New scooter purchase - apartment owner, non-resident

Hi

I am currently purchasing a scooter from a main dealer in Tenerife - apartment owner, non-resident and on UK licence.

The dealer has details of the property (deeds), as well as passport and NIE and was all set to register. But, now he is advising that I need to register the scooter myself at the Canarian Estate office?

I thought that they would be able to register the scooter to a non-resident themselves? 

Any advice appreciated 

Steve

If it's a new scooter then the dealership would get the new plates and register it in your name....if it's a second hand one then you just buy it off the dealership and then register it yourself in your name ...the dealer would inform the appropriate government department that you now own the scooter .

Just to advise - scooter has now been registered. I think in this case, the fact that I was a non-resident was causing confusion for the dealer. So, to confirm, with passport, NIE and proof of property ownership a non-resident can purchase a new vehicle, with the dealer registering the vehicle for you and using a UK licence.

Hello Steve

Could this be a case of the dealership not knowing what it is doing?

If you are non resident you cannot have a Spanish driving licence, only a UK license in your case.

Are you or the dealership saying you must own a Spanish property to buy and own a Spanish vehicle (new or used)?

I thought you only needed an NIE and possibly your passport, but I may be wrong.

To register a new  vehicle you need to present NIE copy of your deeds OR rental agreement.  

Make sure they register your vehicle to the address where you live, particularly if your NIE was issued to another address.

9 years ago I purchased a used Escort from a dealer ( costa Blanca) no problems. My NIE was issued years earlier in Fuegirola at an accomodation address. 

2 years ago I traded the car in at a dealership for a new car. The following year I went to the Suma ( tax collection office) to tax the car to find it was not registered to my address. So much dialogue with the dealer, visits to the vehicle licencing office in Alicante without sucess I found someone had entered the address from my NIE instead of my house deeds. It took 2 years to sort out. Luckily I managec to locate the tax office bank detail in Fuengirola to pay by bank transfer. Because it had been incorrectly register at day 1,  no one could advise what to do.

When I bought mine (secondhand) in Elch I was not yet resident having only moved a couple of weeks earlier. I had however obtained my padron in preparation for my residencia application and that was all the dealer needed to register it in my name.