DVLA - Unlicensed Vehicle

keef82

Hi all, I'll keep this brief as I'm sure you guys read tons of these stories daily!

I was an idiot and failed to update my new address with the DVLA when I moved house, I subsequently failed to tax my car as the reminder letter went to my previous address. My bad, I'll take the hit.
My car got reported while I was at work and taken from my workplace and impounded. So I went the next day, released my car for £160 and taxed it immediately. I then had to pay another £80 penalty to DVLA for failing to renew my car tax on time. I'm pretty skint at this stage as I have paid out half the value of my car in fines!! But all seems fair if not a little steep, then I got a letter from DVLA saying that there is a separate enforcement charge that is not linked to the impound lot or the penalty. It required me to pay £85 to prevent it going to court.
So I phoned up to pay the £85 and put this episode behind me. The woman on the phone said the enforcement case i was referring to had been closed and a new one had been opened. The new one requires a payment of £207 to prevent it from going to court. I asked why the new one had been opened, she said there was a discrepancy in the details. I asked why it was over double the price, she said she was not at liberty to explain. The 2nd letter has arrived at my house and is identical to the first with the exception of the time it occurred, one letter says 06:46, the second says 06:45.
Can anybody help explain this to me, it seems extremely suspect.
Many thanks in advance if anyone can help.

BeenThroughItAll

You seem to have a habit of forgetting motoring-related admin.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4005203=


Afraid I have no advice to offer, as I tend to make lists, and since the tax disc is right there in front of me every time I walk towards the front of the car, I tend to remember when to pay for it.

keef82

Thank you, that was very helpful

Foxy-Stoat_3

Contact your local CAB with all the information and letters to both cases.

keef82

Yeah, I'm awaiting a call back from the CAB, I was just wondering if anyone knew of this happening before, I'm not trying to get out of paying anything, my negligence, my fault, my fine, like I said, I'll take the hit. It's just weird that they cancelled my fine before i could pay it and immediately reinstated it for over double the amount with no explanation why

Nodding_Donkey

Sounds reasonable to me. The maximum fine is £1000 plus court costs so you've got a bargain.

Plus another grand for not changing your address.

keef82

I understand what your saying but its hard to see it as reasonable when your trying to support a family on my wages.
I would like to add, if your response to this is "You should have paid your tax on time" I can assure you that I am aware of that, like I said, I'm not trying to get out of anything, just questioning the unexplained change of amount.

jimjames

keef82 wrote: »

I understand what your saying but its hard to see it as reasonable when your trying to support a family on my wages.
I would like to add, if your response to this is "You should have paid your tax on time" I can assure you that I am aware of that, like I said, I'm not trying to get out of anything, just questioning the unexplained change of amount.

What's the difference between the letters? Different offence?

I'm sure you don't need reminding but if you find some way to set reminders for things like tax you'd have nearly £500 more to be able to support your family. Have you checked insurance dates etc?

keef82

jimjames wrote: »

What's the difference between the letters? Different offence?

I'm sure you don't need reminding but if you find some way to set reminders for things like tax you'd have nearly £500 more to be able to support your family. Have you checked insurance dates etc?

I hear you, this has been a lesson learned believe me.

It is the same offence, parked without valid tax, the insurance etc. is all up to date.
There is no difference in the letters except the time of the offence. One letter say 06:45hrs, the other says 06:46hrs. Everything else is identical.

droopsnoot

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

and since the tax disc is right there in front of me every time I walk towards the front of the car, I tend to remember when to pay for it.

Don't forget you'll need a new way to remember from October - no more paper disc for the windscreen.

BeenThroughItAll

droopsnoot wrote: »

Don't forget you'll need a new way to remember from October - no more paper disc for the windscreen.

I have one. I like to call it 'noticing that the new VED DD payment is going from my bank account every month'.