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I bought an Audi 80 on 15 February 2003 which was untaxed. Before driving it on a public road I ascertained that the cylinder head gasket was gone.The person I bought the car from didn't want to know so I traded the car into a dealer about a month later (and yes he knew about the problem). Yesterday I got notice from DVLA asking me to tax the car from 1st February or declare SORN. Have I committed a crime by not telling the authories that I owned the car for three weeks? What is my best course of action to avoid a fine? All thougts appreciated.
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Wtite to 'em and tell them exectly what happened. I sold a Senator once and didn't do the paperwork. I didn't even know who I'd sold it to. It picked up a few speeding and parking tickets but each time I wrote telling them (and the DVLA) what had happened and I never heard any more.
It was eventually abandoned at the roadside and collected by a scrappie on orders of the local council. They wrote and asked if I wanted to collect it or if they could get rid of it.
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Dodo
It would appear that you have committed three (3) offences.
1. Being the new owner of a motor vehicle fail to notify DVLA forthwith of you acquisition.
2. Not licensing the vehicle - failing to declare SORN
3. Fail to notify DVLA of the change of ownership on selling the vehicle.
Go to:
www.tinyurl.com/94g9
Road Vehicles (Reg & Licensing) Regs 2002 and look at Regs 21 - 25 and also Schedule 4, which outlines the law of the land in this matter.
As suggested by Smokie write a letter to DVLA outlining the circumstances and they may take a benevolent view but do not be surprised if they push it as there has been a general tightening on vehicle ownership etc but as yet I have yet to hear of many prosecuted for failing to notify.
DVD
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just say the car was off the road, as it asks you to delcare in the SORN part of the TAX form. I have exactly the same status regarding my car. As long as no one caught you driving the car without tax (if you ever did), then no worries. Sure, it's not at all advisable to go around without a TAX dics.
They are asking for tax from prior to when you owned the car, just tell them you were not the registered owner, you can prove this with the V5 form i imagine. I have often let SORN delcarations go by unanswered for months, they don't usually get ratty unless some copper cathces you driving around in the car, which i would'nt risk doing. This said, i had my Passat parked on the road outside my house last year and the tax disc had expired by 2 weeks. I happened to be returning one day when i policmen was looking right at the car window. He gave me a dressing down, i ate humble pie and he told me to park the car on my drive until i get the tax paid, and to get the tax tomorrow. Lucky me i suppose, but it restored my faith in the local bobby...
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I guess the moral is always do the paperwork when selling if you are on the V5. Personally I never do the V5 when buying until needs tax, so often drive around for 5 or 6 months not on the V5 I guess. Not strictly correct, but unlikely to be a problem.
I have two cars off the road, one on SORN, as wanted the tax back. But just shredded the tax form for the other. There are so many untaxed etc cars on the road driving about I can't imagine this ever becoming an issue.
As to your car on the road 2 weeks after tax, Martin, having to eat humble pie sounds harsh. IIRC, there is a two week grace period, which is officially recognised. I suspect your ticking off was more related to being parked outside a relatively or better house. Unfortunately the police find it easier to deal with people who very occassionally (accidentally) stray from the straight and narrow than people who are well away from the law, if you see what I mean.
Near where I live there are two cars used a getarounds by criminals which obviously not taxed, MOTed etc. I see different people driving them every time, and they are parked in the same spot every time. Being there for months.
Another example a car was dumped outside my neighbours house. Out of tax by 8months. Reported and left there for 3 weeks. At which point he broke a window (taking out the old tax disc since told on phone any tax disc meant couldn't take) and pushed it in the middle of the road. Within another hour all windows were broken on it (our wonderful youth soon gets the idea). Another 2 hours and the police came to have a look. Another hour and it was collected by the council or whoever at 3.30am in the morning.
If you have a car dumped outside your house your faith will disappear quickly Martin!
PS I don't mean to offend any policemen on this site, just my experiences and knowledge of the system. I think we need more police with more powers and then they would be able to deal with the real problems
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: there is a two week grace period, which is officially recognised.
Who says there is a 2 week grace period officially recognised?
chris
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There is an unofficial grace period following the expiry of a vehicle licence (tax disc).
It's unofficial because there's nothing in the legislation about it, but the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is on record as saying that neither it nor the police 'would wish to take enforcement action against a motorist whose licence had expired within 14 days'.
The maximum fine for not having a tax disc is £1,000. It isn't an endorsable offence, though, so you won't gain points on your driving licence. Get caught forging a tax disc and the maximum fine rises to £5,000, with the possibility of community service or a curfew order on top of that.
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There is an unofficial grace period following the expiry of a vehicle licence (tax disc). It's unofficial because there's nothing in the legislation about it, but the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is on record as saying that neither it nor the police 'would wish to take enforcement action against a motorist whose licence had expired within 14 days'. The maximum fine for not having a tax disc is £1,000. It isn't an endorsable offence, though, so you won't gain points on your driving licence. Get caught forging a tax disc and the maximum fine rises to £5,000, with the possibility of community service or a curfew order on top of that.
This may be so but
From experience when my company car was without displayed valid tax disc
(new disc on route from car lease company)I tried to take said vehicle onto M.O.D property as part of my work and found the vehicle was refused entry and the local police were notified
ending in me as the driver officially warned about the legality of no tax disc .Since this warninig I refuse to drive any vehicle without a valid tax disc displayed company vehicle or not
(I have had several days off work over the years due to this just waiting for the disc to arive).
chris
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>>Yesterday I got notice from DVLA asking me to tax the car from >>1st February or declare SORN. Have I committed a crime by not >>telling the authories that I owned the car for three weeks?
Eh? If you didn't tell them you owned it, how come they are sending you a VED reminder?
Richard
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Simply because the previous owner did his paperwork and told them who the new owner was. Within twenty minutes of me paying for it by the looks of it! I lost about £250 on that dreadful car!
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That is what's supposed to happen. It is the seller's responsibility to notify DVLC of the new owner, not the new owner's. All you have to do now is decide whether you want to declare that the car was off-road while you owned it, or stump up for the six months road tax. I know what I'd do....
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