Dubai Court rules in favour of plaintiff in Rolls-Royce ownership dispute

The Civil Court in Dubai has ordered a man to transfer and register the ownership of a "Rolls-Royce Cullinan" vehicle to his friend, after it was proved that the car's registration in the defendant's name was a temporary measure because the original buyer did not possess a driving licence at the time of purchase.

The court also ruled that the plaintiff be compensated with Dhs15,000 for the damages he incurred as a result of the defendant's refusal to re-register the vehicle in his name.

The case dates back to an earlier time when the plaintiff purchased the vehicle in March 2024 for Dhs2.3 million which he completely paid, but registered it in his friend's name because he did not have a valid driving licence at that time, relying on their friendship and trust.

According to the case documents, the plaintiff, the original owner of the car, found that the defendant had filed a criminal complaint of breach of trust against him, claiming appropriation of the vehicle despite it being registered in his name.

The Public Prosecution decided to dismiss the complaint due to the absence of a crime, which prompted the plaintiff to resort to the civil judiciary to demand transferring the vehicle’s registration to his name.

The plaintiff submitted documents confirming his payment of the vehicle's price from his own money and through purchase and import correspondence, as well as the Public Prosecution's decision to dismiss the criminal complaint, while the defendant failed to attend the sessions despite being legally notified.

The court stated that the registration of the vehicle in the defendant's name was a temporary measure which did not grant him the right to its ownership, while the plaintiff was the actual owner of the vehicle as he paid its price, possessed it, and benefited from it.

The court also affirmed that the defendant's refusal to re-register the vehicle caused material and moral damage to the plaintiff, necessitating compensation of Dhs15,000.

Therefore, the court ordered him to transfer the ownership of the vehicle and re-register it in the plaintiff's name with the competent authorities, along with obliging him to pay the fees, expenses of the lawsuit and lawyer's fees.