Reporting SORN vehicle on public road

General_Grant

I have twice used the DVLA online form to report a vehicle and today, another week on, the link to the form is not working.  Has Covid-19 so affected them that they are apparently not concerned about such illegalities and are thus preventing online reporting and expecting us to post a letter to Swansea instead?

I'm getting quite annoyed that, for over a month, the vehicle has been parked on a public road (without displaying the required LA permit), has no rear number plate, looks a bit of a mess (has no badge to identify the model but is MOT'd up to mid-February).  It is occasionally being worked on by a local resident who sometimes moves it to his drive for a while.

I've tried reporting this to the police - in person to a policeman in the driving seat of a police vehicle who said he could (not that he would) report it to the traffic police, while he was sitting three minutes drive from the postcode I gave him.  I realise this is not a major crime and he was probably waiting to do other things but I gave him the vehicle registration number and the postcode for its location.  I think I could report this online but not anonymously.

I shall wait a few more days before phoning the firm which operates parking enforcement on behalf of the LA.  They can't be contacted online.

452

General_Grant said:

I have twice used the DVLA online form to report a vehicle and today, another week on, the link to the form is not working.  Has Covid-19 so affected them that they are apparently not concerned about such illegalities and are thus preventing online reporting and expecting us to post a letter to Swansea instead?

I'm getting quite annoyed that, for over a month, the vehicle has been parked on a public road (without displaying the required LA permit), has no rear number plate, looks a bit of a mess (has no badge to identify the model but is MOT'd up to mid-February).  It is occasionally being worked on by a local resident who sometimes moves it to his drive for a while.

I've tried reporting this to the police - in person to a policeman in the driving seat of a police vehicle who said he could (not that he would) report it to the traffic police, while he was sitting three minutes drive from the postcode I gave him.  I realise this is not a major crime and he was probably waiting to do other things but I gave him the vehicle registration number and the postcode for its location. 

I shall wait a few more days before phoning the firm which operates parking enforcement on behalf of the LA.  They can't be contacted online.

I think you need to get out more.

General_Grant

452 said:

General_Grant said:

I have twice used the DVLA online form to report a vehicle and today, another week on, the link to the form is not working.  Has Covid-19 so affected them that they are apparently not concerned about such illegalities and are thus preventing online reporting and expecting us to post a letter to Swansea instead?

I'm getting quite annoyed that, for over a month, the vehicle has been parked on a public road (without displaying the required LA permit), has no rear number plate, looks a bit of a mess (has no badge to identify the model but is MOT'd up to mid-February).  It is occasionally being worked on by a local resident who sometimes moves it to his drive for a while.

I've tried reporting this to the police - in person to a policeman in the driving seat of a police vehicle who said he could (not that he would) report it to the traffic police, while he was sitting three minutes drive from the postcode I gave him.  I realise this is not a major crime and he was probably waiting to do other things but I gave him the vehicle registration number and the postcode for its location. 

I shall wait a few more days before phoning the firm which operates parking enforcement on behalf of the LA.  They can't be contacted online.

I think you need to get out more.

Perhaps it's better that I don't and then I wouldn't be bothered by seeing illegally parked vehicles.
I guess you approve of people who break the law as far as taxing their vehicles and displaying number plates is concerned.

AdrianC

General_Grant said:

I'm getting quite annoyed that, for over a month, the vehicle ... looks a bit of a mess (has no badge to identify the model

Think of the property prices!

twhitehousescat

have any kittens been injured ?

AdrianC

twhitehousescat said:

have any kittens been injured ?

Worse, they were carrying a basket of nuns at the time!

General_Grant

Thought I'd get replies from those who like to think breaking the law is fun.  Guess the police think the same way.

General_Grant

AdrianC said:

General_Grant said:

I'm getting quite annoyed that, for over a month, the vehicle ... looks a bit of a mess (has no badge to identify the model

Think of the property prices!

Looking a mess results in no model name being displayed and DVLA form asks for the model name as well as make and registration number (as though they can't identify it without a model name).

Car_54

General_Grant said:

AdrianC said:

General_Grant said:

I'm getting quite annoyed that, for over a month, the vehicle ... looks a bit of a mess (has no badge to identify the model

Think of the property prices!

Looking a mess results in no model name being displayed and DVLA form asks for the model name as well as make and registration number (as though they can't identify it without a model name).

The DVLA can ask whatever they like, but there is no legal requirement to display the model name, or even the maker.

AdrianC

General_Grant said:

AdrianC said:

General_Grant said:

I'm getting quite annoyed that, for over a month, the vehicle ... looks a bit of a mess (has no badge to identify the model

Think of the property prices!

Looking a mess results in no model name being displayed and DVLA form asks for the model name as well as make and registration number (as though they can't identify it without a model name).

Or perhaps in case the plates are fake...?
Is there no way you can tell <say> a Fiesta and a Mondeo apart with only a Ford badge to go by?

Look, I'll be a bit less subtly oblique.

Yes, he is breaking the law in keeping a SORNed car on the road.
Yes, he is breaking the law in keeping a car without a rear plate on the road.
No, he is not breaking the law in keeping a car without a badge or "looking a bit of a mess" on the road, and you do not help your argument one tiny bit by making yourself look like Hyacinth Bucket.

Yes, reporting the car online is the way to go forward. https://www.gov.uk/report-untaxed-vehicle
Yes, that is currently broken. https://forms.dft.gov.uk/report-an-untaxed-vehicle/ - "Error establishing a database connection"
No, I can't mend it, nor can anybody here, unless we happen to be in the IT infrastructure teams within the DfT.

Yes, the police and local authority do take it seriously.
No, it is not their highest priority in this time of pandemic and austerity.

Better?

General_Grant

Car_54 said:

General_Grant said:

AdrianC said:

General_Grant said:

I'm getting quite annoyed that, for over a month, the vehicle ... looks a bit of a mess (has no badge to identify the model

Think of the property prices!

Looking a mess results in no model name being displayed and DVLA form asks for the model name as well as make and registration number (as though they can't identify it without a model name).

The DVLA can ask whatever they like, but there is no legal requirement to display the model name, or even the maker.

But you do agree there is a legal requirement to have a rear number plate and not have a SORN vehicle on the public highway for more than a month?  And to have it insured when it is on a road?