DVLA Road Tax Fine Appeal

Faith177

Hi all

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me

I took ownership of my mums car following her passing away in Oct but we couldn't find the log book. I applied for a new one paying the charge as requested.

I was then told it would be up to 8 weeks before the ownership would be transferred over this would expire Christmas Eve wasn't very happy with this as I was initially told it would only be 4 weeks but hey ho

However on the 23rd I got a fixed penalty notice of £40 for not having the vehicle taxed since the 1st Nov. I called the DVLA as I had received nothing to say I was now the owner of the vehicle. They advised the V5 was sent out on the 26th Nov but I hadn't received.

I sent in an appeal the next day and it appears to have been signed for on the 26th (thought the signature looks a bit iffy) I tried to call the DVLA today to get an update as the timeframe for the initial £40 has now passed and I am worried they will try to charge me the £80 but apparently the team that deals with these appeals don't log anything on the system, they don't have a phone number to talk to them directly you just have to sit a wait. I am at my wits end and sick of being mucked about by such a bunch of incompetents!:mad:

Does anyone know how long these appeals take?

The car is now taxed and MOT'd properly despite me STILL not having received the new V5 they promised to send me on the 23rd :mad:

Strider590

No point appealing, DVLA will just change what they're fining you for until they get something to stick.

Once your in their automated system, you won't get out unless you pay up or go to court.

[Deleted User]

Tell them the cheque for the tax was in the post before the expiry date. You can't be held responsible for them losing something in the post. It is the same trick they use when the table is turned.

Strider590

Deleted_User wrote: »

Tell them the cheque for the tax was in the post before the expiry date. You can't be held responsible for them losing something in the post. It is the same trick they use when the table is turned.

That won't work, they'll put the onus on you to prove you sent it and you won't be able to. Years ago I sent them a letter to inform them my car had been written off, because the insurance company demanded the full V5 document, I still got a fine despite sending them a copy of the original letter.


DVLA have also (IIRC) stopped accepting documents/correspondence sent by recorded or signed for post. As previously the advice was always to use said post methods whenever sending ANYTHING to the DVLA and I suspect that their shameful tactics were gradually becoming less effective.

JayCartwright

Strider590 wrote: »

That won't work, they'll put the onus on you to prove you sent it and you won't be able to. Years ago I sent them a letter to inform them my car had been written off, because the insurance company demanded the full V5 document, I still got a fine despite sending them a copy of the original letter.


DVLA have also (IIRC) stopped accepting documents/correspondence sent by recorded or signed for post. As previously the advice was always to use said post methods whenever sending ANYTHING to the DVLA and I suspect that their shameful tactics were gradually becoming less effective.

Up to them, no need to waste money just get a free proof of posting.

Joe_Horner

Strider590 wrote: »

That won't work, they'll put the onus on you to prove you sent it

No, they'll TRY to do that, but they have no power to do so because the law says different and they don't have ANY powers to make or vary the law.

Faith177

Strider590 wrote: »

No point appealing, DVLA will just change what they're fining you for until they get something to stick.

Once your in their automated system, you won't get out unless you pay up or go to court.

But if I didn't even know I was in the system yet how is that fair?

They told me it would take up to 8 weeks to change the ownership and get the V5 issued so I took them at their word that's why I hadn't queried that the V5 had turned up yet

Iceweasel

Sorry to hear of your loss - but what prevented you from taxing the car immediately you inherited it?

You didn't need to have a V5C in your name to do that.

GingerBob_3

Strider590 wrote: »

No point appealing, DVLA will just change what they're fining you for until they get something to stick.

Once your in their automated system, you won't get out unless you pay up or go to court.

This is precisely my experience with those sponging bloodsuckers at DVLA. They will not discuss your case on the phone and simply escalate to higher penalties as you're trying to get sense out them. They are a corrupt organisation that needs a bloody good sort out. I think the OP is p1ssing in the wind and might as well just pay the ransom money.

dannyrst

Iceweasel wrote: »

Sorry to hear of your loss - but what prevented you from taxing the car immediately you inherited it?

You didn't need to have a V5C in your name to do that.

This was my initial thought. The car wasn't taxed or SORN, so the owner was fined.

Faith177

The tax ran until the 1st of Nov in my mums name

I phoned up the DVLA to find out how I went about taxing it as I've never owned a car before so thought they would give me the best advice.

I wouldn't get the tax reminder as my mum lived in Scotland and the property given back to the landlord. I had no new owner slip to sign as I couldn't find the V5 and they said the best thing to do was to apply for a new V5 using the V62 form. They initially said I would have a new V5 within in 4 weeks I then rang them again and was told 6 weeks and then again told 8 weeks.

I asked what I could do in the meantime and they advised that I couldn't do anything other than keep it off the road and wait for them to be in contact