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DVLA SORN - Reclaiming unfair charges ?

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Hello everyone,

I've just had to (reluctantly) pay a £40 fine for non-declaration of SORN (even though my vehicle has been sat in a garage for the last 5 years).

After reading Martin's article on reclaiming unfair bank charges I was wondering whether we can reclaim these charges as they seem pretty unfair as well!!!

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks.
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Comments

  • I do not understand what you are getting at. If you have not filled out a sorn for your car then there will be no surprise that you get a fine
  • espresso
    espresso Posts: 16,448 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Why is it unfair? If you failed to declare that the vehicle was off the road, why do you feel that you should be let off while others have to pay?
    :doh: Blue text on this forum usually signifies hyperlinks, so click on them!..:wall:
  • Andy_L
    Andy_L Posts: 13,022 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    This is a fine for breaking the law, not a penalty charge for breach of contract
  • plane_boy2000
    plane_boy2000 Posts: 1,482 Forumite
    This reclaiming charges thing is becoming a joke - everybody now thinks that they can claim anything back.

    They wrote to you telling you to either tax the car or SORN it. You did neither so got fined. Deal with it.
  • scbk
    scbk Posts: 1,216 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    My guess is he forgot to re-SORN it, AFAIK the DVLA send no reminder asking you to re-sorn, they just expect you to remember every year. If you forget, they fine you. Also when you buy a vehicle that is SORN, then it isn't carried over to the new owner nor do the DVLA ask you. So if you don't know this then you get fined aswell!

    The whole SORN situation is a joke, money making scam from the DVLA :mad:

    Why can't they just have it so as soon as the tax runs out it's automaticly SORN? Why do they insist you send a form off every year just to state that your vehicle is still sat in your garage? :mad:


    I'm sure I once heard of someone contesting a SORN fine, not sure what happened though
  • MarkyMarkD
    MarkyMarkD Posts: 9,912 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Doh, scbk.

    The reason you have to declare SORN, rather than the vehicle being automatically SORN when it's tax expires, is to make those who don't tax their cars think about it. If your approach was adopted, the whole SORN system woud be a waste of time.

    As it is, any vehicle which isn't declared SORN, or taxed, is probably being driven and can be followed up. The minority of cars in this situation are "innocently" sitting in someone's garage off-road and unused.

    Normal people don't keep cars sitting in their garage for years on end.
  • vaio
    vaio Posts: 12,287 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Maybe we should go back to the quaint old system we used to have…….

    Untaxed car not in use on public road = innocent

    Untaxed car being driven or parked on public road = guilty.

    Innocent until proven guilty, hardly a radical concept
  • scbk
    scbk Posts: 1,216 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    ^^^exactly!!!!

    I could have a vehicle sat on my drive for ages and get fined for it.

    If I was a tax dodger all I have to do is declare SORN then I can avoid any fine! :j The chance of a cop pulling you over and checking your tax is very slim unless you happen to live in londonshire where they have spy cams hidden in the cats eyes!
  • Markyt
    Markyt Posts: 11,864 Forumite
    scbk wrote: »
    :j The chance of a cop pulling you over and checking your tax is very slim unless you happen to live in londonshire where they have spy cams hidden in the cats eyes!

    Hardly. ANPR is now fitted as standard in most Police vehicles, and how do you think SPECS cameras work?
  • scbk
    scbk Posts: 1,216 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    SPECS are only on a small number of major roads in certain parts of the country. As are police cars.

    It doesn't matter anyway, if it shows up as SORN, they'll pull you. If it shows up as untaxed, they'll pull you.
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