Category C Car and Sorn

[ukminch]

Hi there,

I've got a car that I was given by my Mum after it was written off. It was categorised cat C, despite only having £15 worth of damage with parts from the breakers........

I MOT'd it. It was taxed until the end of March.

We sent off the form notifying change of keeper. I received a letter from DVLA saying that they acknowledge change of keeper but could not issue a V5 until it had been VIC tested - Fair enough

The tax ran out so I parked it up as I could not tax it. I booked in for a VIC test (which has now been done) I now need to find the time to go to the local VRO to apply for tax and reg doc. Meanwhile I have received a fine for failure to tax or sorn. As I didn't have a reg document I could not tax it, but with hindsight maybe could have sorned it. Does the fact that I could not tax it mean that it is an unfair contract as I did not have that option?

Many thanks
Rob

[Rooster-UK]

When SORN is needed

Make a SORN:

• if your vehicle is being kept off the road due to repair, MOT failure or is not being used
• if you’re not renewing your tax disc and keeping the vehicle off road
• if you’re applying for a refund and keeping the vehicle of road
• every 12 months if you continue to keep your vehicle off the road
• in advance if your vehicle is to be kept off the road in the Great Britain when you’re abroad

When SORN is not needed

SORN isn’t needed if:

• you sell the vehicle
• you scrap the vehicle or pass it to a scrap dealer
• your insurance company write the vehicle off
• you take the vehicle abroad permanently
• you apply for a refund and don’t keep the vehicle
• your vehicle was last taxed before 31 January 1998

If the vehicle is not taxed, then you must declare SORN. Regardless of the reason it's not taxed, it must have one or the other.

For more information click the link........

When to make a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) : Directgov - Motoring

Regards, Rooster.

[ukminch]

Yep, might cough to this one, as I may have broke their rules. Albeit that I wouldn't have done anything wrong if before they introduced this (in my opinion) nonsense. (I do want to check that I have broken the rules though as I was not able to tax it which I wanted to)

Having said that though it does come under the category of being written off by the insurance company?

I want to tax the vehicle as I want to use it, but cannot find time for a trip to the VRO

Regards
Rob

[Rob S]

As I understand it, to be able to SORN a vehicle you either need a reference number from the V5 or a reference number from the vehicle excise duty reminder you get when your raod tax is due to expire. If DVLA did not provide you with the V5, how would you be able to SORN the vehicle? Do DVLA do it over the phone using the vehicle registration number only?

[gwc1000]

Hi, ukminch. I'm afraid you may have mucked up here. If you have a V5 change of ownership going on at the same time as a SORN becomes due you are meant to declare SORN on a form V890 and tick the box where it says:

The V5/V5C or V62 has already been submitted to register the vehicle in my name

[ukminch]

I'm not denying I may have mucked up and if I have will pay the fine, albeit I won't be happy about it..........

The change in ownership occured, then they sent me out a letter stating that the change of keeper had been recorded. It was still taxed at this point. Then the tax ran out and I had no reg doco so assumed (maybe wrongly) that I could not tax or sorn it as I had no reference number. At no point did I receive a reminder (not that this is needed) but helped me with my theory that I didn't need to do anything. Accordingly I waited for the VIC check and now need to apply for the doc and tax it.

Thanks for the replies so far, keep them coming
Rob