NSW
14256 posts
Quick question if anyone out there can help.
A couple of kids stole my car from the train station yesterday and after taking it for a joy ride decided to put a match to it......ahhhh
I spent a fair amount of time last night and today looking at options and have discovered that due to the hail storm in Victoria late last year there are a bunch of nice almost new cars with hail damage sitting down there in salvage yards. With recent changes to NSW laws they are reluctant to re-register vehicles that have already been written off due to theft issues. The fellas I spoke to in Victoria said that as long as I get it registered in Vic first I can then register it in NSW at a later date.
Has anyone any experience with this process?
NSW
1412 posts
You can register ...but you cannot insure
QLD
2800 posts
i've transferred car, truck, motorcycle & boat rego between vic, nsw, qld & wa. never had any problems. just hand in the relevant paperwork including green(?) slip and the old plates, pay the fees and it's a simple changeover. i don't think they will ask any questions as long as the vehicle is currently validly registered.
you will get a refund on whatever vic rego you have remaining minus 10% from memory.
you can always call the rta and check. (just don't give them any of your details when you ring).
WA
15105 posts
Despite Wineman's advice, I am pretty sure that you cannot even register them here. I am not sure about the insurance, but I registered a WOV a few years back, and insurance was no problem. I still have the same car today.
Before the rules changed, you could re-register a written off vehicle, where it was a repairable write-off, but not if it was a 'statutory' write off. In other words there were two categories, the first where it was possible to repair, and the second where it was deemed not possible or not in the public good.
I know, because I bought a written off commodore, repaired it, and re-registered it here in NSW.
This system ended up in a large number of rebirths where people would buy wrecks that were repairable write-offs, and then swap the identity with a stolen car, and present the 'repaired' car for re-registration. All they needed was someone who could provide them with a 'legitimate' source for certain parts in the theoretical repair, and they would be okay.
When I repaired mine, any car that was less than 10 years old and a repaired write-off, was required to have an identity inspection to ensure that it was really the same car.
The other thing that appeared to happen, although I am not sure how much it really happened, was that there were a number of repaired vehicles where the repair quality was suspect.
As a result, the powers that be decided that they would not allow any re-registration of a written-off vehicle in NSW after a certain date, which has now passed. This means that you cannot do it. I believe that once its on the WOVR, no matter where it is first re-registered, you cannot re-register in NSW. If anyone knows different to this, I would love to hear it. [see below]
Funnily enough, once they changed these rules, the price of wrecks at the auction houses dropped. Who would have figured ;)
As far as I am aware, NSW is the only state to implement this policy, but I suspect that Sydney was where most of the problems came from, although I wouldn't be surprised if a similar problem arises in Victoria.
I agree with Stamp's suggestion. Call the RTA and ask them. They were good when I did this, and were pretty open about what was allowed and what was required.
[Edit]:
I have changed my mind. Here you go, I figured it was worth the effort of Googling it...
It seems that it only really applies to WOVs that occur in NSW, and what you have in mind could be okay.
From the NSW WOV FAQ:
"
What if I buy a repairable write-off from another state?
If the repairable write-off was recorded on the interstate Written-off Vehicle Register (WOVR) before 1 February 2011, the vehicle can be registered if repairs are certified by a NSW Fair Trading licensed repairer and the vehicle
meets RTA inspection requirements.
If the vehicle was recorded as repairable on the interstate WOVR on or after 1 February 2011, it must be repaired and registered in another state or territory before
applying for registration in NSW.
"
NSW
325 posts
Buy it and register it in VIC, set your poatal address as your place in NSW and keep it VIC registered
Leaving it VIC registered is cheaper and easier, you do not have to go over the pits every year and you simply pay at the post office when the rego papers turn up.
NSW
894 posts
Another thing with changing registration from Vic to NSW, you will need a blue slip for the changeover. I had to go through this about 18 months ago.
Blue slip can be a more detailed inspection than your annual pink slip, so make sure of the roadworthiness. Hail damage by itself shouldn't be a problem.
WA
2940 posts
i heard a rumour that ringing the relevant department normally gives your pretty accurate answers rather than getting advice from the internet
NSW
14256 posts
After numerous phone calls today it looks like its all go.
You can register a written off vehicle in NSW if it has been re-registered first in the State / Territory that it was written off in. I will need to obtain a certificate of registration via appointment (earliest one is 20 April) once a road worthy certificate has been issued. Then I can re-register it in NSW within 3 months and will be able to hand the plates in to Vic Roads and get a refund for the unused component of the registration. Lots of admin crap to sort out but its possible and well worth the effort. I will end up with a vehicle that is a lot newer and less km's than I would here for half the price but it will have a few cosmetic issues - hail damaged roof and some marks on the bonnet - no issue for me.
Stoked. Cheers for all your help fellas.
