Car clamped due to outstanding money from previous owner

[Creole]

Hi I’m new on here. I have never had to deal with bailiffs before and I need advice.
My car was clamped today by JBW. They told me that there are outstanding tickets on the car from the previous owner and that I need to pay £500 to get it unclamped. This is a very old car which is not even worth £100 which I got from a friend who does not know the previous owner. I bought it mid July 2019 and where I am at fault is I did not register the car straight away as I fell ill shortly after . Does that mean that I am still liable to pay for the someone’s else tickets.JBW won’t release the car even though it is now under my name. They threatened to call the police on me so I went to the police station myself to get advice but the police is saying that it is a civil matter and they can’t help me and I need to apply through the courts. Thanks in advance

[ostell]

So have you got documents that show that you are the owner, such as a bill of sale ? V5 is not proof of ownership.

[Creole]

Hi thank you for responding.
I don’t have a bill of sale as I paid cash. It was only a couple of hundred pounds as it is an old car.

[2222]

The previous owner who has the outstanding tickets - did you buy from him or someone else?

Your friend sold it to you but where did he get it from? What proof of ownership did he have?