Roderick Ramage reflects on what you actually buy when you think you’re buying a cherished number plate
Whether you spend a million or so on “A1” for your best car and its converse, “1A”, for its twin in your motor house, or £250 plus an administration fee of £80 on a less exalted number from the DVLA or something in between from a private trader, what is it that you will get?
No property rights?
Lloyd v Svenby and another [2006] EWHC 315 (QB) concerned a dispute between the owners of two cars, Lister Jaguars made in or about 1959, which, unbeknown to the authorities until 2002, had borne the same registration number as each other. Mr Lloyd asked the DVLA which car should retain the registration number. The DVLA withdraw the registration number from both vehicles, so Mr Lloyd brought proceedings for declaratory relief that his car had a better claim to the registration number than Mr Svenby’s.
The court dismissed both the claim and counterclaim on the ground, amongst others, that there was no justiciable issue between the parties.
The judge commented:
