A note about SORN and buying a new vehicle . . .

[Busa_Rush]

I recently sold a motorbike, I'd not renewed the insurance because I was selling it and it's parked in my garage which is secure and not likely to catch fire etc . . .

So I declared it SORN as having no insurance on a vehicle which is not on a SORN is now illegal. (Utter cock of a law brought in by cocks but that's another post . . .)

So I had a bike which is on a SORN but still has a valid tax disc . . . so when the new owner collected it, had I not been honest, I could have told him it was all ready to go so the first ANPR he comes to would give him a ticket or he could possibly have the bike seized.

Just a side effect of a crap law and worth making sure when you buy your new car/bike, you're not opening yourself up to this problem ! I think you can check the vehicle status on the DVLA web site.

[SS2.]

Busa_Rush said:

So I had a bike which is on a SORN but still has a valid tax disc . . . so when the new owner collected it, had I not been honest, I could have told him it was all ready to go...

SORN in itself wouldn't have been an issue as it expires on change of owner.

Busa_Rush said:

.. so the first ANPR he comes to would give him a ticket or he could possibly have the bike seized.

Why would it have been liable for seizure ?

[nigel bickle]

I've had something similar this weekend.

I used an old V5 to return a car (off road since 85) to the current register- in preparation for its ongoing return to the road.
I watched the DVLA site -where previously it didnt show, and sure enough, a week back it appeared (I'd sent the paperwork in at the very beginning of June).

V5c arrived yesterday (-mysteriously my Cream car is now Green) so i tried to SORN immediately on line.

Iit wouldnt let me -stating that I had to do so in a Post Office. Puzzled - I visited my local Office where they confirmed they needed the SORN letter -not the V5c. They could tax it -but its not yet legal, but they couldnt SORN it.

Seeing as the V5c shows I've owned it, unSORN'd for 7 weeks now, I took the only route open and posted one in.

To me, DVLA seem to be making this as difficult as possible. Nor did anything in the Official paperwork finally received tell me I needed to act -promptly.

[Busa_Rush]

SS2. said:

Busa_Rush said:

So I had a bike which is on a SORN but still has a valid tax disc . . . so when the new owner collected it, had I not been honest, I could have told him it was all ready to go...

SORN in itself wouldn't have been an issue as it expires on change of owner.

Busa_Rush said:

.. so the first ANPR he comes to would give him a ticket or he could possibly have the bike seized.

Why would it have been liable for seizure ?

Oh, Ok, I didn't realise SORN expired on change of owner. But for a few weeks before DVLA have updated their system, he was still driving a bike which could have been seized as the Police say that SORN and use on public road = potential seize.

[SS2.]

Busa_Rush said:

..he was still driving a bike which could have been seized as the Police say that SORN and use on public road = potential seize.

They can't seize a vehicle for being used on a road simply because it is still SORN'd.

[B'stard Child]

Busa_Rush said:

SS2. said:

Busa_Rush said:

So I had a bike which is on a SORN but still has a valid tax disc . . . so when the new owner collected it, had I not been honest, I could have told him it was all ready to go...

SORN in itself wouldn't have been an issue as it expires on change of owner.

Busa_Rush said:

.. so the first ANPR he comes to would give him a ticket or he could possibly have the bike seized.

Why would it have been liable for seizure ?

Oh, Ok, I didn't realise SORN expired on change of owner. But for a few weeks before DVLA have updated their system, he was still driving a bike which could have been seized as the Police say that SORN and use on public road = potential seize.

we've done this a few times but my take on this is - If it has

1. A valid MOT
2. A VED disk that is in date (not fraudulently obtained or a duplicate of one that has been paid for and then surrendered for a refund)
3. A valid insurance policy to cover the rider/motorcycle

Then there is no offence - regardless of what the "computer" may say.

The change of ownership cancels the SORN on the day of sale (regardless of how long it takes for the paperwork/computer to update).

[hedgefinder]

sorry for a hell of a thread resurrection, but...

This just happened to me..
Had a newly imported bike preregistered by a dealer, so obviously taxed and moted. I buy it and attempt to sorn online which the dvla site just wouldnt allow me to do ( which has happened to me before with an old vehicle). The site kept throwing up that the vehicle did not need to retaxed until next year...so I just waited until the new V5 arrived.

Fast forward to yesterday and the new V5 arrives, so I go online and declare sorn as the current registered keeper only to have the site now tell me that the bike has been untaxed for the last 4 weeks! Which under current law I believe means that they will also take as being uninsured also....

Can I expect a letter demanding a payment for their incompitence and poor online systems ?

[TooMany2cvs]

hedgefinder said:

...the bike has been untaxed for the last 4 weeks! Which under current law I believe means that they will also take as being uninsured also...

No, it won't.

You can have an insured, SORNed or untaxed vehicle.
You can't have a taxed, uninsured vehicle.

I doubt you'll here anything more on the SORN.