# Selling Car - What's the cleanest, most transparent way of selling a Car belonging to an estate (in my role as executor)



## Colly1977 (19 Jan 2022)

Hi Guys,

What's the cleanest, most transparent way of selling a Car belonging to an estate (in my role as executor). I dont really want to go down the donedeal route. I was thinking of reaching out to some local garages. Its a decent car and with 2nd hand prices as they are currently I am keen to move forward

Thanks in advance


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## noproblem (19 Jan 2022)

If the car is good, less than 4/5 years old I would ask a reputable garage for a quote. I was getting a service lately, my car is a 191, the salesman came out for a chat and asked if I was interested in trading or selling the car. I was offered what I payed for it 2 years ago. Got me thinking so I searched around, and for all the less work involved I think the garage route is as good as any at the moment. No, I didn't sell, because what am I going to buy.


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## Steven Barrett (19 Jan 2022)

Selling a car is a pain. There are so many available on the market. As noproblem said, getting a garage to take it is the easiest way but they are ruthless, so don't expect any favours, especially if you aren't going to buy a car off them. 

Otherwise, somewhere like carzone.ie is a good site for selling cars. But it could take a while to shift the car. And if the buyer has any cop on, they will look for a decent amount off the asking price, especially if they can see the ad has been up for a while. At that stage, you will want to get rid and will probably take the offer.


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## Colly1977 (19 Jan 2022)

Thanks Guys, thinking the same re garage, its just the easiest/cleanest approach. Its a 181 so quite a bit of value in it


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## Slim (19 Jan 2022)

Car prices have increased somewhat for used vehicles. However, best prices will be by selling online. This presents its own problems due to covid, test drive etc. Garages will offer about 60% of the likely selling price online. In this dilemma myself but with an older car.


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## User1970 (19 Jan 2022)

www.zucar.ie allow you to enter details to get a price they will pay for it. 

I sold them a car in 2021 and found the offer competitive and the process straightforward. Maybe 90% of what I would have hoped for in a private sale which I think is good. 

If you try please update here as it might be useful for other folks in a similar position.


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## Colly1977 (19 Jan 2022)

Thanks user1970, I will check out zucar.ie


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## rustbucket (19 Jan 2022)

As above car prices have increased due to brexit, covid and supply issues.

We were offered 6k more for our car than what we actually paid for it 2nd hand 2 years ago. It’s a 181

The flip side of that is any other car would also be more expensive.

You should make more from a private sale than selling/trading to a dealer or selling to a web based company.

It is more hassle selling privately dealing with messers, tyre kickers, scam artists etc

If it’s less hassle you want - sell/trade in to a dealer etc

If you want more money- sell privately


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## Alkers86 (19 Jan 2022)

At a 181 price point, I don't think you'll have anything near as many tyre kickers etc as is being described above. If you're selling a car for <10k then yeah sure but I would just look up similarly specced cars on DD, pick the price of the lowest one, take €500 off and sell it to the first interested party. You'll still make more than from a garage and it's really not a lot of hassle.


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## PebbleBeach2020 (19 Jan 2022)

what 181 are you selling, might be interested in buying it.


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## PebbleBeach2020 (19 Jan 2022)

Slim said:


> Car prices have increased somewhat for used vehicles. However, best prices will be by selling online. This presents its own problems due to covid, test drive etc. Garages will offer about 60% of the likely selling price online. In this dilemma myself but with an older car.


60%............you are ridiculously low with that estimate. I'd say 80% at a minimum but more likely about 90% of the selling price.


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## Slim (19 Jan 2022)

PebbleBeach2020 said:


> 60%............you are ridiculously low with that estimate. I'd say 80% at a minimum but more likely about 90% of the selling price.


Nah. Actual case from a couple of months ago. VW has a car purchasing wing, not sure if it's strictly VW or an industry wide operation. Offered €7,000 On a car which would easily sell on DD or Carzone for €11,500. Less hassle, to be sure!


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## ClubMan (19 Jan 2022)

Yeah, dealers will pay way under the market price if they can. Stands to reason.


