No SORN, No reminders, No V5C

wealdroam

Gloomendoom wrote: »

They may send them... but they don't seem to arrive.

I have three vehicles SORN at the moment and I don't think I have ever received a reminder for any of them.

I have a SORN'd vehicle and every year I get a reminder to either tax it or re-sorn it.

Seems a bit hit and miss.

Gloomendoom

wealdroam wrote: »

I have a SORN'd vehicle and every year I get a reminder to either tax it or re-sorn it.

Seems a bit hit and miss.

You've got me wondering now. Maybe there is a problem with my address details that the DVLA hold.

Inactive

Gloomendoom wrote: »

You've got me wondering now. Maybe there is a problem with my address details that the DVLA hold.

They will be churned out automatically, so it may be worth checking.

agentginger

Thanks for your helpful replies.
I would like to share the information I have recently found from the internet ( DVLA website and various car forums).

Any car kept on private land, with a tax disc which expired after 31st Jan 1998 is required to have a yearly SORN declaration.

Regardless of reminders being received or sent, it is the car owner's responsibility to ensure they regularly inform the DVLA about the status of their car. Essentially the DVLA will not accept the argument of "I haven't received a reminder".

Vehicles constructed before 1 January 1973 are eligible for a free vehicle licence under "classic car" legislation. However , if the pre '73 classic car was taxed after 31st Jan, 1998, annual SORN declarations are still required.

My parents were dealing with my car until the reminders ceased ( I was a young teenager away at Uni). After the reminders ceased, we all forgot about the car rusting in the garage- assuming that as long as it was off public roads and on private land all would be ok. How wrong could I have been!


Does anyone have experience of dealing with SORN fines with the DVLA?

Is the DVLA reasonable to genuine mistakes?

Am I looking at £1000's for a fine?

flutterbyuk25

agentginger wrote: »

Does anyone have experience of dealing with SORN fines with the DVLA?

Is the DVLA reasonable to genuine mistakes?

Am I looking at £1000's for a fine?

I used to work for DVLA and dealt with SORN fines, but I left 2 years ago so things may have changed.

You should be ok. Fines were sent out to those seen to be deliberately avoiding tax/SORN not those who may have made an oversight 10 years ago! If the vehicle was in a tax exempt class (e.g Historic/Disabled) then no fine would be issued anyway as there is no payment due.

Does the logbook/V5 say 'Historic' as the tax class? Or has it never been changed from PLG?

I would suggest you write to DVLA explaining the matter (don't ask if you have any fines, just say you are clarifying that it has been off road since x date), you may have to declare SORN annually from now on though. Or you could ring DVLA and get them to check what date they hold as the last taxing, in case your records are wrong and it is pre 1998.

HTH

x

Gloomendoom

^^^^^^

This echoes my own experience, albeit ten years ago. I rang up and explained that I hadn't had any reminders and heard nothing more about it.

agentginger

flutterbyuk25 wrote: »

I used to work for DVLA and dealt with SORN fines, but I left 2 years ago so things may have changed.

You should be ok. Fines were sent out to those seen to be deliberately avoiding tax/SORN not those who may have made an oversight 10 years ago! If the vehicle was in a tax exempt class (e.g Historic/Disabled) then no fine would be issued anyway as there is no payment due.

Does the logbook/V5 say 'Historic' as the tax class? Or has it never been changed from PLG?

I would suggest you write to DVLA explaining the matter (don't ask if you have any fines, just say you are clarifying that it has been off road since x date), you may have to declare SORN annually from now on though. Or you could ring DVLA and get them to check what date they hold as the last taxing, in case your records are wrong and it is pre 1998.

HTH

x

Thanks so much for your helpful, calm advice.:) I have been in touch with the DVLA and I am Ok (just need to declare annual SORNS because my car was taxed after 31 Jan 1998. :T

mttylad

How about selling it, then buying it back?

boyse7en

Thought I'd let any future SORN-worriers know that this got resolved.

Wrote to DVLA explaining issue (see original post), with a copy of the old V5. Got letter back saying that the car had been incorrectly marked as destroyed on the computer and that they were very sorry, and would issue a new V5C, which arrived the next day.
As it was a new V5C I couldn't apply for SORN online, so had to fill in a form (which was sent with the letter from the DVLA) and post it off to declare SORN.

Waited a couple of weeks and have now got confirmation of SORN back. No fines or problems at all. Result

jaxo

I have a couple of small (£15 year Road tax) motorcycles, I did send off SORN's about 10 years ago, I assumed it was a one off thing, then you un-SORN it when you want it back on the road. The forms said nothing about it being a yearly thing. Or did I miss read it? I haven't had anything asking me to pay Road tax or re-Sorn, or confirmation of SORN-ing.

Hmmm, I had wanted one back on the road, but its been in bits for 10 years, I'm a bit afraid of getting into trouble. I thought I'd done everything right. The reg plates don't show up on the DVLA search.

If they are sold to someone new do they chase anyone for fines?
I could probably get several witness's to say it's been in a corner in the garage for that long, I might even have photos!

Help! What is the best solution?