SORN Question ?

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Thu 31 Jan 2008 14:34
SORN Question ? - killie
Hi
Had a look through the Forum threads on SORN but was unable to find the right answer.
Basically I purchased a second hand Car last Saturday. Which had no Road Tax.
So Insured it online last Saturday. Received the Insurance Docs in the Post today
went down to TAX it Girl in Post Office said I might be liable for a Fine as the Vehicle had not been declared SORN. explained I'd only just bought it. And had no knowledge of the Vehicle not being SORN so who do they send the Fine to ?
Regards
Ian.H


Just altered your heading, whilst grammatically correct (and very welcome), people will search under the more regularly spelt way

Edited by Pugugly {P} on 31/01/2008 at 20:41

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Thu 31 Jan 2008 14:44
S.O.R.N Question ? - normd2
you didn't really tax an untaxed car on the 31st of the month did you?
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Thu 31 Jan 2008 14:49
S.O.R.N Question ? - killie
No I taxed it for the 1st of Feb 08
can't take it on the road till tomorrow

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Thu 31 Jan 2008 14:53
S.O.R.N Question ? - normd2
I'm surprised they sold it to you. Round here if it's not already taxed you either pay for all of the preceeding month or you wait until the 1st.
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Thu 31 Jan 2008 15:00
S.O.R.N Question ? - killie
I always assumed you could Tax a Car a couple of days before the end of the Month
to start on the following Month.
Anyone know the answer to my Original Question ?
Thanks
Ian.H
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Thu 31 Jan 2008 15:17
S.O.R.N Question ? - Collos25
Any fine will go to whoever the name is in the log book prior to you,that is providing you have sent off to change name.
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Thu 31 Jan 2008 15:25
S.O.R.N Question ? - normd2
www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2002/20022742.htm#26

contains the relevant info - in short if you're a licenced trader or similar there's a three month grace period. If you're not licenced there's the potential to be fined immediately. And anyway AB says above the fine will go to whoever was the registered keeper at the time the tax expired.
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Thu 31 Jan 2008 16:56
S.O.R.N Question ? - oldnotbold
SORN expires on a change of ownership, and you can't be liable for the lack of previous SORN. You have up to a tax month to re-SORN or re-tax, and given you've taxed it within two days I can't see an issue.
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Thu 31 Jan 2008 18:23
S.O.R.N Question ? - pmh
But how did you get it home?


Always a good move to buy it subject to delivery by the previous owner. Gets you off the hook.



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Thu 31 Jan 2008 18:50
S.O.R.N Question ? - killie
Had it delivered..
only asked the original question because the Person in the Post Office seemed sure that i or the Original owner was in for a Fine. Asked if I was sure I wanted to go ahead and Tax it replied that I had little choice if I wanted to drive the Car legally..
Thanks
Ian.H

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Thu 31 Jan 2008 20:32
S.O.R.N Question ? - martint123
You should have SORNd it when you bought it.
Had you taxed it for the current month (and wasted money) it would have covered it, but theory and the forms say it must be either taxed or SORNd at all times.
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Thu 31 Jan 2008 21:26
S.O.R.N Question ? - oldnotbold
However in practice you have until the end of the tax month to SORN a vehicle whose tax ran out, so I can't see DVLA getting upset about 48 hrs of unSORNed time.
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Thu 31 Jan 2008 21:29
S.O.R.N Question ? - killie
That would have been tricky without the Insurance Certificate which as I mentioned earlier did not arrive till Today.
As it was late on Saturday afternoon when I bought the Car thought it best to Insure online.
seems a bit of a minefield this SORN thing

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Fri 1 Feb 2008 07:59
S.O.R.N Question ? - Dwight Van Driver
Technically you should have declared SORN on the vehicle when you purchased it if you were not going to tax it straight away. There is no actual criminal offence of failing to delare SORN. It is purely an admin procedure for DVLA to send out £80 charge - vehicle tax expired and by next month not relicensed or SORN.

You will have course have sent DVLA V5 notifying the change of ownership from which they will see that from date of ownership to relicensing only days, something I feel sure they will not bother about.

dvd
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Fri 1 Feb 2008 11:37
S.O.R.N Question ? - killie
Thanks for the Info..
Will be better prepared next time I buy a Vehicle
Regards
Ian.H

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