£174 clamp charges, can a car sheet cover save money and hassle?

mr_fifa

Hi guys,

This is my first time posting in the MSE forum.

I have just recently declared my car off the road (SORN'd it over the internet yesterday), im off work at the moment so cant use it. But im worried that my car may still be clamped or towed by either the DVLA or Clamping company that manage the council estate that i live on.

as the DVLA say that the vehicle must be kept off the road, so i cant leave it there but i have a "council stated" private driveway that i could park on but only with a permit, which ended the same day as the tax did.

i was told by a friend that if the car is covered with a " car sheet cover " that it would be illegal for the car to be towed away as the cover is not allowed to be tampered with.

i would go ahead and do this, but i've been clamped before by these *swear word* idiots and had to dispose £174 of my hard working cash to release it.

could i actually use a car cover to avoid being clamped or towed?

thanks

Inactive

So you want to park your car illegally on the highway and not pay road tax?:(

EdGasket

A SORN'ed vehicle MUST be stored off road; that is what you are declaring !
There may be some legal technicality about not interferring with a car cover but I doubt the *swear word* idiots that clamp cars know or care about it !

thescouselander

I think the OP is saying the car will be off the road but the permit for his car park space requires him to have tax. I don't think the OP is trying to dodge the law.

Inactive

thescouselander wrote: »

I think the OP is saying the car will be off the road but the permit for his car park space requires him to have tax. I don't think the OP is trying to dodge the law.

Hence my question.;)

I read it that his parking permit had expired, so that would mean it would be on the road, but I am not sure.

Dr.Shoe_2

The only way it would help is if they could not see your number plate and the cover was secured or locked in place to prevent it being lifted. The DVLA contractors have to ensure that they play totally legally but a private clamping firm would be likely to say that someone else must have lifted (or removed) the cover.

You should be pretty safe from the DVLA unless there are others in your street (or the immediate area) that have overdue road fund licence as they [the DVLA Contractors] could come round looking for those and trap yours with the ANPR equipment. This actually happened to me with a car I had bought the day before!

Inactive

Dr.Shoe wrote: »

The only way it would help is if they could not see your number plate and the cover was secured or locked in place to prevent it being lifted.

Which in itself is illegal.

Heliflyguy

I would check the T&c,s of your parking permit, I wonder if there is an obligation to display clearly the permit (they would be stupid not to include one) and if you dont they will clamp or tow it.

If that is the case then either fix if needed, tax and drive/sell it, or scrap it.

anewman

Go and buy 4 cheap clamps and put one on each wheel. They can then not put their own clamp on. Or leave it on axle stands with no wheels attached.

You could also buy your own chain and padlock and wrap that around some immovable objects, and also around a driveshaft, shock absorber, and wishbone.

hartcjhart

anewman wrote: »

Go and buy 4 cheap clamps and put one on each wheel. They can then not put their own clamp on. Or leave it on axle stands with no wheels attached.

You could also buy your own chain and padlock and wrap that around some immovable objects, and also around a driveshaft, shock absorber, and wishbone.

axle stands,its a council estate and someone will nick them just use bricks:D

anewman

I remember seeing a picture on the internet of an old Skoda with a chain wrapped around the driveshaft and a drain cover, can't find it now though. Lol.