Failure to display tax disk

h4zel

My partner just called me and said she had been issued with a ticket last night (only seen it today stuck to car) for not displaying the valid tax disk that she'd bought earlier in the month. As she was doing into the house to get the tax disk it put it on the car, the kind PCO was sticking ANOTHER FPN to the car for the same reason. 2 in less than 24hrs.. is that right?! Anyway, the disk was purchased in time, just not displayed in time so now she has 2 x £60 fines from 8pm last night to 4pm today. I know that not displaying is a fine but can she really be given 2 in that short a space of time? Also, the PCO said to appeal the second as they had now seen the valid tax, but there are no contact details on the fixed penalty notice.

fivetide

I'd appeal the second if outside the house and explain she was driving home following the first incident to sort out the issue, see what happens.

Unfortunately, failure to display is a valid offence so the first one at least will stand.

5t.

Elle7

Cor, this has worried me a bit!

I paid to tax my car last week, and the tax disc runs out of date at the start of next week. It hasn't turned up yet - if it doesn't arrive on time, can I not drive until it does?

My post is rubbish!!

Thanks

Badger_Lady

Elle, you can drive but if an enforcement officer sees you, you'll be in trouble!

And that counts for being parked on a public road too.

fivetide

Elle,

I think there is a seven day grace period if you bought online. After that though, you'll need to shout it is missing in the post and get another one posted out pronto! Happened to me not long ago, luckily I was able to use my bike for a few days to cover the time period.

5t.

Nilrem

fivetide wrote: »

Elle,

I think there is a seven day grace period if you bought online. After that though, you'll need to shout it is missing in the post and get another one posted out pronto! Happened to me not long ago, luckily I was able to use my bike for a few days to cover the time period.

5t.

The 7 days grace thing is only for tax bought online, and only for the first 5 or 7 days of the month...
It doesn't apply later in the month, as it's intended to cover you if you buy the disc online at the end of one month, for the next month (IE you buy the tax online after the reminder).

The op may be able to appeal pointing out politely that the car was taxed, but technically the offence of failure to display is separate from failure to tax.
I'd guess the second ticked will be much easier to dispute than the first if it was issued less than 24 hours after the first.

fivetide

Nilrem wrote: »

The 7 days grace thing is only for tax bought online, and only for the first 5 or 7 days of the month...
It doesn't apply later in the month, as it's intended to cover you if you buy the disc online at the end of one month, for the next month (IE you buy the tax online after the reminder).

The op may be able to appeal pointing out politely that the car was taxed, but technically the offence of failure to display is separate from failure to tax.
I'd guess the second ticked will be much easier to dispute than the first if it was issued less than 24 hours after the first.

Sorry but if you notice Elle (who I was replying to and is not the OP) said their tax disc hadn't arrived as yet so pretty safe to think it wasn't done at the Post Office or at the DVLA.

Also from the DVLA/DirectGov site:

"A current tax disc must be displayed on the vehicle it was bought for. If you buy a new tax disc before your current tax disc expires, you should not display the new one until the old one has expired. The new tax disc is only valid from the first day of the month you have taxed from. The maximum penalty for failure to display a current tax disc is £200. The tax disc can not be transferred between vehicles.
If you use the electronic vehicle licensing service or tax by post at the end of the month, there’s now an exemption for not displaying a tax disc. This exemption covers the first five working days of the month to allow time for the new disc to arrive in the post. While you are still waiting for your tax disc you will need to display your current tax disc. The exemption only applies if applications are made before the current tax disc or SORN expires"

5t.

Gloomendoom

That is really bad luck.

I drove around for five months with an expired tax disk in the windscreen. I only realised when I was tidying out a drawer and found the new one still in its envelope.

Wig

Elle, can relax, there are 10 more days of this month for it to arrive, and during October has until Friday the 7th October to be without a valid tax disc. But on Sat 8th it will have to be taken off the road or disc displayed.


OP should appeal the second ticket, Could even appeal the 1st by saying that it had slipped off the screen......worth a try? Unless it is the same PCO and s/he actually saw her bring the disc out from the house, then probably not a good idea. Unless she noticed it had slipped down and then went into the house to get a new holder and took the disc with her for a few minutes?

Horizon81

fivetide wrote: »

A current tax disc must be displayed on the vehicle it was bought for. If you buy a new tax disc before your current tax disc expires, you should not display the new one until the old one has expired. The new tax disc is only valid from the first day of the month you have taxed from.

I've always wondered exactly where the law stands on this. If you're parked on a highway are you meant to run outside of your house at the stroke of midnight and swap the discs over, because according to the rules, swap too early and it's an offence, and swap too late and it's an offence. Maybe these passing PC's/PCSO's use some sensible discretion, but then again!!

agrinnall

I'm not convinced that the DirectGov information is completely correct. I bought my tax online and the only date on the disk, apart from the expiry date, is a hand written date of 21.06.11, which I assume is the date they issued it. There is nothing to say what month it starts and I'm pretty sure that the instructions that it came with said that it could be displayed immediately (which I did, although I think I've recycled the paperwork so I can't check it). This may only apply if the disk was purchased as a renewal so runs consecutively from the previous one.