scampicat

We returned to the UK in December 2011 and re-registered our car onto UK plates the following May (when its Spanish ITV was about to expire). The DVLA said they sent a list of re-registered vehicles to trafico so we did nothing else. We then sold the car a couple of months later.

Now however, two years later, we have got a bill (via e-mail) for 2012 and 2013 road tax. I have scanned them all the documentation regarding the re-registration, they just ignore it and resend the bill. We are happy to pay the 2012 bill, but as the car was re-registered and then sold before 2013 we do not want to pay that.

We also no longer have a Spanish Bank Account,I have told them that and asked us to send details so that we can pay the 2012 bill by bank transfer, but to no avail, they have just in effect ignored my emails.

How can we resolve this situation? Words of one syllable please and can I ask you don't be judgemental, we are trying to do the right thing and the bureacracy when we were in Spain caused me to have sleepless nights, I don't want them again now we have left.

missile

Can you ask a friend with a Spanish bank account or living in Spain to pay the bill for you? As you probably know anyone with a Spanish account can pay online or pay in cash.

I know you need to go to trafico to have the car registered. You (or your friend) may have to do the same to de-register?

scampicat

Thanks for your reply. There is no-one I could ask, my friends who I had there have personal circumstances which means I could not bother them with this. Also I don't know the details to pay them otherwise I could arrange for a bank transfer myself out of my UK account. I also can't ask them to go to trafico; Granada is 1.5 hours drive away.

Do you happen to know if there is any way to deal with trafico (Granada) remotely? We can't be the only people in this position.

missile

Hi,

I have no idea how to contact trafico in Madrid. I don't know the IBAN reference for SUMA in Granada so you can pay from UK account. Perhaps your UK bank can advise?

My one and only dealing with trafico, was when I visited them in Cartegena. I struggled with my imperfect Spanish and whilst I was leaving the officer said in perfect English (better than mine!) "That is a very nice bike". After we chatted for a bit, I found we had a few mutual Spanish biker friends.

You must have employed a Spanish solicitor when selling your house. I am sure he will be able to assist.

Fred James

As far as I am aware the correct procedure is to de-register the car with Trafico first and then go to the Ayuntamiento with the Baja papers and get it removed from their list.

I am not aware that traffic automatically does this as road tax is a municipal tax.

You say that the DVLA send details of re-registered cars to Trafico but that may not actually take them off the register.

It is possible that you may have to de-register the car and then apply to have it taken off the Ayuntamiento list.

Dxf

Hi Scampicat,

Trafico has nothing to do with these bills; these bills are from the Ayuntamiento for road tax. And the next one is due on Jan 1st! Yes you will be charged road tax for "owning" the car on 1st January 2014!

As an aside, what happened to the insurance for the car? Another thing most people forget; there may be bills mounting for insurance also.

However you do need to "Baja" the car; or to transfer the ownership to a new person. If you have no knowledgeable friends that can assist you, then you need a gestor to sort this out for you.

Davexf

missile

I am sure Scampicat knows that she needs to pay (SUMA) bills to the SUMA office. To be pedantic, in our local the SUMA office is not located in the Ayuntamiento.

My point was, SUMA office will not deregister the car. My understanding is that unless trafico deregister the car, she will continue to be billed.

Dxf

My point exactly - but she will probably be billed for 2014. She has to deal with the two offices; one to "get rid" of the car for the future, the other to get the debt collectors off her back.

Davexf

scampicat

We employed a bi-lingual English solicitor who practises in Granada. As a last resort we will use him, but it will cost a fortune, far more than the bill!

Thanks anyway for your input.

andyrich666

Really what can thy do though ?

If they ignore you just ignore them. They wont be sending a debt collector to your house.

scampicat

OH thanks everyone. The thing is, we are in the UK and unlikely to return to Spain in the forseeable future. I understand we must contact trafico and the SUMA office (which is the ayuntamiento) - my specific question is, can we do it from the UK by e-mail and scanned documents and pay by bank transfer or credit card.

Insurance not a problem, it was Linea Directa, I rang them up and told them why we would no longer require their insurance. Can't seem to do it that simply with trafico/SUMA even tough I have all the proof including an official letter from DVLA.

I refuse to get stressed about it, I have asked SUMA what I have to do, and for their bank details, they just ignore me and send me more bills.

There is a guy in our church who is bi-lingual, I think I'll ask him to ring and speak to SUMA and hopefully we can then pay over the phone by credit card andthen hopefully he can get some sense out of trafico.

scampicat

This is what my husband says. Maybe I am worrying too much. They don't even have our UK address. The initial bill went to our Spanish address, the new owner sent it on and since then we have corresponded by email. I've told them we no longer have a Spanish address or Bank Account.

missile

Using a solicitor was as a last resort. You don't seem to have many other options.

Maybe you could ask a.n.other solicitor(s) for a quote? I have found my (Spanish) solicitor's charges to be very reasonable?

Hope you get it sorted out.

It is not only in Spain where Bureaucracy is rife. When I left Holland, they tried to bill me for three months - AFTER the utilities were cut off! Threatened me with all sorts of retribution if I did not pay including reporting me to UK authorities for prosecution.

andyrich666

I do understand you can worry about such things but try not too, never put your email address on things in the future if they did not have your email you would be none the wiser with nothing to worry about.

scampicat

I tried to sort it out so that the new owner of our house would have no more bills of ours come. Wish I hadn't bothered!!