10 year limit to UK driving license fiasco - anyone have feedback

iamana1ias

Harry_Flashman wrote: »

Could he mean having to renew the card for a tax of £20 every ten years?

If so - yes, it's absurd.

It's a legal form of ID and appearances change over 10 years. You have to do exactly the same thing with passports, at £70+ per go, but no-one seems to mind that one!

BargainGalore

You are really deluded aren't you

Of course it isnt a private company and the fines are enforceable

You are obviously confusing fines by them with fines by private companies which may not be enforceable

I suggest you tell them before you do get fined your disillusion is going to get you into trouble before too long

Strider590 wrote: »

DVLA fines go to the DVLA, the govt doesn't see a penny. They're more like a private company, which is why their ridiculous fines are unenforceable. They use big threats and send the baliffs after you, but they actually don't have a leg to stand on in a court of law.

iamana1ias

Strider590 wrote: »

DVLA fines go to the DVLA, the govt doesn't see a penny. They're more like a private company, which is why their ridiculous fines are unenforceable. They use big threats and send the baliffs after you, but they actually don't have a leg to stand on in a court of law.

:rotfl: :rotfl:

Is it April 1st already?!

KillerWatt

iamana1ias wrote: »

:rotfl: :rotfl:

Is it April 1st already?!

Strider was more than likely referring to fines issued for no tax, failing to declare SORN, etc (although they are very much enforceable).

NeverInDebt

Strider are you stupid or just having a laugh of course DVLA fines are enforceable I hope you arent as stupid driving as you are on here, lets hope DVLA revoke your licence for sake of sane drivers out there there is enough idiots driving around as it is

spike7451

Dont know about the mainland,but over here in NI,the whole licence expires after 10 years & the DVLA(NI) send you a reminder a month or so before it expires.

mrbadexample

KillerWatt wrote: »

Failing to notify the DVLA of a change of address cost me £315 back in March 2007 at Guildford magistrates court.

The actual charge was "driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence", for which I was fined £50.
The other £265 of it consisted of £250 for no insurance (an automatic charge if your licence is not in order) as well as getting 6 points (even though I did have insurance in force), and the other £15 was a "victim surcharge".

My insurance company at the time (Bennetts) did provide me with a confirmation letter that stated I was covered as far as they were concerned (their only interest was that I had passed a test and was not disqualified), although as far as the court were concerned the law was quite clear in that the driving licence must be in order for insurance to be valid.

There's something wrong with this; I think you must have misunderstood the nature of the offence.

Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence has nothing to do with failing to change your address. It's a completely different offence. You were prosecuted for another reason. What were you driving? What were you entitled to drive? Did you have a full licence?

Your insurance wasn't valid because of the driving licence issue, not because you hadn't updated your address.

If you'd been prosecuted for failing to change your address, the charge would have been something along the lines of "failing to notify the Secretary of State of a change of permanent address".

So what really happened?

mrbadexample

stingray wrote: »

You are mistaken (and rude). No one has ever been fined at all for this absurd law.

You are mistaken. Many people have been prosecuted, and fined, for failing to change their address.

There are a number of factors that would determine whether prosecution was appropriate, e.g. how long ago you moved, or whether you would receive a letter sent to the old address (if you'd moved out of your parents' home, it would be reasonable to assume that they would forward mail to you).

Strider590

Ugh !!!!!!, too many to answer.....

There are MANY cases where the DVLA have gone to court and lost (have a search on this very forum), they have no right to fine you for anything, only a court judgement can do that. Since when has the DVLA been judge and jury?
The fines are more like bribes or blackmail, they're not official because no conviction has happened, if you don't pay then they just threaten to get daddy onto you.

Think about it! If your caught speeding, you've broken the law, your convicted off an offence by the appropriate authority and fined accordingly. A desk jockey at the DVLA is not qualified or entitled to convict you of any offence, just because the postman lost your mail????

But what they can do is say "pay this or we'll get you into lots of trouble" or "you've been driving without a valid licence (naughty boy), pay us a £500 back hander or go to court and get a criminal record".

Inactive

Harry_Flashman wrote: »

Could he mean having to renew the card for a tax of £20 every ten years?

If so - yes, it's absurd.

As has been said, I have just had to renew my passport, costs £77.50 and no reminder, nothing ... " absurd " about it.