews. There are many many instances of this garage/car dealers on the internet. The Bankers Cheque will be made out to the garage name. He will be posting me some forms to fill out in advance of handover day, so I’ll see what i’m signing. I’m doing lots of research on the internet in the meantime.
The garage do the Carte Gris stuff and will give me the attestation whilst i wait for the actual carte gris. I’m not sure how much more i can do to verify things.

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If you are definitely buying from the Garage… all should be well…

best of luck.

Thanks Stella. It’s a nightmare buying a car in France, maybe even harder right down the bottom here (Ariege), there isn’t a huge choice and prices seem to be higher than anywhere else ( probably because we’re in the arse end of nowhere ) and 4x4’s are a premium. I saw a 1990’s Fiat Panda 4x4 up for nearly €10k! This and the last attempt at buying Carte Grises weren’t actually in the vendors name, the previous one was in his company’s name I think. One issue could be the cost of immatriculation. No one wants to pay €200-300 just to swap a name before sale if they aren’t keeping it. I tried to view another similar car and a garage 3.5 hrs away from me, but they aren’t answering calls, texts or emails for the last 2 days. I have talked to them a month ago. They probably took the week off for school holidays or something. But this contact was to the boss’s mobile number. My iPhone says it’s delivered. I know people like to switch off when they aren’t working but they lost a €27000 sale. All he had to do was reply that he’s on holiday and give me a date for a RDV. I started trying seriously to buy 5 weeks ago (when i first made an offer) and it looks like it will have taken me 6 weeks if this new purchase goes through next week. Personally speaking - house buying is a dream here, car buying the worst! fingers crossed

That’s you joined as an interest party in the subsequent lawsuit Stella. Only joking :upside_down_face:

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Cute though, aren’t they? Rugged little cars :slightly_smiling_face:

I, like Stella (and Mark) think is if the dealer does all the stuff it will be fine.

As I understand things… from previous purchases…

If the sale is officially through the Garage… the Garage will provide the Bill of Sale in their own name, thus taking responsibility for their Right to sell the car…
The Garage should do the necessary through ANTS (whatever)… etc etc etc…

It’s been a while, but the basics still stand, surely…

cheers John. Yes, the little Fiat looked great, had a rally car style no 4 on the bonnet too. not practical though. I need an all rounder - for working up muddy mountains, to carry all my tools, to carry materials for my home renovation, to retrieve my firewood from up the mountain where they dump our coupe de bois, be fuel efficient and be able to drive back to the uk in it in comfort (and even sleep in the back on those long trips). You seem interested in cars so you might wish to know what i’m trying to buy -? it’s a Dangel. In my case this will now be a Peugeot Partner Dangel 4x4 with 4x2 option as default but with a rear differential lock and various traction control gizmos. It’s not meant as a full on 4x4 but i’m told is very capable. I couldn’t imagine wanting a big 4x4 really. This car/van seems to tick all the boxes. But they are rare

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