DVLA - unrecognised penalty

zxemzxem

Hi all, 

When I logged onto DVLA gov website to check my driving license info, I have found there is a IN10 Penalty (driving uninsured car) which happened on May 2020 in my record. I have no knowlege of this until today. My car is always insured. I have never received any letter from DVLA about this penalty. And I do not even remeber I used my car on that day. 

Has anyone had this kind issue with DVLA before? What is the right procedure to correct and complain about this?

Thanks

JamoLew

Fish out your V5

Check that the address matches exactly your current address

Have you moved house or changed car on or around that date ?

zxemzxem

No, my address was correct.
I did not even use my car on that day if I remeber correctly.

AdrianC

DVLA merely record penalties. They do not impose them. Courts impose them.

You need to find out which court imposed it, then contact the court and find out more detail about the case.

daveyjp

May 2020 is probably when it was recorded by DVLA, the offence could have been months before that.

IIRC it needs a police stop to prosecute for no insurance, I hope you would remember being stopped and charged.

If this hasn't happened you need to go back and find the details of the offence.

Biggus_Dickus

 @zxemzxem

The penalty is for driving whilst uninsured;...I’m certainly no expert in this area but I assume it doesn’t necessarily mean you were driving your own car at time of the offence.

You need to get this issue sorted with some urgency because it could have implications that affect your present car insurance policy should you need to make a claim.

Contact the DVLA as soon as possible for initial guidance. I have personal (and painful!) experience of just how unhelpful the DVLA’s help-desks can actually be. If you are unimpressed by the answers you receive, ring back and speak to a different operator;...you may need to do this several times until you get an operator who is marginally helpful and experienced. The DVLA operators are guided by strict procedure and breaching that first line of defence isn’t easy!

The fact that you haven’t received any communication whatsoever about the offence would perhaps?? suggest a clerical error by the DVLA , or perhaps?? criminal deception by a 3rd party at the time the offence took place;...I’m ‘assuming’ again though.

The DVLA put me through several months of serious grief;...they issued fines, threatened me with court appearance, CCJ’s and even debt collectors if I failed to attend court. They eventually sent me a curt letter of apology admitting a ‘clerical error’ ,...so yes, the DVLA are fallible!....see extract below.

There are many  departments/desks in the DVLA, none of which appear to interact with each other to any degree, which can be very frustrating;...that was my impression anyway. 

The only way I was able to resolve my problem was by writing, in detail, to the DVLA’s sensitive casework desk. Keep a note of the following address; it may be useful and, this is important,  send any letters by Royal Mail recorded-delivery.

Sensitive Casework  Desk, DVLA, Swansea.  SA99 1ZZ.

Good luck;...I hope you can get it all sorted in a timely manner. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

zxemzxem

Thanks for the replies. 

I have checked my diary. That day was still within national lock down. I was WFH. 
I have talked DVLA ppl via webchat. They asked me to talk to the court which issues this penalty. 
Not sure if this is the right procedure. I am giving it a try. 

Biggus_Dickus

zxemzxem said:

Thanks for the replies. 

I have checked my diary. That day was still within national lock down. I was WFH. 
I have talked DVLA ppl via webchat. They asked me to talk to the court which issues this penalty. 
Not sure if this is the right procedure. I am giving it a try. 

Did the DVLA give you any other details?

AdrianC

zxemzxem said:

I have talked DVLA ppl via webchat. They asked me to talk to the court which issues this penalty. 
Not sure if this is the right procedure. I am giving it a try. 

Yes, it is the right procedure.

A court has ordered that penalty. DVLA merely record it.

I'm sure I read something recently where this had come about because somebody of the exact same name and date of birth had been found guilty, but had failed to produce their licence, so the driver number was unknown. DVLA simply picked the wrong driver of that name/DoB.

zxemzxem

Biggus_Dickus said:

zxemzxem said:

Thanks for the replies. 

I have checked my diary. That day was still within national lock down. I was WFH. 
I have talked DVLA ppl via webchat. They asked me to talk to the court which issues this penalty. 
Not sure if this is the right procedure. I am giving it a try. 

Did the DVLA give you any other details?

No, the agent said what I see on the website is the same what he/she could see on their screen. 

Biggus_Dickus

AdrianC said:

zxemzxem said:

I have talked DVLA ppl via webchat. They asked me to talk to the court which issues this penalty. 
Not sure if this is the right procedure. I am giving it a try. 

Yes, it is the right procedure.

A court has ordered that penalty. DVLA merely record it.

I'm sure I read something recently where this had come about because somebody of the exact same name and date of birth had been found guilty, but had failed to produce their licence, so the driver number was unknown. DVLA simply picked the wrong driver of that name/DoB.

Can certainly see how that could happen,...especially given it's the DVLA. 😯