SORN Vehicle Clamped

[cjsmith]

Hi,

 

Yesterday, I had a SORN'd vehicle clamped by the company the DVLA rent out.

 

It was on a road, I had to move it the day before and it's due to be towed up today by a breakers yard.

 

It does mention that the company will notify the DVLA. It's been on a public road for 2 days, the rest of the time was behind a private parking area on a gate.

 

It's getting unclammped now.

 

What can I expect to happen next? Any recommendations?

[crem]

£80 fine for having an unlicenced vehicle on the public road.

They will probably charge you for the "back tax" for the period when it was on SORN as they now belive it shouldn't have been, plus I think they charge you £160 "surity" which is refunded when you correctly tax the vehicle.

 

As it seems you are scapping the car now, I'm not sure how that surity fee will be refunded.

[cjsmith]

Many thanks for the reply,

 

So they won't be attempted to try and hit me with "false declaration" of the SORN? It was literally on the road two days before it got nabbed.

 

I havent spoken to DVLA yet, but I have posted off the slip to inform them the car has now been scrapped.

[Professor Lone Ranger]

This is getting out of hand. Why was the car moved onto the road? Was it awaiting collection by a scrap merchant?

 

What does a vehicle keeper who has no private land to park their vehicle on do with it while it is awaiting spares for instance? What use is a SORN, if it does not permit a person to park their vehicle on the road, while it is awaiting return to use? in my view this is a direct attack on the poorest members of society who are in the greatest need of help and support. Are those people who have been making false claims for expenses really serious in treating those they allegedly represent in this way?

 

Clearly the only purpose of a SORN is to extort payments from the most vulnerable members of society by harassment and threats. What other use can it have? In my ignorance I believed a SORN was a commitment not to use the car, not to make it disappear from the road, which we all pay for even though not keeping a vehicle. Is it the latest new tax trap, to recoup the losses of the financial services industry?

[chezwicks]

Our car was SORN declared and was parked on our drive. One morning, we moved the car onto the slip road outside our house as it was for sale and someone was coming to look at it. Unfortunately, we got clamped! It cost us £100 to remove the clamp, and a further £160 surety fee, which was refunded once the new tax disc was shown. We asked what would happen to the surety fee if we didnt tax the car, we were told we would lose it.

 

yesterday, we got home to receive a letter from the DVLA with a fine of £72, which was seperate from the fees already paid.

 

Not worth the hassle of putting your sorned car onto a road - whatever the reason, sorry, thats just my view.

[MazdaspeedTurbo]

Hi,

 

I too had my car clamped this week by the DVLA.. outside the garage it was having it's MOT carried out.

 

It's been SORN for the last 6 months but kept legally on my driveway (MOT had expired during this time).

I prebooked it's MOT at the garage, where I drove it to and left on Tuesday morning... Just 2 hours later I received a phone call from the garage saying it had been clamped and that I needed to phone DVLA to pay the £260 to have it released!!

 

I mean come on - it was at the garage waiting for it's MOT for godsake. Impossible to tax it with no MOT.

 

Seems like the DVLA (or their clamping companies) don't apply common sense when it comes to them earning their points. Just hoping I'v got a good case for reclaiming ALL my money back.

[Ripley]

Mazda, I think you would have a case. It is legal to drive an untaxed car to get its MOT.

[brassnecked]

was it on a garage forecourt or on the road? if the road they will say they are right and sting you for more cash. If the forecourt is off road, Ripley has a point. argue the toss with them.

[sailor sam]

Hi,

 

I too had my car clamped this week by the DVLA.. outside the garage it was having it's MOT carried out.

 

It's been SORN for the last 6 months but kept legally on my driveway (MOT had expired during this time).

I prebooked it's MOT at the garage, where I drove it to and left on Tuesday morning... Just 2 hours later I received a phone call from the garage saying it had been clamped and that I needed to phone DVLA to pay the £260 to have it released!!

 

I mean come on - it was at the garage waiting for it's MOT for godsake. Impossible to tax it with no MOT.

