Private reg removal V778 inspection for old vehicle - can it fail the inspection?

JohnCheyney

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum, and hoping that someone can help me with some advice please?

So I have an old swb van on which I have always had my own private number plate. It is off road and SORN. Now I need to scrap the van, but want to get the number plate off first, so need to apply for a V788 document.

On the gov website, I saw that it says the DVLA might want to inspect the van first. Other websites said this might be if the the vehicle is over 15 years old (which mine is).

So my questions are:

1) Does anyone know what are they inspecting for? - Given I only want to scrap the van, it seems odd to me that it might need an inspection to check road-worthiness if I intend to scrap the van as soon as I've got the plate off.

2) Has anyone else had an inspection prior to getting a V778, and if so what happened?

3) Is there a chance that the inspection could lead to a refusal to issue a V778 and thus a refusal to allow me to get ownership of my own property, i.e. the private reg? If so, do they keep my £80 I pay for the V788 too?

I'm sorry if my issue is a bit complicated :-s but any advice would be most welcome :-) Thanks in advice.

John

motorguy

This is a summary of "the rules" -

"The donor vehicle must be currently MOT’d and taxed, taxed with MOT expired or MOT expired and tax expired less than 6 months.

If you have declared SORN on the donor vehicle then the last tax disc must have expired (it cannot have been refunded) less than 6 months previously."

If the van falls outside of that, i'd have thought it would need MOT'd / PSV'd.

JohnCheyney

Thank you Motorguy, but I'm really confused. Nowhere on the gov website for applying for a V778 does it say that the van Tax must be less than 6 months expired, so I'm really confused. All I'm trying to do is get my own private registration plate off my van which is to be scrapped.
Have I got the wrong certificate number then? As I am not ready to sell the reg plate, just get to keep it myself for the time being as the van is being scrapped, then plan to sell the plate later, is there a different thing I need to apply for? 

AdrianC

JohnCheyney said:

1) Does anyone know what are they inspecting for?

They're checking that it really IS the same van as the registration is currently assigned to.

If the van with the reg was already scrapped, then the registration is lost. Using a similar vehicle to pretend that it still exists is, obviously, not allowed.

Is there a chance that the inspection could lead to a refusal ... to allow me to get ownership of my own property, i.e. the private reg?

It isn't your property. It's DVLA's.

You simply have their permission to use it. That can be withdrawn, for instance if you persistently mis-display the registration.

Transfer of a registration between vehicles is at DVLA's discretion.

JohnCheyney

They're checking that it really IS the same van as the registration is currently assigned to. 

Thanks Adrian.
That's okay then, because it is my van and has not been scrapped yet. This is why I want my reg back before I scrap it. I paid the DVLA £500 for that reg as I bought it direct from them, and so obviously I want to keep it . 

sheramber

Depends on how long it has been SORN
https://www.gov.uk/personalised-vehicle-registration-numbers/take-private-number-off

Eligibility

The vehicle must:

• be registered with DVLA in the UK
• be able to move under its own power
• be of a type that needs an MOT or heavy goods vehicle (HGV) test certificate
• have been taxed or had a SORN in place continuously for the past 5 years
• be taxed currently (or have a SORN in place - if it’s had a SORN for more than 5 years, it must be taxed)
• be available for inspection

DVLA will check your application and contact you if your vehicle needs an inspection.

JohnCheyney

Thanks @sheramber it's only been sorn for 7 months. But I'm worried about the clause "be able to move under its own power" as the battery is defunct and so it doesn't start. It shouldn't matter one iota as I fully intend to scrap it as soon as I get my reg plate taken off it, so I simply don't understand why this clause is there and how it might affect the "inspection" *worried* 

Grumpy_chap

JohnCheyney said:

I'm worried about the clause "be able to move under its own power" as the battery is defunct and so it doesn't start. 

OK, so I don't know what the DVLA are looking for, but I would interpret that part that you referenced as really indicating the DVLA are looking to verify that it is a full and complete vehicle.

If it is just a flat battery, could you start it under jump leads if needed and satisfy the requirement that way?

sheramber

We have swopped private reg several times but never had an inspection. However, it has  always been from currently running cars.

Yo u can onyl ask and they can  only say no.

JohnCheyney

Thanks @Grumpy_chap Unfortunately the battery is total goosed. I'd need to buy a new one but there's no point given I'm scrapping it anyway.

Ah well, I suppose I have to just see what happens. 
Thanks everyone who has helped with advice

AdrianC

So this plate is worth less to you than the price of a second-hand battery?