Mechanic stopped by the police
Discussion
Newbie looking for some guidence following an incident last week....
I went away on holiday last week, and checked my car into a local garage for a service and MOT whilst I was away. Previous to this the car had been parked in the car park underneath my flat and hadn't been driven for about three months as the MOT had expired and I'd just moved flat (a full service and any problems with an MOT can be almost as expensive on an old Porsche as moving house!). Car tax also expired on 1 July and I hadn't declared it SORN (completely forgot about it).
Made an appointment with the garage to take the car in for a service and MOT (as you need to do when the MOT has expired), and took the car the three hundred-odd yards to the garage.
Came back from holiday to find the car serviced and MOT'd without any real problems (a pair of new front brake pads was about the extent of it), but the mechanic said that he'd been pulled by a police car taking my car to the MOT centre. They belived him when he said that he was taking the car for an MOT (given the oily overalls and the plasic seat covers I'm not too surprised), but he said that they took the tax disc to "identify the owner of the car".
Does anyone know if I'm likely to have any problems with this? I had assumed that the garage would do the MOT test there and that therefore it wouldn't be a problem that it hadn't been taxed as it wouldn't be on a road until after it had got its MOT, and therefore I could get my new tax disc.
I went away on holiday last week, and checked my car into a local garage for a service and MOT whilst I was away. Previous to this the car had been parked in the car park underneath my flat and hadn't been driven for about three months as the MOT had expired and I'd just moved flat (a full service and any problems with an MOT can be almost as expensive on an old Porsche as moving house!). Car tax also expired on 1 July and I hadn't declared it SORN (completely forgot about it).
Made an appointment with the garage to take the car in for a service and MOT (as you need to do when the MOT has expired), and took the car the three hundred-odd yards to the garage.
Came back from holiday to find the car serviced and MOT'd without any real problems (a pair of new front brake pads was about the extent of it), but the mechanic said that he'd been pulled by a police car taking my car to the MOT centre. They belived him when he said that he was taking the car for an MOT (given the oily overalls and the plasic seat covers I'm not too surprised), but he said that they took the tax disc to "identify the owner of the car".
Does anyone know if I'm likely to have any problems with this? I had assumed that the garage would do the MOT test there and that therefore it wouldn't be a problem that it hadn't been taxed as it wouldn't be on a road until after it had got its MOT, and therefore I could get my new tax disc.
As mentioned, no - I'd completely forgotten about it due to moving etc.
Form came through shortly after we moved in and it got lost in the general melee that is a just-moved-into-flat. Didn't think about it (or notice it, as I keep the car in an underground car park in my old building, so it's not as if it was in my garage and I was walking past every day) until I went to get the battery in the car charged (immobiliser drains it dead after it's been standing for more than about three weeks) and try and make arrangements for the car to be booked into the garage (late July/early August) and realised that the tax had run out at the start of July. Figured (probably badly) that as it was only a couple of weeks until we were going away, and could get the car into the garage for MOT, and hence new tax disc, that it'd take longer to process the SORN notice, and then the "un-SORN" declaration than it would to leave the car in the garage and then take for it's MOT three weeks later.
Form came through shortly after we moved in and it got lost in the general melee that is a just-moved-into-flat. Didn't think about it (or notice it, as I keep the car in an underground car park in my old building, so it's not as if it was in my garage and I was walking past every day) until I went to get the battery in the car charged (immobiliser drains it dead after it's been standing for more than about three weeks) and try and make arrangements for the car to be booked into the garage (late July/early August) and realised that the tax had run out at the start of July. Figured (probably badly) that as it was only a couple of weeks until we were going away, and could get the car into the garage for MOT, and hence new tax disc, that it'd take longer to process the SORN notice, and then the "un-SORN" declaration than it would to leave the car in the garage and then take for it's MOT three weeks later.
plotloss said:
Taking the tax disc sounds very dodgy to me.
Did he provide any sort of reciept to the mechanic?
He does not need to provide a receipt if it taken for or as evidence of an offence.
I can't think why he would want to take an out of date tax disc as it is of absolutely no use to him or anybody else. If he wanted to check on ownership, all he had to do was PNC the index plate. If the tax disc was relating to another vehicle and was valid, then it would be prudent to seize it as either evidence of theft or of fraudulent use (seperate offences).
As it was expired, it is no longer an excise licence and of no value whatsoever, even as evidence because the facts at the time of the stop do not constitute an offence.
There is an exemption to the offence of no MOT and No VEL which under these circumstances fits exactly.
MOT and VEL are not required if the car has failed an MOT and is being taken to a pre-booked test or re-test or is being taken from the place of failure to a place where it is to be repaired.
As far as I am aware, a SORN signed or otherwise would not be required in these circumstances. I would not worry about it. Maybe the Policeman was just disposing of litter for you
Many thanks to all for your responses, especially madcop.
I spoke to the mechanic when I picked the car up this evening and he said that the police had stopped him at one of their regular checkpoints in London and given him a bit of a lecture, but when they realised that he was taking the car to the MOT centre and that the car belonged to one of his custoners they let him go, took my old tax disk, and gave him a slip of white paper (about 12" tall by 4" wide headed "Vehicle Notification & Taxation Offences") to give to me - having read it I think it's just an advice note. Fortunately one of the BiBs knew who he was, which made life a little easier.
Guess I might get a letter or something from the DLVA..... (hopefully nothing more).
I spoke to the mechanic when I picked the car up this evening and he said that the police had stopped him at one of their regular checkpoints in London and given him a bit of a lecture, but when they realised that he was taking the car to the MOT centre and that the car belonged to one of his custoners they let him go, took my old tax disk, and gave him a slip of white paper (about 12" tall by 4" wide headed "Vehicle Notification & Taxation Offences") to give to me - having read it I think it's just an advice note. Fortunately one of the BiBs knew who he was, which made life a little easier.
Guess I might get a letter or something from the DLVA..... (hopefully nothing more).
Leadfoot said:
The only thing you've done wrong (& only in the officious eyes of the DVLA) is not sending off the SORN. 25 quid fine is the worst that can happen.
The guidance notes on the SORN actually say bla bla bla SORN must be filled in bla bla "If you fail to do so you could be fined up to £1000"
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