SORN - does this count as off-road?

MediumOrchid

I'm intending to declare one of my vehicles as SORN. Do you think that this would count as 'off-road':

Parked in front of my garage - the garages are in a block at the end of the road. 4 garages on each side - people who have more than one car generally park their second car in front of their garage. There's no access out from this block so no reason why members of the public should need access to the area, apart from other garage owners. I don't know who owns the land though.

I can't park the car in the garage because it is full of stuff!

Thanks very much.

GingerBob_3

MediumOrchid wrote: »

I'm intending to declare one of my vehicles as SORN. Do you think that this would count as 'off-road':

Parked in front of my garage - the garages are in a block at the end of the road. 4 garages on each side - people who have more than one car generally park their second car in front of their garage. There's no access out from this block so no reason why members of the public should need access to the area, apart from other garage owners. I don't know who owns the land though.

I can't park the car in the garage because it is full of stuff!

Thanks very much.

It doesn't sound like the front of the garage is part of the highway, so yes, it's off road.

macman

It's not about access, but about who maintains the land in front of the garages. If it's the LA, then it's presumably a public highway.

Rover_Driver

A SORN declaration is valid in place of a vehicle licence if the vehicle is not on a public road - a road repairable at public expense.
For insurance purposes, it must not be on a road or other public place, within the meaning of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

forgotmyname

I think you need to empty the garage or find somewhere else to put it.

TrickyWicky

macman wrote: »

If it's the LA, then it's presumably a public highway.

Not quite.

The LA may own the land but that does not make it part of the public highway. LAs can own land and that land is classed as private unless there is implied right of access (eg a council car park).

What the op does need to be careful of though is that the land owner (if it is private) doesn't decide to kick up a stink and ask the council to remove it because they CAN do this for cars on private land that the land owner doesn't want.

Easiest thing to do is put a big cover over the car. Nobody will be inspecting the tax disc then..

F1F93

Sounds like you should be alright. My road has bays at the side (perpendicular to the road) opposite a single row of houses. I've seen quite a few cars parked in the bays (which I would still count as on the public highway) that were SORNd with no issues. I've reported them several times, but according to the owners they were able to argue that as it was in a parking space and not on the road, it was off the highway.

UsernameAlreadyExists

F1F93 wrote: »

I've seen quite a few cars parked in the bays (which I would still count as on the public highway) that were SORNd with no issues. I've reported them several times, but according to the owners they were able to argue that as it was in a parking space and not on the road, it was off the highway.

They actually told you that? rather than just punching you on the nose?


Out of interest, does the single row of houses have drives or garages? If not, are the bays intended to be for the residents?

Rover_Driver

F1F93 wrote: »

Sounds like you should be alright. My road has bays at the side (perpendicular to the road) opposite a single row of houses. I've seen quite a few cars parked in the bays (which I would still count as on the public highway) that were SORNd with no issues. I've reported them several times, but according to the owners they were able to argue that as it was in a parking space and not on the road, it was off the highway.

It may be public highway, but a SORN declaration is valid instead of a vehicle licence as long as the vehicle is not on a public road - a road repairable at public expense.

MediumOrchid

Thanks everyone - I emailed the local council and they have confirmed that the land is not maintained by them and it's not part of the public highway. They suggest it's mostly likely that the land is jointly owned by the garage owners.

So it's fine for me to leave my car there!

Wig

Rover_Driver wrote: »

A SORN declaration is valid in place of a vehicle licence if the vehicle is not on a public road - a road repairable at public expense.
For insurance purposes, it must not be on a road or other public place, within the meaning of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

And for MOT ?