Buying a vehicle already on SORN
Discussion
Seems my ignorance has got the better of me yet again...
I bought a motorbike in January that was on SORN, I had it collected by courier and brought to me shortly afterwards. The bike has sat in my garage since and today I thought i'd tax it redy for the 1st April.
As I was going through the online process, the DVLA website indicated that the SORN had expired on the 01/01/2012 and the status of the vehicle was unlicensed, the V5 shows me as owner from 19/01/12. Due to this it would only let the tax disc start from the 1st March which isn't much use so I picked up the phone.
I rang DVLA and spoke to a nice lady who said I should have made a new SORN when I bought it. Google to the appropriate part of the DVLA suggests she is infact correct! She advised me that I should write to the local DVLA enforcement office and explain my 'genuine mistake' to try and avoid a potential penalty (as she said I sounded 'genuine'
), but I did spy on the DVLA site today when investiagting that it says monthly checks are performed for unlicensed and un SORN'd vehicles and penalties issued accordingly.
Well i've not had anything through. And the point is even though i've bought and sold a few vehicles, i've never bought one on SORN before. How would you know to do this if it's the first instance of it happening one has experienced?
Anyway, should I send a letter pleading ignorance and potentially flag to DVLA enforcement that the bike has been unlicensed and unSORN'd since 1st January, or should I just tax it at the Post Office at the weekend for the 1st April and keep my gob shut as it appears as if this has been missed?
Any sensible advice more than welcome
Rob
I bought a motorbike in January that was on SORN, I had it collected by courier and brought to me shortly afterwards. The bike has sat in my garage since and today I thought i'd tax it redy for the 1st April.
As I was going through the online process, the DVLA website indicated that the SORN had expired on the 01/01/2012 and the status of the vehicle was unlicensed, the V5 shows me as owner from 19/01/12. Due to this it would only let the tax disc start from the 1st March which isn't much use so I picked up the phone.
I rang DVLA and spoke to a nice lady who said I should have made a new SORN when I bought it. Google to the appropriate part of the DVLA suggests she is infact correct! She advised me that I should write to the local DVLA enforcement office and explain my 'genuine mistake' to try and avoid a potential penalty (as she said I sounded 'genuine'
), but I did spy on the DVLA site today when investiagting that it says monthly checks are performed for unlicensed and un SORN'd vehicles and penalties issued accordingly.Well i've not had anything through. And the point is even though i've bought and sold a few vehicles, i've never bought one on SORN before. How would you know to do this if it's the first instance of it happening one has experienced?
Anyway, should I send a letter pleading ignorance and potentially flag to DVLA enforcement that the bike has been unlicensed and unSORN'd since 1st January, or should I just tax it at the Post Office at the weekend for the 1st April and keep my gob shut as it appears as if this has been missed?
Any sensible advice more than welcome
Rob
Liquid Knight said:
Go to the Post Office Monday and pay then?
Taxing it's not the problem, I can tax it Saturday, for the 1st April at the current (cheaper) VED rate (due to change 1st April), woman at DVLA told me that.It's whether I should write to this enforcement office address she gave me. If I just tax it and keep schtum about the unlicensed period will they get onto me and fine me £80, which will f
k me right off, even if it was my fault for not knowing.Baldy881 said:
Liquid Knight said:
Go to the Post Office Monday and pay then?
Taxing it's not the problem, I can tax it Saturday, for the 1st April at the current (cheaper) VED rate (due to change 1st April), woman at DVLA told me that.It's whether I should write to this enforcement office address she gave me. If I just tax it and keep schtum about the unlicensed period will they get onto me and fine me £80, which will f
k me right off, even if it was my fault for not knowing.Liquid Knight said:
The DVLA are obligated to inform the new keeper if the SORN in out of date or due. It's not a "fine" either but a service charge disguised as one. Have a look at "DVLA vs Liquid Knight" if you fancy a laugh.
Hmmm, I think you are wrong about the DVLA having to inform a new keeper if SORN is out of date (although if you can find something to the contrary i'd like to see it!).
DVLA Website said:
Buying a vehicle that has a SORN
If you buy a vehicle that already has a SORN made by the previous keeper, that SORN will come to an end on the date you buy the vehicle. You must make a new SORN if you are keeping the vehicle untaxed off the public road. You cannot transfer a SORN.
The point is, how the hell are you supposed to know this? I work in a car dealership and even the AFRL administrators (x2) didn't know this was the case!!If you buy a vehicle that already has a SORN made by the previous keeper, that SORN will come to an end on the date you buy the vehicle. You must make a new SORN if you are keeping the vehicle untaxed off the public road. You cannot transfer a SORN.
Read your other topic, the bit about reminder for a bike you sold 10 years previous made me chuckle
Anyway, taxed the bike today and have sent a letter to local enforcement office pleading ignorance on the advice of the woman at DVLA I spoke to yesterday. Chances are that now i've told them the bike was untaxed and had no SORN from 1st January i'll probably get landed with a fine. I do hope not!!
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