late SORN renewal

[greg2k]

Just looking for a spot of advice here. I forgot to renew a SORN on a car which has been off the road for years and as a result I recieved a note from the DVLA. They were after a £40 penalty and for me to pay the "arreas" in duty. I've since re-declared the vehecle as off the road and payed the £40 but I;m wondering what my chances are of getting them to annull the £39 tax they're trying to charge me?

[jasandjules]

Not much chance.

You made a fatal mistake of honestly and truthfully registering a vehicle, thus evidencing that you have some money to pay for any fines and therefore are eligible to pay them.

[loudv8]

I recently forgot to renew a SORN. I got the penalty letter with about 3 weeks to pay up. With nothing to lose I wrote a very nice letter saying how sorry I was and how I never usually forget to SORN this car (which has been OTR for 3 years)etc etc. Just before the fine deadline I got a reply which was a mild bollocking and 'in view of the circumstances etc' GOT LET OFF THE FINE and told to fill in the SORN PDQ

PS It's probably too late to get the fine back but the back tax payment is not compulsory. Do not pay it.

Edited by loudv8 on Tuesday 28th November 21:39

[Dwight VanDriver]

Is the vehicle pre 31.1.1998 Greg?

dvd

[greg2k]

Yes it is. It's 1987

loudv8: As I said before I've already payed the fine and was wondering what I need to do to avoid paying the back tax. Do I just not pay it or do I need to write a letter to them and get a reply? The last thing I want is to have my credit rating Nuked over ~=£37

[falcemob]

I have a vehicle, a 1967 Landy that has been off the road for years, when I tried to SORN it just after I bought it I was told it didn't need to be done as it hasn't been taxed since 86. How's that work?

[NAH]

Send them a letter telling them how responsible you are. Do you have any other vehicles? I forgot to SORN a bike that was in a showroom for sale for other nine months. I have a car & two other bikes & pointed out that these were always properly licenced in good time (true) & because the bike in question was not on the road, it had simply slipped my mind. Two weeks later, I got a reply letting me of. They did say that it was basically a favour. Amyway, good luck!

Oh, and they only knew this after I'd SORN'd it. I did it on a Firday, their letter was dated Saturday. Tossers!

Edited by NAH on Wednesday 29th November 17:47

Sod it, should've read your entire post - sorry!

Edited by NAH on Wednesday 29th November 17:48

[eliminator]

DvD - why is the date important

[loudv8]

Greg,

A mate of mine forgot the SORN, paid the fine but phoned up and asked them about the back tax. He was eventually (reluctantly)told that it is not compulsory. I think the reasoning is that if you re-tax, it would be back-dated to when the last tax ran out. If you re-SORN, then the vehicle has not (legally) been on the road anyway.

[Dwight VanDriver]

Write back Greg asking for your 40 quid back,pointing out chapter and verse:

Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002

Statutory off-road notification

Reg 26. Schedule 4 shall have effect for the purpose of prescribing, the particulars to be furnished and the declarations to be made, and the times at which and the circumstances and manner in which they are to be made, by a person who -

(a) surrenders a vehicle licence;

(b) does not renew a vehicle licence on its expiration; or

(c) keeps an unlicensed vehicle.

Schedule 4:

"relevant vehicle" means a vehicle which is either a relevant GB vehicle or a relevant NI vehicle;

"the required declaration" means a declaration made to the Secretary of State by a person surrendering a vehicle licence or the keeper OF A RELEVANT VEHICLE to the effect that (except for use under a trade licence) he does not for the time being intend to use or keep the vehicle on a public road and will not use or keep the vehicle on a public road without first taking out a vehicle licence (or if appropriate a nil licence) for the vehicle;

a "relevant GB vehicle" means a vehicle which is registered in the GB records and kept in Great Britain, BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE a vehicle in relation to which each of the following conditions is satisfied -

(i) neither a vehicle licence nor a nil licence was in force for the vehicle on 31st January 1998;

(ii) such a licence has not been taken out for the vehicle for a period starting after that date; and

(iii) the vehicle has not been used or kept on a public road on or after that date

So if vehicle untaxed at 31.1.1998, no Licence taken out since and not used on a public road SORN does not apply.

Even DVLA state this on their Site :

You only need to declare SORN for a vehicle that had a tax in force on or after 31 January 1998. There is no charge for declaring SORN.

DVD

Edited by Dwight VanDriver on Thursday 30th November 10:10