HORTs and MOTs...
Author
Discussion

sixspeed

Original Poster:

2,062 posts

292 months

Friday 14th February 2003
quotequote all
One for Madcop and Co..

Got pulled over the other day in the Polo and given a producer for my documents. When I got home tho I dug out the paperwork, and found my MOT had expired the week before.

I've got the car booked in for it's MOT at the weekend, and I'm certain it will pass.

However, what will this mean to me as far as the producer is concerned. I genuinely thought the MOT was still in force and was due to expire at the same time as the tax on the car, but obviously not. :-/ Am I for it? Or might it be overlooked as it was only a week overdue...?


-andy-

CB-Dave

1,002 posts

280 months

Friday 14th February 2003
quotequote all
um technically you will be done for driving with no MOT - the only way you could get the no-mot to stick is if you were stopped and given the 7 day wonder on your way to the MOT station (pre-booked)

no mot is non-endorsable iirc though, it'll be a fine and that's about it. Plus, if you have gotten one as soon as you've found out about it then they may give some leniency but I reckon your wallet will be about £60 lighter unfortunately...

schueymcfee

1,577 posts

285 months

Friday 14th February 2003
quotequote all
If you got pulled with no MOT and you were on your way to the MOT station do they check with the MOT station to see if your booked?

PatHeald

8,058 posts

276 months

Friday 14th February 2003
quotequote all
You are going to get a summons for:

1.No MOT
2.Failing to produce your MOT

When you plead guilty to the first offence, the second will be withdrawn.

The offence is not endorsable. If you decide to go to court, take both the old and new MOTs in order to show it was an oversight that was fixed immediately.

You are going to get a fine of about £50-£100 for the offence, plus costs of £35 if it is a first time guilty plea.

Don't forget to produce your other documents.

bobthebench

398 posts

283 months

Saturday 15th February 2003
quotequote all
As soon as you get MOT, produce it to cops, explain position and hope for leniency. They can drop it there and then, if they choose.

If not notify CPS with a sob story letter, ADMIT error but no offence. Now rectified and apologise for taking up everybody's time with a memory lapse. They too can drop the case, or proceed by conditional offer i.e. no conviction. If they've made their target for the week and your letter is convincing, you'll get a telling off and nothing else.

Don't just sit there and wait for fate to take it's course.

madcop

6,649 posts

283 months

Saturday 15th February 2003
quotequote all
I would think there is no doubt you will be summonsed for this offence.

You can try writing to the Administration of Justice Dept that deal with the laying of information for summons. It may have some effect but I doubt it.

If you are summonsed, It may well pay you to attend the court and take all the previous MOTs for the car, if you still have them, and the relevant service history to show that the car is well maintained and that you genuinely have made an error about the time the MOT ran out. Take the new MOT as well as if the car has passed without any work needed to it, the court will accept this as mitigation for the offence.

To plead guilty via post will not achieve a lenient sentence.

It pays to have a personal reminder which is obvious and in prominent place about when cars that are due for MOT should be tested. No other prompt other than memory is sent unlike tax or Insurance.

A piece of Dina tape stuck somewhere in the line of driver vision (not in the centre of the windscreen or obstructing the instruments ) with simply 'MOT due 4/6/03' is easy to install and unobtrusive but effective.