Scrapped vehicle- tell DVLA?

tenchy

Young Mr Tenchy scrapped a vehicle a few years ago but put it on SORN. Occasionally he gets stuff, directly or indirectly, from the DVLA about it - vehicle recall notification, London Low Emission Zone letter and the like. Is it worth notifying the DVLA about the (self) scrappage, or might that open a hornet's nest? For instance, might they insist on it being scrapped by an authorised scrap man? The lad would like to notify them, since the car reg' is a 'cherished number', so he thinks it might then be made available to buy.
Thanks.

Grumpy_chap

If the vehicle is scrapped, the cherished number dies with the vehicle.

It is possible to transfer the number to retention and then the number is available to sell.  The car will be assigned a new number appropriate to vehicle age, or gets the original number back.

I can't advise about the rules for scrapping the vehicle.  I am sure others will be along soon that can.

tenchy

Grumpy_chap said:

If the vehicle is scrapped, the cherished number dies with the vehicle.

It is possible to transfer the number to retention and then the number is available to sell.  The car will be assigned a new number appropriate to vehicle age, or gets the original number back.

I can't advise about the rules for scrapping the vehicle.  I am sure others will be along soon that can.

Thanks. I recall we looked at the number transfer option a while back, but they wanted sight of the vehicle. We would have had to put the shell onto a trailer and take it to some depot or other about 30 miles away; we didn't bother. The vehicle no longer exists.

Grumpy_chap

I understood that plate transfer was all done online, but it's not something I've ever done.  I am sure someone will comment who has done this recently.

Marvel1

https://www.gov.uk/personalised-vehicle-registration-numbers/take-private-number-off

Never done it, but reading above, says:

- You need the V5C
- Vehicle may need to be inspected
- If on SORN for more than 5 years, it needs to be taxed 

The plate is gone.

sheramber

Scrapping a vehicle

https://www.gov.uk/scrapped-and-written-off-vehicles

Nobbie1967

I scrapped an old Spitfire 10 years ago by cutting it up and leaving it for the scrap van to collect the bits, but didn’t notify DVLA at the time. A couple of years back I found the V5 and sent it in with a letter explaining what I had done. They just returned the V5 to me as they were unable to process the scrappage without proof of disposal which I didn’t have. I just chucked the V5 and have heard nothing since, but according to the DVLA my old car still exists. How ridiculous.

tenchy

Nobbie1967 said:

I scrapped an old Spitfire 10 years ago by cutting it up and leaving it for the scrap van to collect the bits, but didn’t notify DVLA at the time. A couple of years back I found the V5 and sent it in with a letter explaining what I had done. They just returned the V5 to me as they were unable to process the scrappage without proof of disposal which I didn’t have. I just chucked the V5 and have heard nothing since, but according to the DVLA my old car still exists. How ridiculous.

I suspect this will happen in my case. Having reviewed the websites posted above, I think we'll just let sleeping dogs lie. As you say, how ridiculous. It's a classic case of "computer says no", coupled with the DVLA jobsworth mentality.

Grumpy_chap

Marvel1 said:

https://www.gov.uk/personalised-vehicle-registration-numbers/take-private-number-off

Never done it, but reading above, says:

- You need the V5C
- Vehicle may need to be inspected
- If on SORN for more than 5 years, it needs to be taxed 

The plate is gone.

The OP said they scrapped the vehicle "a few" years ago.  If "a few" is less than 5, they may get through by transferring the plate to retention and not need the inspection / MOT / tax.

[Deleted User]

Nobbie1967 said:

I scrapped an old Spitfire 10 years ago by cutting it up and leaving it for the scrap van to collect the bits, but didn’t notify DVLA at the time. A couple of years back I found the V5 and sent it in with a letter explaining what I had done. They just returned the V5 to me as they were unable to process the scrappage without proof of disposal which I didn’t have. I just chucked the V5 and have heard nothing since, but according to the DVLA my old car still exists. How ridiculous.

Still cars that were "scrapped" in the 70s still appear on the DVLA site. They'll be there for ever!

molerat

Just looked up one of my old cars.  It is showing as untaxed since June 1984, last V5 issued April 1981 when we moved house.  I remember the scrappy taking it away on his truck.