Car left abroad

Martinb1977

Hi there guys
About a year ago I drove all the way to Spain where my car broke down. I didn't want to ruin my trip so I left it at my friend's place. I didn't export it I simply put it on SORN and left it kind of to rot there. Now I thought it's time to sort it out and I want to bring it back to UK to fox it and sell. My question is will I have any problems on the border since car was abroad for a year and wasn't exported? The car is UK registered.

shaun_from_Africa

I doubt if you will have any border problems but what about the roadworthiness of the vehicle, and getting an MOT and VED before you can drive it?
You can drive without the MOT and VED if going to a prebooked MOT but the car must still be safe to drive.

Realistically, how much would the car be worth once fixed? and how much would it cost to get it back to the UK and then get it sorted out?

AdrianC

The problem in leaving a UK-reg car in Spain for an extended period isn't with the UK, it's with Spain.

As far as the UK's concerned, it's been SORNed for a year, and not on UK roads. That's all.


With the recent roadworthiness directives, EU MOTs are all portable, so you can take it for a Spanish ITV and (if it passes, you tax it, and it's insured), you can drive it home perfectly legally. Otherwise, it's not going to be legal to drive.

Car_54

AdrianC wrote: »

With the recent roadworthiness directives, EU MOTs are all portable, so you can take it for a Spanish ITV and (if it passes, you tax it, and it's insured), you can drive it home perfectly legally. Otherwise, it's not going to be legal to drive.

As it's been in Spain for so long, won't it also have to be registered as well as taxed there? Then driven back to the UK on Spanish plates, and re-registered and taxed here?
Insurance could be complicated too.

Martinb1977

To be honest i was thinking about hiring a car trailer service and not driving it myself. Does that change anything?

Hasbeen

Martinb1977 wrote: »

To be honest i was thinking about hiring a car trailer service and not driving it myself. Does that change anything?

You want to now pay for a broken down car that you left to rot in Spain to be transported back at circa £700 ish??

So that you can spend more money to repair, tax? insure? so you can sell it?

It must be a really great/expensive car?:rotfl::rotfl:

AdrianC

Martinb1977 wrote: »

To be honest i was thinking about hiring a car trailer service and not driving it myself. Does that change anything?

Only whether it makes economic sense.


It certainly makes it easier and less stressful.

Steve_KK

Martinb1977 wrote: »

To be honest i was thinking about hiring a car trailer service and not driving it myself. Does that change anything?

On a trailer it shouldn't be any issue. To avoid possible complications I would carry V5C and any other useful documentation to show you have a right to transport/possess the vehicle.
Moving vehicles across the boarders happen all the time, thing classic cars etc.

Regards,
Steve