DVLA and Lost Marriage Certificate

oldjonah

Sorry if this is not the correct place to post this!!

I got married in Jan 07 in Florida and when I came back sent off my certificate to change my drivers licence. They insisted that the original certificate be sent.

Got my licence within a week but no marriage certificate. The DVLA would not look for it until 3 weeks had passed, so I waited.

When I called to say I hadn't recieved I was orginally told that I had never sent it!!! After explaining that they must have had it in order to change my name, they admitted losing it - it never even made it into the postal system.

Now nearly 3 months on they have offered to pay for a copy if I order it and keep the reciepts.

To be honest I am not happy with this as sentimentally the original was the one that my husband and I signed in Florida.

A copy will cost a few dollars as I have to send away to Florida to get one but it doesn't replace the sentimental value.

Thanks for listening to me whinge!!

Js_Other_Half

Keep badgering them - maybe it'll turn up eventually?

Elle00

My local council have lost my passport, National Insurance Card, Original Birth Certificate, my only child's Original Birth Certificate, my Decree Nisi, my Tenancy Agreement, my bank statements and so on and so on...

They too have only agreed to pay for the replacements after I've gone to all the trouble of replacing the lost documents and produced them with receipts in person. I insisted they put this in writing at the time of course.

Angry is not the word. I spent a good month crying myself to sleep for fear I would be burgled for my divorce settlement.

I will be pushing for compensation when I have all my receipts together and if they don't make a satisfactory offer I will take my complaint to the council Obudsman on the advice of my Father.

In your situation, is there a similar body perhaps that you could threaten action with if they don't agree to compensate you for your loss? The trouble is, you'll be lucky to get £50 as these people will insist on sending documents via standard post instead of special delivery as Royal Mail says they should so I'd imagine this happens on a regular basis.

There's always the small claims court but personally I don't think it would be worth the costs and hassle involved. It's your decision though of course.

nicoletm

I too have had my documents sent to the wrong address by the DVLA. As I drive for my job it looks like I am going to lose my job and I have a mortgage to pay! I have been charged with driving without a license twice and therefore without insurance and am likely to lose my license altogether. So far replacements have cost me over 200 pound and as I am not a UK citizen an additional 500 is required to pay for my residency visa-I don't have it! DVLA have negated any responsibility. Thanks for the stress and ruining my life DVLA!!!:mad:

MrsTinks

How can you be charged for driving without a license just because it's been lost in the post? Once they run a check on your details you should still pop up in the system with your license details - if you then explain that your license is with the DVLA they rarely do anything as they have verified you HAVE a license and it's valid - all they'd ask is for your to produce your insurance etc assuming the car is taxed.

Sorry just a little confused.

Oh and ALWAYS send documents to the DVLA by recorded mail... Infact I send 90% of my mail recorded... so much so the local postoffice gave me a stack of "signed for" form thingies to fill in before I arrive at the post office to save time

nicoletm

As I am from Australia I can only drive in UK for a year after gaining residency. I did apply before this date but as the documents were returned to the wrong address the delays required to establish that they were lost put me over the 1 year limit. There was a technicality with payment and so they hadn't actually swapped my Oz passport for UK one yet. It is a very long and complicated story!!

I did send them registered mail but a lesson to everyone is pay the extra 5 pd to have them returned by registered mail-as feeble an attempt this may seem to actually receive your documents as Royal Mail isn't much better.

catz1ct

It sucks, the passport office lost my birth certficiate but luckily I had another one.

custardy

if its important or will cost you to replace then i would always use special delivery

kizzykizzywizzy

The OP says the marriage license never made the post though!
I would also be devastated, & to be honest I don't think money would soften the blow. I would be happier if I was sure that they had done a thorough search & tried everything they could to find it.
I hope it does eventually turn up.