On the scrapheap...

[Admiral]

That's an old motor of ours, not me - or at least not yet.

The question is this; just how do I go about scrapping an old car in France - legally?

I was going to put this  thread in Motoring - but as the old bird doesn't "motor" anymore I feel the subject has more to do with legalities.  We are in France after all.

Sooo.....anyone have any idea of the ins and outs of sending a car to the scrap heap?

Does the scrap yard cancel the carte grise for me so the motor doesn't officially exist anymore?  Do I get paperwork confirming I used to have a, now dead, car?  Do I cancel the insurance or does the scrap yard?

More importantly, where is one, a scrap yard that is, when you need it?  The car is un-driveable since you didn't ask so they would have to collect.

Also important.....do I get any money for this sudden and unexpected act of benevolence?

All answers gratefully received  because I sick to death of looking at the thing sitting outside.  Maybe I could just hide it in a barn....if I had one.

[Fred]

Good question I'm surprised you haven't had hundreds of answers or comments from sleepy ville    but until they do wake up and share their wisdom, I'll have a go.

#1 I would imagine it will include a lot of paperwork, but you knew that already.

#2 I think you can only dispose to a registered scrap dealer.

#3 I think you will probably have to pay them to dispose of it. (hence the reason you find cars buried in your garden)

#4 I think you will still need to provide a "Déclaration de cession" and "Certificat de situation administrative" as you would when selling.

#5 I think it's not going to be easy.

Find out more:

#1 Ask the lady in the Montmorillon préfecture she is very helpful.

#2 Ask at the Contrôle Technique near Leclerc, they are very helpful too.

#3 Ask your local Mayor. (though he will probably take a few hours debating to tell you he doesn't know)

#4 I'm not 100% sure but I think there is a small scrap yard on the right hand side just before Hebras going into Montmorillon, I don't know any more than that but I have seen old cars there.

Options on getting shot of it:

#1 Shove it on here For Sale / Freebies you never know someone may be interested, plus it will go out on Twitter.

#2 Shove it on the https://leboncoin.fr again someone my want it.

#3 Break it up for spares and post on the above two places, (that's if you have time and can be bothered, but it may give you more back that way)

#4 How bad is it ? with the huge cost of second hand cars around here it could be worth repairing. (A recon engine could be cheaper than buying another car)

#5 Make it into a chicken shed, or garden feature.

#6 Go the French way and bury it in your garden.

I hope you will get more answers and please do keep us informed as it may help others in the future.

*I would be interested to know what it is and what's wrong with it via PM if you don't want to post here, as I'm on the look out for a cheap stand by car.

But for now I'm going back to Jiml's new thread for Anoraks [Invalid Thread ID]  

[Admiral]

Thanks for that Fred.

Your first section confirmed my fears of getting bogged down in the bureaucratic nightmare that is France.

I do like your suggestions of trying the Prefecture in Montmorillon and the controle technique place.  Will be on the case tout suite.

I won't try our mayor.  Nice fella but more used to dealing with his beef herd than people, impossible to get an answer out of and needs prising away from the cognac bottle.

Good thought about the scrapyard near Hebras although someone told me recently it had gone.  I will investigate.

I really think going the French route might be fun.  It's certainly big enough to make a garden "feature", too big to bury unless you know someone with a digger and poses a good possibility as a chicken shed. The other French alternative seems to be just leaving them to sit outside and slowly compost.

Will keep you updated on progress - or not as the case might be but, like you, am waiting for others on here to pile in with their weighty knowledge.

[Admiral]

Thanks for that Fred.

Good thought about the scrapyard near Hebras although someone told me recently it had gone.  I will investigate.

The scrapyard near Hebras has gone although there is very large caravan thingy there.

The chap was  rather bemused when I asked if I could drop off two and half tons of rusty metal in the shape of a car.

I am now on the trail of two possible destinations for the car following your advice.

Watch this space.  Or not as the case may be.

Ho hum la vie en France.......

[Fred]

Thanks for that Fred.

Good thought about the scrapyard near Hebras although someone told me recently it had gone.  I will investigate.

The scrapyard near Hebras has gone although there is very large caravan thingy there.

The chap was  rather bemused when I asked if I could drop off two and half tons of rusty metal in the shape of a car.

I am now on the trail of two possible destinations for the car following your advice.

Watch this space.  Or not as the case may be.

Ho hum la vie en France.......

Just a thought I wonder if you could just drop it off at the Déchèterie ? Could be worth asking.

[Admiral]

Apolgies for my tardiness in updating this thread.  Something I'm alway nagging others about and now I'm the guilty one.

The car has been sold to a fella who wants it for spares.

For info; the process of finding a registered scrapyard was as difficult as Fred suggested.  There only about five within 100 kilometres of Montmorillon - the nearest being about 30 KM away.  They wanted me to PAY them.

Another said they'd be around within the week and I never heard from them again.

The whole ugly saga was as hideously complicated as Fred predicted with some yards very reluctant to issue the certifcat de destruction d'un vehicule.  Without this you're left in limbo. You're still the registered owner and have no way of convincing the insurance company to cancel the contract.

Selling is slightly easier but don't do what we did.  We downloaded the declaration de cession d'un vehicule from the Prefecture site in Montmorillon, took the filled-in forms and were sent home with the official, carbon copy form in triplicate to complete.    Why do they have the form on the interweb?

Oh - and beware a couple of English folk advertising for scrap metal.  Sure, they'll offer to take the car away and "scrap" it but they can't issue the necessary forms to convince the world it's gone to the great breakers yard in the sky. To be fair to them they do buy any old iron but when it comes to iofficially scrapping your motor....

[Fred]

Thanks for the update.

Did the buyer have to register it and pay any Taxe régionale like you do when buying a car for use on the road?

I looked at buying a car for spares but got put off after reading Poitou-Charentes is €41:80 per CV. Mine is 10 CV so that would cost me €418 on top off the price for the scrap car.  

[Admiral]

As far as I'm aware the buyer has no intention of registering it.

I think the thing is going to sit in a darkened barn beling quietly taken to bits as and when parts/tyres etc are needed.

Might be naughty - or even illegal - but as it's on private land I assume he can do what he likes with it.

Any road up - as they say Ooop North - the prefecture and the insurance company know he's got it.  What happens after that I really don't care.

Not much of an answer to your query Fred but the best I can come up with.

Maybe someone else on here - wakey wakey - knows the "legal" position.

[Fred]

Thank you Admiral, I see your point about it's gone and you are covered so it's not your problem any more.

If any of our members do decide to wake up and know if the buyer of a scrap car has to register or pay any Taxe régionale I would be grateful if you could post here.

Thank you.