Road Tax

voyagerbear

I am writing this for an 86 year old man who has been diagnosed with dementia. He also has had other heart problems during the last year. His wife has also been unwell. Anyway, last week he received a letter from the DVLA saying that he had not paid his road tax, I am not aware how overdue it is. The car has actually been in his locked garage for months. He obviously completely forgot about this and his wife would not have known either, they have been dealing with his illness. However, the letter they received said that if it was not paid they would send the bailiffs round. Apparently there is a form to fill on the back and she wrote a letter explaining the situation and until now has not heard back from them. I don't know how long it takes for them to process received mail and actually not sure whether this was last week or the week before.

You hear about circumstances where bailiffs enter peoples houses and this would be terrible for them. Is sending this letter sufficient and is it usual to send bailiffs? Surely you get chances to deal with it before such an extreme action is taken.

McKneff

Bailiffs are never sent around to anywhere until after a court case and a CCJ is issued.


Have you actually seen this letter.


Is the letter from Solicitors, the DVLA or just debt collectors.

voyagerbear

No I haven't, I live overseas and his wife told me this evening over the phone. She actually does not seem so worried but I found it odd.
She said it was from the DVLA.

voyagerbear

Just thinking maybe there was a whole lot more to this letter and they listed what could happen and she just told me that bit. I dont think they have been contacted before.

McKneff

ah bless her, these letters are full of maybe and may and mights.


Suggest she rings them again. They really aren't the ogres people make them out to be.
I had the same problem a few years ago with my husbands illness so tell her to see what they say.


As for Bailiffs, tell her not to worry and to recheck the wording on the letter.


x

voyagerbear

Thanks for your help, I will tell her.

Norman_Castle

Have they now either taxed or sorned the car?.

Iceweasel

This is like Chinese Whispers - we don't know what it actually said in the letter.

I very much doubt that the DVLA would send a letter saying 'you haven't paid your road tax' seeing as how it's called VED and I very much doubt they would say that they would send bailiffs.

It's likely that the person who has read the letter has repeated their interpretation of what it actually said - rather like the hundreds of folks who post on the parking forum saying they have received a 'fine' or a 'penalty'.

Of course it needs to be sorted out ASAP - many older people have not understood the SORN situation as they have never been in a situation to declare it.

My dad in his 90's hasn't a clue as to how DVLA works and has had to have things straightened out several times. He just didn't appreciate the possible repercussions of doing nothing.

He still has his car - he owns it, but doesn't drive it himself - he is driven around by family members in it - but we see to all the paperwork now.