Car SORN/Insurance Query

lufcgirl

Hello,

At present I have a Fiat Punto, which due to last Monday me thinking the car had been stolen, I had immobilized. Now, for some reason nobody can get the immobilizer stopped and working again. So the car is currently parked on a sidestreet close to my home.

I've decided to purchase a new car which I'm picking up tomorrow, and obviously I'll need to transfer the insurance from the old car to the new one. Now when I do this I know I need to declare this car as SORN, however due to the immobilizer working too well and not letting me start the car, I can't move it from this sidestreet.

My worry is from a police perspective, they're going to see this car and think I'm driving whilst it's declared SORN. The car itself is going to be towed and sold by another garage I've sold it to but not until later in the week.

The question really is if the police will/can prosecute under these circumstances or if there's anything I can do at all? I can't move it, and don't have a drive even if I could just push it somewhere.

Many Thanks

forgotmyname

You cant SORN it if its parked on a road. It must be taxed and insured.

How did you immobilize it?

Puzzled how you thought it had been stolen and then immbolized it???
How would you do if it had been stolen?

Yes you will be liable for all fines and towing costs and recovery costs if you dont keep it taxed and insured.

Phone the scrap man to collect it?

lufcgirl

The car is worth about £3k so unfortunately not.

It was a bit of me being stupid. I'd parked my car, left the engine running intending to go back out to the car and collect my laptop for work. I got in and my dinner was ready and completely forgot. Unbeknown to me the neighbours had heard the car running for an hour or so and assumed it'd been stolen.
So they moved the car further up the street and called the police. In the meantime I'd gone back to my car realising what I'd done, thought someone had tried to steal it and obviously took the key. Had the car immobilized and ten minutes later the police came to the door with my key. Unfortunately nobody can get the car to work again, you switch the ignition, nothing happens and the alarm goes off.

I know...it was me being stupid but my honest mistake. I'm going to get in touch with the dealer ASAP to have it towed and sorted anyway, not much I can do with a car that won't move.

lufcgirl

£1.99 wrote: »

You are luck it wasn't stolen because the insurance wouldn't have paid out.

I'm well aware of that thank you.

rs65

lufcgirl wrote: »

The car itself is going to be towed and sold by another garage I've sold it to but not until later in the week.

Get them to take it asap. Part of the V5C can be sent by you to the DVLA to say it has been transferred to a trader.

rs65

lufcgirl wrote: »

Unbeknown to me the neighbours had heard the car running for an hour or so and assumed it'd been stolen.
So they moved the car further up the street and called the police.

Ok, not your best moment but why did the neighbours move it, why not just remove the key.

lufcgirl

rs65 wrote: »

Ok, not your best moment but why did the neighbours move it, why not just remove the key.

I wondered that too! I never spoke to them and so have no idea. That was why I figured the car had attempted to have been stolen as when I ran back out in a panic to it it was reversed further up the street with the key gone.

Not my best move at all, certainly something I'll never repeat! I immobilized the car thinking someone had the key who wasn't the police and was actually on the phone to the police when the policewoman came knocking at the door. Not my finest hour.

rs65

How was it immobilised? Did it have a tracker type device fitted?

lufcgirl

That part I have no idea on. Dad did the immobilising, and now we've no idea what happened. He was on the phone to Fiat, and was inside the car at the same time so not quite sure if they did something or if he did it manually somehow. I haven't even spoke to him about it as after this happened and I couldn't get it working this made my decision easier to get a new car after toying with the idea for a while.

I'm going to ring the garage first thing tomorrow and ask them to collect it, hopefully that should sort it. Just obviously very concerned with switching insurance tomorrow I could get in trouble from the police

Swipe

If you somehow get the car off the road with a tow rope you can then either sell it or apply for a tax refund and SORN it at the same time, then transfer over the insurance to your new car.

Swipe

I wouldn't worry too much about it still having tax but no insurance if it's still off the road. You'll get about 4 weeks before they send out a warning letter.