DVLA SORN - Reclaiming unfair charges ?

MarkyMarkD

The point is that before the SORN system, they had to catch people driving cars illegally. Most people who don't have their cars taxed drive them either in less-populated areas or at night, and they never used to get caught.

Now, with the SORN system, they can fine most people who are illegally using cars un-taxed automatically.

The only people who lose out are those who can't remember to SORN their vehicles - this doesn't contradict "innocent until proven guilty" as failing to tax or declare SORN is a specific offence.

vaio

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

The point is that before the SORN system, they had to catch people driving cars illegally. Most people who don't have their cars taxed drive them either in less-populated areas or at night, and they never used to get caught. Now, with the SORN system, they can fine most people who are illegally using cars un-taxed automatically…...

The habitual drivers of untaxed cars are unlikely to have the car registered at their address. The current system doesn’t catch these, it just catches the motoring cash cow that is the normal law abiding majority who sometime forget to tax their car or declare SORN

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

……The only people who lose out are those who can't remember to SORN their vehicles - this doesn't contradict "innocent until proven guilty" as failing to tax or declare SORN is a specific offence.

I think that HAVING to send in a letter to say you will not be driving an untaxed car otherwise you get fined is very close to contradicting "innocent until proven guilty"

Keith

vaio wrote: »

it just catches the motoring cash cow that is the normal law abiding majority who sometime forget to tax their car

How exactly do you forget to tax your car? I've had a reminder stuck in the windscreen for 9 months now that by 07/07 I need to purchase a new tax disc, if I remember rightly last year, some nice fellas who call themselves the DVLA popped a little note through the door that I should go online and buy a new tax disc.

tripled

Funnily enough I posted a similar thread last year. I never received the reminder, and even though I was only joking about reclaiming the charge (which I thought I'd made pretty obvious), it's amazing how many people got on their high horse about it.

I specifically remember a comment just like yours Keith, perhaps it was in fact you? And my answer would be pretty much the same now as it was then... people do not sit on the bonnet of their car on the passenger side facing towards the boot staring at the windscreen, I for one in fact sit in my car on the driver's side looking out the front. Regretfully the tax disc is on the opposite side of the car to me in a holder, so I do not in fact see anything displaying the date or reminding me to buy one. Perhaps I should put a big notice in my field of vision to remind me? Who wants to look where they are going when driving anyway? I'd better start a number 10 petition for it to become law...

Keith

tripled wrote: »

I specifically remember a comment just like yours Keith, perhaps it was in fact you?

It wasn't from me.

However, how did you miss the DVLA reminder? I hope this year, you've organised yourself so that you can renew when it comes, call me sad, but I have a reminder in Outlook for a month before that tells me I need to renew our vehicles tax, I also had a note on my calendar that my MOT was due May 11th and to take it in last weekend for its test. These are simple things that can make your life easy and avoid a fine/stop by the police.

tripled

I never got the DVLA reminder, which was how I missed it

Your suggestions are good in principle, but require organization. That does not work with me lol.

As it happens I just renewed online today, my tax ran out three weeks ago but I couldn't find the insurance document anywhere, took a while to click I didn't need it to renew online :rolleyes:

southernscouser

scbk wrote: »

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

Or perhaps it's a deterrant the protects innocent people from unsafe, unroadworthy cars! :rolleyes:

Keith

tripled wrote: »

Your suggestions are good in principle, but require organization. That does not work with me lol.

I'm not organised at all, however, to have a pop up remind me the cars/bike tax is due is handy, also to have on the calendar that MOTs are due gets your !!!! in gear, if you MOT 4 weeks before expiry, you have 4 weeks to repair it or get a nice 13 month MOT.

scbk

southernscouser wrote: »

Or perhaps it's a deterrant the protects innocent people from unsafe, unroadworthy cars! :rolleyes:

What so by fining people for having vehicles sat on private property, they're keeping the roads safe!? There's plenty of unsafe wrecks that are fully taxed, mot'd, and on the roads right this second anyway

southernscouser

scbk wrote: »

What so by fining people for having vehicles sat on private property, they're keeping the roads safe!? There's plenty of unsafe wrecks that are fully taxed, mot'd, and on the roads right this second anyway

No. You only have to declare it SORN to keep it on a public road. Not private property.

And I agree there are many death traps on the road. Putting more on it doesn't help though.