Scrapping car - tax refund - advice needed

usignuolo

My little Renault Clio is about to bite the dust. The garage tells me iit will not pass its MOT in February without a lot of money being spent on it. The current tax expires at the end of January (this month) and I agreed with the garage I would take it in and leave it with them to sell for spares.

Unfortunately for me, the guy who runs the garage (a one man band) was taken seriously ill at the weekend (I just phoned to make the arrangements). Ansd garage is shut until further notice.

So it looks like I shall have to tax it for another six months even though I am not going to be able to drive it legally from February (no MOT) as I cannot take it off the road, I live in a Victorian area and noone has any of road parking.

Also i have looked at the DVLA web site about tax refunds and it says you can only claim a refund if the car is off the road or scrapped by an approved scrappage merchant. Which the garage itself is not.

Suggestions?

wallbash

Cut your losses , scrap car today , most companies will arrive within 48 hours.

Westmead_Fan

how much was the garage going to give you? if you scrapped the car you would probably see around £70

wallbash

I think the figure would be over the £100 , factor in the price of the tax plus aggravation , you would need to get a few hundred to make the venture worth while .

usignuolo

Online quotes give value £80-120. Phoned a couple of the more reputable looking ones, also Giveacar, and noone can collect it until Friday or Saturday at earliest, which is a bit surprising as I live in London. Car is parked in a quiet residential side street and do not plan on driving it. Rarely see a policeman here, although lots of traffic wardens! Is it worth taking a gamble, leaving it with current tax disk, or should I tax it and then apply for refund when I eventually get scrappage cert from DVLA? what is fine for not displaying valid tax disk?

usignuolo

OK done some further research. It seems the police will allow out of date tax disk to be displayed up to 5 days of following month, which would be fine, although it assumes it has been applied for.. I have more to fear from DVLA who will add me to their list of expired tax not renewed. Fine seems to be £80? But they would have to issue it the following day after my tax expired on as car will be scrapped by 2nd or 3rd Feb. Anyone know how fast off the mark the DVLA is in chasing out of date tax? what if it overlaps with scrapping car?

LandyAndy

Drive it to a local scrapyard before Friday and get a lift home

paddedjohn

OP, you are always going to get more for it by weighing it in yourself, cut out the middle man and drive it to the nearest scrappy ASAP.

spacey2012

Take it for an MOT at a different MOT station, see what it really needs.
They are very speculative and some of the fast fit places may let it go if you pay the customary things they like to repair.

Sooetie

I just scrapped my old car today - rang them at 8.40 and they towed it away already. got £160

Stooby2

Or stick it on Ebay as spares/repairs and list what's wrong with it. Buyer collects and point out it should be recovered not driven. Someone will take it.