Impounded car problems

andycan1

Hi I have a problem that I can't see a soloution too.

My friends car was impounded by the police last night because DVLA told them his license had expired.
He had contacted DVLA a few days before as he had sent his licence to them to be updated with his new address and had not recieved it back. They told him they had sent it to his old address and that he was still able to drive and they would send him a new one to his new address.

The police have been very unhelpful and we can't get his car from the impound yard as they don't answer thier telephone so we don't know when we can pick the car up. I find this very odd as there must be someone there as it is a big company with 30 or 40 trucks and is a breakdown and recovery company so are also loosing customers.

Thing is why should we have to pay for the storage of the car when we can't pick it up because they are closed or too lazy to answer the phone to tell us when they are open? And shouldn't DVLA pay the costs as it is thier mistake this has happened? At the moment no-one wants to know or take responsability.

I might add that to turn up on the hope that they are open is a non starter as it will cost me £50 to get there and back home and I can't afford a wasted trip.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.:mad:

Thanks Andy

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Gene_Hunt_2

andycan1 wrote: »

Hi I have a problem that I can't see a soloution too.

My friends car was impounded by the police last night because DVLA told them his license had expired.
He had contacted DVLA a few days before as he had sent his licence to them to be updated with his new address and had not recieved it back. They told him they had sent it to his old address and that he was still able to drive and they would send him a new one to his new address.

The police have been very unhelpful and we can't get his car from the impound yard as they don't answer thier telephone so we don't know when we can pick the car up. I find this very odd as there must be someone there as it is a big company with 30 or 40 trucks and is a breakdown and recovery company so are also loosing customers.

Thing is why should we have to pay for the storage of the car when we can't pick it up because they are closed or too lazy to answer the phone to tell us when they are open? And shouldn't DVLA pay the costs as it is thier mistake this has happened? At the moment no-one wants to know or take responsability.

I might add that to turn up on the hope that they are open is a non starter as it will cost me £50 to get there and back home and I can't afford a wasted trip.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.:mad:

Thanks Andy

That doesn't add up, either the licence has expired or the new one was sent to his old address not both, so which one is it?

ALIBOBSY

I assume the OP is saying DVLA wrongly listed the licence as expired, when in fact it was actually just in for a change of address?

If this is the case then either DVLA or the police will have to pay for the cars storage. But he may well have to pay up to get the car back then pursue a refund with DVLA as the impound yard may well be a private company.

good luck

ali x

andycan1

As far as I know car licences don't expire but can be suspended by the courts but although DVLA sent his full licence to his old address they say he has a full licence yet tell the police his full licence has expired. The policemen admitted that they had never heard of a licence expiring before.

Yes the impound yard is a private company but again I find it odd that the police don't know when the yard is open and I have been phoning the yard all day today but there is no reply so we could have picked the car up today but I assume the yard was closed costing us storage costs over the weekend when to be fair if they take your vehicle you would think you could get it back within 24 hours if you have the money to get it back.

Wig

The police took the car so the police should be liable, you will have to ask them whet their appeals procedure is to get a refund, if they don't tell you, write a letter to the cheif constable.

I would also go to the local nick and ask the person at the desk to contact their appointed recovery agent to find out what times they are open, and make it clear to them that this is not an acceptable business practice to not know what time you can go there, and all the time they delay they are racking up your charges.

You should also write to your MP and let them know what outrage is going on in the name of "Justice" in this country, when the Police could have given him a producer. To impound a car solely on the basis of a computer read out is an abomination, out of office hours where the driver insists he has a licence this should not happen, because the police officer cannot have reasonable cause, as there are so many mistakes on these computer databases.

And also note to the MP and the Police, that surely it should be basic common sense for the officer to hand the driver a reciept of vehicle impound alongwith a leaflet giving details of address tel: and OPENING HOURS of the storage yard!

mikey72

andycan1 wrote: »

As far as I know car licences don't expire but can be suspended by the courts but although DVLA sent his full licence to his old address they say he has a full licence yet tell the police his full licence has expired. The policemen admitted that they had never heard of a licence expiring before.

Yes the impound yard is a private company but again I find it odd that the police don't know when the yard is open and I have been phoning the yard all day today but there is no reply so we could have picked the car up today but I assume the yard was closed costing us storage costs over the weekend when to be fair if they take your vehicle you would think you could get it back within 24 hours if you have the money to get it back.

They expire every 10 years now.

Wig

You have "not less than 7 working days from the day when the notice is given to the registered keeper"
So if last night (Friday before midnight) I would say that gives you until Tues 22nd Feb, and this date should have been given to you as part of the seizure notice.

“working days” shall be taken to exclude Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Day, Good Friday and bank holidays

Charges in relation to the seizure and retention of a motor vehicle
6.—(1) The charge payable under regulation 5(1) shall be—
(a)in respect of the vehicle’s seizure, £105; and
(b)in respect of retention, £12 for each period of 24 hours or a part thereof during which the vehicle is in the custody of the authorised person.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b), each period of 24 hours shall be calculated from noon on the first day after seizure during which the place at which the vehicle is stored is open for the claiming of vehicles before noon.


What time was it seized? Friday or Saturday? These places are usually open 7 days a week.

Wig

Gene_Hunt wrote: »

That doesn't add up, either the licence has expired or the new one was sent to his old address not both, so which one is it?

That's the DVLA for you!

andycan1

Hi Wig it was siezed friday afternoon about 4pm.
Mikey72 My licence and my friends are the old ones which don't expire untill your 65 or 70 either way the police computer said his had expired when just days before DVLA said his full licence was still valid.

mikey72

I haven't done it myself, but I thought you got the new licence when you changed the old one regardless, such as sending it back to change the address.

HiTo

mikey72 wrote: »

I haven't done it myself, but I thought you got the new licence when you changed the old one regardless, such as sending it back to change the address.

Yep you do.