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## Salvadore (22 Jan 2022)

On a related issue, is an executor free to sell a car immediately without waiting for probate?


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## SPC100 (22 Jan 2022)

dealer is looking at what profit he will make. He will not buy a 1000 euro car for 600 as it's not worth his while. And nobody will sell him a 100k car for 60k.

Your percent seems high as he wants to price in a few k for himself.


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## jhegarty (22 Jan 2022)

You could also put it up with merlin auctions.


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## Cervelo (23 Jan 2022)

It hasn't been mentioned so far but is there anybody in the family who would be interested the car


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## noproblem (23 Jan 2022)

Cervelo said:


> It hasn't been mentioned so far but is there anybody in the family who would be interested the car


I take it from that question, you've never been an executor of a will


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## Cervelo (23 Jan 2022)

noproblem said:


> I take it from that question, you've never been an executor of a will


You are correct but is there some reason why someone in the family can't purchase the car from the executor??


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## Pinoy adventure (23 Jan 2022)

Cervelo said:


> You are correct but is there some reason why someone in the family can't purchase the car from the executor??


I would of though that if a family member did buy it they might get it slightly cheaper than buying on the open market which could put the executor in a tight spot if a member of the family or a person receiving a part of the sale of the car kicked up a fuss over the slightly cheaper car.


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## Cervelo (23 Jan 2022)

Pinoy adventure said:


> I would of though that if a family member did buy it they might get it slightly cheaper than buying on the open market which could put the executor in a tight spot if a member of the family or a person receiving a part of the sale of the car kicked up a fuss over the slightly cheaper car.


Well if that's the case then the executor can't sell the car to a dealer at below market value they have to sell it on the open market??


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## BlackandBlue (24 Jan 2022)

Unless the executor has "skin in the game" it is a significant investment in their time to achieve what may possibly be a marginal benefit overall for the estate. Now a solicitor who is tasked as the executor can bill for their time and effort which may in fact be detrimental to the estate overall.

A dealer will only offer a "trade price".
Remember they are a business and must make a profit on the transaction.

So in theory the only lot to the executor is the open market. But some degree of pragmatism is probably needed in most cases.


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## mathepac (24 Jan 2022)

If there is a beneficiary who is interested in buying the car, they already own a percentage of it, so that percentage gets discounted off the open market price. They get no additional discount because they are "family".

Do a quick survey of the market for make/model/year/spec/mileage/condition, dismiss the highest and lowest priced cars from the survey, get the mean price of the remaining cars and that's the base price.  Discount that price by the beneficiaries' ownership, e.g. 10 beneficiaries, 10% discount to the purchaser, and that valuation is deducted from the purchaser's eventual share of the estate.  No money changes hands, the car-purchaser gets less when the estate is settled.


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## peemac (24 Jan 2022)

A dealer will want €1,500-€2000 profit.

Ring a couple and get a feeling from them if you want a quick sale. Start with the place it was bought from.

Don't be surprised if they buy at 18k and price it at 22k as they need haggling room.

But done deal is not bad for this price bracket. The tyre kickers are in the lower price bracket.

I sold a 2018 Sorrento a few months ago within a week on DD for a very good price.


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## Pinoy adventure (24 Jan 2022)

mathepac said:


> If there is a beneficiary who is interested in buying the car, they already own a percentage of it, so that percentage gets discounted off the open market price. They get no additional discount because they are "family".
> 
> Do a quick survey of the market for make/model/year/spec/mileage/condition, dismiss the highest and lowest priced cars from the survey, get the mean price of the remaining cars and that's the base price.  Discount that price by the beneficiaries' ownership, e.g. 10 beneficiaries, 10% discount to the purchaser, and that valuation is deducted from the purchaser's eventual share of the estate.  No money changes hands, the car-purchaser gets less when the estate is settled.



I would of thought that if my mom or dad was the executor that they would not charge me the higher end of the sale price of the car,leaving aside the percentage off if I was too inherited any % of the car.


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## mathepac (24 Jan 2022)

Pinoy adventure said:


> I would of thought that if my mom or dad was the executor that they would not charge me the higher end of the sale price of the car,leaving aside the percentage off if I was too inherited any % of the car.


