Two fines in four days

RunMan

Having failed to renew my road tax (expired 31/5) due to my own incompetence I received a £60 fixed penalty notice on thursday night for failure to display a valid tax disk. While being pretty angry about this I can't really complain too much as I am guilty as charged despite the fact that the DVLA has lost no revenue now that I have bought the tax (backdated to 31/5).

I was busy on Friday and over the weekend so didn't manage to get the tax sorted. When I left for work this morning I found that Avon and Somerset police had been busy once again and in the night (time stamp 00:35) had slapped another FPN on my windscreen. Does anyone know if there is a time period where they can't issue another penalty to give you time to get the tax or whatever sorted. I'm guessing that there must be otherwise there'd be nothing stopping them putting one on every 10 minutes!

Browntrout_2

That is unfortunate, I would say they would be able to issue this every day you do not have one displayed.

I would call Avon and Somerset divisional HQ and see if what the procedure for appeal is, do you have a parrot?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1692227.stm

marty1888

where did you park you car?

RunMan

LOL No but I have two cats that I could claim ate the parrot that in turn ate my tax.

I'll try to appeal but I'm not holding my breath if their attitude is anything like that of the jobsworth pc that I caught issuing the first notice.

RunMan

My car was parked on the street outside my house. The same spot both times, which makes me think it was the same guy coming back to see if I'd managed to get to a post office over the weekend.

Happychappy

You were pretty lucky your car wasnt lifted off the street, towed away and crushed ?
I dont imagine the copper was a mind reader although I guess he should have been, he really really should have known you would eventually sort it. More then likely thought this guy has had one ticket and doesnt give a toss ?
You have no appeal, simple offence, simple solution ? tax it.

saintjanet

Some people used to think you had a 14 day grace period and the police would very often not book you years ago, providing you taxed your car the day you were pulled,sorry to say this does not now seem to be the case,its all about revenue these days.

vaio

I would have thought one of them should be waived, one offence has been committed, one fine should be paid

Hapless_2

There is no excuse for not getting road tax these days. Too busy is definately not one, especially as you can buy it either online or up to two weeks in advance.

As for one offence, same offence yes, but on different occasions, so not one offence. The first offence was not getting it in the first place, the next offence was still not getting it.

Gorgeous_George

I have some sympathy with the OP.

I have a driveway so would be less likely to be caught out like this. It's like being done for speeding twice when you haven't slowed down inbetween 'offences'. Surely, having been issued a ticket, you must get a week to deal with the tax.



GG

Hapless_2

Under the system of continuous registration (CR), which commenced in January 2004, it is not necessary for your vehicle to be sighted on the public road for an offence to have been committed. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) now has the authority to carry out enforcement action against the registered keeper directly from information held on the vehicle licence records.
What could happen
As the registered keeper of an untaxed vehicle, you could be fined a minimum of £1000. In addition to this, you will be required to purchase a tax disc, pay arrears of vehicle tax accrued whilst the vehicle was untaxed and pay a penalty of £80. The maximum penalty for making a false declaration by declaring SORN when the vehicle is actually used or kept on a public road is £5000 and two years imprisonment.

As well as this, you could find your vehicle wheelclamped by DVLA's wheelclamping contractor. You would be charged a fee to have your vehicle released and you would also have to produce a valid tax disc or surety fee. If you did not pay this within 24 hours, DVLA would impound your vehicle. If you did not pay the necessary release and storage fees, DVLA would get rid of your vehicle, generally by crushing it.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/UntaxedVehicle/DG_4022059

Surely, having been issued a ticket, you must get a week to deal with the tax.

Why? If the OP tax was out of date on 31st then he knew the car was not taxed the following Thursday.
You used to have a week but that all changed in 2004.