DVLA Fine - What to do?

Oneday77

I sold a car a few months ago, filled out the V5 with the new owners details on it, gave him his portion, photocopied it and sent the original off to the DVLA.
I have now received a fine in the post stating I never informed them and that if I pay £35 before 24th I am ok, other wise its £55 by 31st or then on to court.
I never sent it recorded delivery, didn't see it as being valuable. Should I just cough up or do I explain it to them?

computershack

Pay up. You should've chased it up when you hadn't received a confirmation letter from them 4 weeks after sending it. You could fight it but I don't know of any single person who has won - the DVLA are a law unto themselves.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Oneday77 wrote: »

I sold a car a few months ago, filled out the V5 with the new owners details on it, gave him his portion, photocopied it and sent the original off to the DVLA.
I have now received a fine in the post stating I never informed them and that if I pay £35 before 24th I am ok, other wise its £55 by 31st or then on to court.
I never sent it recorded delivery, didn't see it as being valuable. Should I just cough up or do I explain it to them?

sorry but i think the best bet is to pay up could of been lost in post if you hadnt recieved anything from dvla within 4 weeks of change over. i know it sounds unfair to be fined eventhough it got lost in post but the dvla are in a law league of their own when it comes to this sort of thing and going to court will cost you, you got a every chance of loseing. note next time send via recorded!

DaveMacD

Exactly how long ago are we talking since you sold the car? You could try fighting it, but as said, the DVLA don't make mistakes, therefore, you must be lying. Harsh, absolutely. But that is the nature of the beast you are up against. You could try calling them, and say that you have already contacted them by post regarding it, the implication being that you have tried to fix it, but they have lost everything relating to it. But if it's more than maybe 6-8 weeks ago, it's not likely to be successful

If it's any consolation, twice I have had letters relating to vehicles I have had, where the DVLA were kept informed of the changes, and yet they still cocked it up. I scrapped a motorbike, that they then demanded a change of ownership 3 years later. And I got a parking ticket for a car that had been sold over 6 months previously, and they had acknowledged the change of ownership at the time. And let's not forget the number of !!!!-ups they have made recently with incorrect licences, with the wrong photos used, and even deleting entitlements with absolutely no come-back. It almost makes the CSA look like a model of efficiency...

Hintza

If a masochist you could fight it. As has been said the DVLA are NEVER EVER wrong...........:rotfl:

Christmas is here pay it and forget it and keep your blood pressure down.

blue_haddock

Right well i will disagree with all of the above posters and say that yes you can take on the DVLA and yes you can get them to admit they are in the wrong. I know because i have done it!

A couple of years ago now i did the same as you, sold a car and posted off the V5 and then forgot all about it until a few months later i received the tax reminder for the car. I sent them another letter stating i no longer owned the vehicle.

Fast forward another couple of months i get the fine through saying i hadn't taaxed the vehicle or declared it sorn. So i phone up the DVLA and explain it all to them and the customer service person says ok and notes everything down. A month or so later i get letters from a debt collection agency chasing the fine.

Now i'm starting to get angry! I know write to them yet again but this time i send it recorded delivery to ensure that it gets there. A couple of days later i check the royal mail track and trace and confirm they have received it. I still kept on receiving ever threatening letters from the debt collection agency so i tell them to speak to DVLA as i have informed them several times that i am no longer the owner of the vehicle.

I call the DVLA and talk to them and they say that a customer service rep on the phone would not update the details - well funny that they did when i called! Also they had not received any correspondance from me regarding the matter - well what about the recorded delivery letter which i know they have received?

I get the details from the DVLA about their complaints procedure and duly write in giving all the details of my correspondance including the trracking number for the recorded letter. I wrote that seeing as i had sent several letters including one i could prove they had had it wasn't down to the royal mail not delivering them but due to failures within their internal systems and therefore why should i be liable for the fine.

About a week letter i received a brief letter merely stating they will not be chasing the fine any further and then a week after that i get a letter from the head of their complaints department saying that they will look at how things are done and that they are sorry for the inconvenience etc.

So yes it can be done but i do believe that a less strong willed person may have caved in and paid it rather than fighting it. Now though anything i do that goes to the DVLA goes recorded.

blue_haddock

bl00dy hell that was long!

Oneday77

Thanks all.
I really don't mind fighting them but I would only do it if I was guaranteed to only pay the reduced fine if unsuccessful. I know parking fines work that way if you appeal them with in the 14day timescale.
WIth it being the DVLA I doubt they would. I will give them a call anyway and see what they say?

LandyAndy

Question: Can you prove you sent the form and that they received it?
Answer: No.
Result: You pay the fine.

They can't waive the fine for everyone who says they have sent the form.

peter_the_piper

For the future, is there not a section on their website for this change of owner/keeper? there is for tax and sorn.

mchale

Contact the new owner of the car & confirm if all paperwork has been changed over, this will help your case if you fight it.