WeBuyAnyCar, DVLA and SORN

[huski]

On 7th of August I sold my old Golf to webuyanycar.com. Today I received acknowledgement letter from DVLA saying that my car is declared SORN. I don't remember declaring my car SORN, it seems that someone did it for me. Is it usual practice with WeBuyAnyCar? Also my tax disc expired in June (one of the reasons why I decided to sell that car), is it possible that DVLA declared my car off the road automatically?

Edited August 19, 2009 by huski
amending dates

[crem]

On 7th of August I sold my old Golf to webuyanycar.com. Today I received acknowledgement letter from DVLA saying that my car is declared SORN. I don't remember declaring my car SORN, it seems that someone did it for me. Is it usual practice with WeBuyAnyCar? Also my tax disc expired in June (one of the reasons why I decided to sell that car), is it possible that DVLA declared my car off the road automatically?

 

 

I'm sure you would remember if you had declared SORN yourself, so it would appear webuyanycar may have done it to avoid having to register it in their name.

 

On your point as to whether DVLA would do it... I can 1000% guarantee they wouldn't do that. Hell, they can't even manage to record a SORN correctly when the registered keeper asks them to, so they certainly aren't going to do it using psycic intervention and deduce you no longer have the car! lol.

[gwc1000]

I really don't understand why people sell their cars to We Buy Your Car. Every one of them is sent straight to British Car Auctions, where a healthy profit is achieved. The BCA centres I use normally have about 150 of them each week, under a section called CC Trade sales. CC stands for Car Craft.

[huski]

Thanks very much for all the replays Can someone tell me when it case I'll cease to be the owner of that car? I decided to get rid of it as extending insurance, getting MOT and paying tax would cost me more than that old junker is worth. The way I see it is that I'm in kind of sh**** situation. I've have no clue where that car is right now but if it's still registered on my name and declared SORN I can be fined if someone is going to drive it, isn't it? I'm just wondering, maybe I should contact DVLA and present my proof of sale. I simply don't want to be in possession of that junker, it's not worth of the hassle (15yrs old diesel).

[buzby]

What happened to your V5C...? This was a trade Sale - if they didn;t complete the slip to prove they'd take it from you - you'r not covered in case of abuse.

[huski]

If I remember correctly, they have it. They have their own forms, he transferred some number from my V5C to their pre-filled form and asked me to post it as it's done with normal sale. But frankly speaking, it's a big company and I never heard of ppl having some troubles with them. How long does it take for DVLA to process the papers? I sent my bit like 3 or 4 days after the transaction.

[odezi]

I also sold my car to webuyanycar, but I sent off the V5C myself way back in December, now I'm in a battle with DVLA and Moorcroft who want me to pay £80 fine. Moorcroft claim that I should have asked for a refund of my road tax after selling the car. I told them it had two days left and as far as I am aware I didn't have to. All I needed to do was send V5C which I did.

[buzby]

IME DVLA take around 10-20 days to process a V5C change (this as 8 weeks ago). As long as you completed the 'Sold To Dealer' slip, you'll be in the clear.

 

Moorcroft are monkeys - there is no requirement for you to return a tax disc for refund, and in anything is the caue of much angst when the DVLA process a refund THEN issue a 'no vehicke tax/SORN' demand.

[patdavies]

IME DVLA take around 10-20 days to process a V5C change (this as 8 weeks ago). As long as you completed the 'Sold To Dealer' slip, you'll be in the clear.

 

 

To clarify. If you dispose of a car to a dealer, then the dealer retains the V5C and you get the yellow section of it to send to DVLA after completion.

[buzby]

Do we know whether DVLA issue a letter to confirm receipt of the completed V5C/3 (Yellow) slip? This could be important if they later assert that the original RK should have known if they hadn't recieved the slip to process.

[gwc1000]

Do we know whether DVLA issue a letter to confirm receipt of the completed V5C/3 (Yellow) slip? This could be important if they later assert that the original RK should have known if they hadn't recieved the slip to process.

Yes they definitely do issue a confirmation on receipt of the yellow slip.

[buzby]

Ah! TVM

 

Looks as though it is only on EXPORT (V5C/4) that they don't, then!

[huski]

I got a letter from DVLA saying that I'm not longer keeper of that junker. Don't know hy ealier they were bothered with declaring it SORN but the case if finally closed. Thanks for all the helpful replies.

[ClampingKing]

I wouldn't count on it!

 

You sold the car on 7th August, the tax ran out in June. Is that correct?

 

So, unless you declared it SORN on 1 July or taxed it YOU are liable for an £80 fine and knowing the DVLA, you will get it too.

 

If you think that gap between you selling it on 7 August and the tax expiring (I presume 30 June 2009 or was it 31 May 2009?) will go away, think again. It may take weeks or even months, but they WILL fine you. In this case correctly as you didn't tax it or declare it SORN when you are obliged to.

[huski]

You sold the car on 7th August, the tax ran out in June. Is that correct?

I think so. Will c how it goes, there is nothing I can do right now. That post is quite promising. I was travelling n had plenty of other things on my head than declaring that junker SORN, I know that's sh***y excuse. How long does it usually takes for them to contact me?

[ClampingKing]

The thread you linked to is a different matter.

 

You have two responsibilities here, two seperate issues. One is to tax the car or declare it sorn on or before the first day of the month the VED expires. The second is to notify DVLA of selling the car.

 

Tackiling the latter first, you have now received confirmation that you are no longer the registered keeper. Either because DVLA have marked the car as 'in trade' or because it has been resold or scrapped. You should have sent DVLA the yellow section of the V5 when you sold the car, but you know that now and this matter appears to be closed.

 

However there is the first matter. It is your legal duty to have the car either taxed or SORN when you are the registered keeper. There is no middle ground, except if the car is 'in trade' and traders are not required to notify DVLA of car being SORN.

 

Bewteen the VED (tax disc) expiring at the end of June and you selling the car on 7 August, you should have had the car on SORN. But you didn't.

 

Even though you no longer own the car, that only covers you from when you sold it, ie 7th August. Up to that point you were responsible for taxing it or declaring it. As you didn't the car was legally kept (on or off road) without a valid VED or being SORN'd and thus you will be liable for the £80 fine.

 

Timewise, I am sure PatDavis will correct me if I am wrong, but I believe there is no time limit for DVLA to get around to this. Could be next week. Could be next year! The one this I am sure, is that they WILL get around to it.

 

I hope that helps.

[huski]

Thanks for that. Will wait n c what's going to happen