NSW Can a Car Dealership Sell an Unregistered Car?

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Samuel Martin

Well-Known Member
2 February 2016
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0
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I've tried to find out what the law is regarding this, but I can't find it.

I bought a car from a dealership and when I took the car to have the car registration transferred I was informed that the registration on the car had expired a month before I bought the car. I thought the car had five months left on the rego but it seems that the last renewal was never paid.

Is it legal for car dealerships to sell unregistered cars in NSW? If not, would I be within my rights to register the car and then charge the registration fees back to the dealership?
 

Tim W

Lawyer
LawConnect (LawTap) Verified
28 April 2014
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820
2,894
Sydney
Does your contract refer to an expiry date?
Was it held out to you by the dealer that it was registered?
How did you test drive it if it wasn't registered?
 

Samuel Martin

Well-Known Member
2 February 2016
20
0
121
The sale contract does NOT specify an expiry date for the registration (however the page that I received titled: 'Motor Dealers Notice For Motor Vehicles' has a space for 'Registration Number And Expiry Date' which lists the registration number but is missing the information for the expiration date).
I suspect that it was listed on carsales as having registration but I'm not sure that I could prove that now.
I had a mechanic test drive the car for me, so not only did the dealer allow me to drive away in an unregistered car, but a mechanic was also allowed to drive the car while unregistered as well.