Sorry, but I can't make head nor tail of that post.


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## Pinoy adventure (24 Jan 2022)

mathepac said:


> Sorry, but I can't make head nor tail of that post.



You would think a parent would give a child or family member a reduced price in comparison too the open market sale price.


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## mathepac (24 Jan 2022)

They can't. It conflicts  with their roles(s) as executor( s ) and reduces the funds available to other beneficiaries and leaves them open to being sued.


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## Pinoy adventure (25 Jan 2022)

mathepac said:


> They can't. It conflicts  with their roles(s) as executor( s ) and reduces the funds available to other beneficiaries and leaves them open to being sued.


At what point would at executor be leaving themselves open too be sued at in the sale of a car too a family member ?? 

If car is worth 20k,and executor sold car for 18k too garage would that be reasonable grounds for Sueing the executor ?


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## NoRegretsCoyote (25 Jan 2022)

The OP hasn't specified it, but there may be disagreement/suspicion between the heirs. As executor he needs to act defensively and secure a price that can be justified on paper, even if it's not the theoretically best price out there.

In his shoes I would get three garage quotes and sell to the best of them. There is most likely a better price available through a private sale, but this would leave him open to accusations of corruption which he will be keen to avoid.


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## Cervelo (25 Jan 2022)

Pinoy adventure said:


> At what point would at executor be leaving themselves open too be sued at in the sale of a car too a family member ??


I would have thought that the Executor could sell a car at a reduced price if they have the consent from the beneficiaries of the will


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## NoRegretsCoyote (25 Jan 2022)

Cervelo said:


> I would have thought that the Executor could sell a car at a reduced price if they have the consent from the beneficiaries of the will


The OP has asked:



Colly1977 said:


> What's the *cleanest, most transparent* way of selling a Car belonging to an estate


If he wants clean and transparent he probably doesn't want to sell to one heir and be seeking permission from the rest of them.


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## Cervelo (25 Jan 2022)

NoRegretsCoyote said:


> If he wants clean and transparent he probably doesn't want to sell to one heir and be seeking permission from the rest of them.


But will they still not have to get consent from the beneficiaries if selling to a dealer at a trade price rather then full market price??
Most wills probably only have a couple of beneficiaries so would it be that hard or time consuming to ask them

I've never been an Executor and probably won't ever be as I think it's a thankless and stressful job
But I have been a beneficiary and been involved in the distribution of an estate and after the big items are sorted you're left with the persons personal items like house contents, jewellery etc etc and these are usually divided up among the beneficiaries and other family members and friends for one reason or another and this is usually done with the consent of the beneficiaries and with little regard to the value of these items


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## jpd (25 Jan 2022)

Clearly, never an executor


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## mathepac (25 Jan 2022)

Cervelo said:


> I would have thought that the Executor could sell a car at a reduced price if they have the consent from the beneficiaries of the will


The executor has full executive powers and does not need the permission of any of the beneficiaries for any course of action s/he might take, provided such action is in line with (a) the wishes of the decedent and (b) his / her duties and responsibilities as executor.

It'd be nice to have the agreement of the beneficiaries, but that's it, it's a "nice to have".

I have been executor, now can we move on from this notion of mythical "family discounts".


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## Colly1977 (29 Jan 2022)

Just an update guys, and thanks for everyones advice, I went with zucar, the price the gave was ball park or better than other dealers, a very efficient and seamless process. I would recommend them. I could have gotten a small bit better on done deal but then again I mightn't and be happy to take any price in a couple of months!


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## User1970 (30 Jan 2022)

Glad my advice worked out for you and your experience mirrors my own, fast, transparent and efficient if you are ok with the price they offer.

I have no affiliation other than as a satisfied client.


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## noproblem (30 Jan 2022)

Good man, out of curiosity I'm going to send off details of my own motor to Zucar and see what they offer. I have a fair idea what it's worth.


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## Salvadore (1 Feb 2022)

Bear in mind also that a dealer will have incorporate VAT into the selling price which will reduce the profit. A private buyer has no such concerns.


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