 

Seems like the DVLA (or their clamping companies) don't apply common sense when it comes to them earning their points. Just hoping I'v got a good case for reclaiming ALL my money back.

 

Had made the garage aware that it was un-taxed and SORNd when you booked it in?

 

__________________

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[Ripley]

As I say, it is legal to drive an untaxed vehicle to a garage for its MOT; otherwise, it would be virtually impossible to get any vehicle off SORN. Your vehicle must be insured, in a safe condition, and the MOT appointment should be pre booked; even if I go to a garage that doesn't take bookings, I ring ahead and ask them to write my name down.

Given this, I would think that a car outside a garage waiting for its MOT should not be clamped as technically it is on its way to the test. I would also think that following its MOT you could drive it legally in order to get tax as soon as reasonably possible.

[sailor sam]

Yes 100% agree Ripley. BUT we don't know where the car was actually parked in relation to the garage. Also, if the garage were aware that the car was under SORN and untaxed, surely they should of made arrangements for it to be taken straight onto their property. As long as the OP made the garage aware the vehicle was untaxed and SORN'd, sureley it is the garage's responsibility?

 

To be fair to the DVLA, how do they know it was booked in for an MOT just because it was outside a garage?

 

Having said all this, I find it amazing that we hear stories like this when I know of cars being SORNd and un-insured, driving ariound for weeks without so much as a parking ticket near to where I live as indicated in my thread; SORNd/Un-insured cars being used on a public road.

 

__________________

Please Note

 

The advice I offer will be based on the information given by the person needing it. All my advice is based on my experiences and knowledge gained in working in the motor and passenger transport industries in various capacities. Although my advice will always be sincere, it should be used as guidence only.

 

I would always urge to seek professional advice for clarification prior to taking any action.

 

Please click my scales at the bottom of my profile window on the left if you found my advice usefull.

[Bazooka Boo]

If a car is in the hands of a garage to be MOT'd, and they are foolish enough to park it on a public highway, as is the case with the gargae next door to me, then they ARE liable for the offence of parking an untaxed vehicle on the highway and any fine you receive in relation to that, whilst the vehicle is in their custody, is borne by the garage or their insurers.

 

If they say otherwise, then issue them with a small claim for the amount in question.

 

I have reported the garage next door for constantly dumping untaxed cars on the road outside where I live, including to the DVLA, and the garage has been forced to fork out to the owners all of the fines, unclamping and tow-away fees.

[rangieowner]

I had my 1973 Range Rover clamped outside my house, it was displaying no tax disc and was not SORNd, While i was out the vehicle was clamped and then unclamped 4 hours later, with no note, fine or any other correspondance from the DVLA. What's that all about?

[sailor sam]

I had my 1973 Range Rover clamped outside my house, it was displaying no tax disc and was not SORNd, While i was out the vehicle was clamped and then unclamped 4 hours later, with no note, fine or any other correspondance from the DVLA. What's that all about?

 

Is it taxed?

 

Please Note

 

 

The advice I offer will be based on the information given by the person needing it. All my advice is based on my experiences and knowledge gained in working in the motor and passenger transport industries in various capacities. Although my advice will always be sincere, it should be used as guidence only.

I would always urge to seek professional advice for clarification prior to taking any action.

Please click my reputation button at the bottom of my profile window on the left if you found my advice useful.

[rangieowner]

No sam it wasn't taxed, the only thing i could think of was, if it was built before the end of December 1972 it holds tax exempt status, but don't you still need a 'FREE' tax disc to be legal?

[sailor sam]

All vehicles have to be taxed to be kept or driven on a public road. You are correct that those over a certain age can qualify for zero duty but still need to display a current disc. I am at a loss to explain what happend in your case.

 

Please Note

 

 

The advice I offer will be based on the information given by the person needing it. All my advice is based on my experiences and knowledge gained in working in the motor and passenger transport industries in various capacities. Although my advice will always be sincere, it should be used as guidence only.

I would always urge to seek professional advice for clarification prior to taking any action.

Please click my reputation button at the bottom of my profile window on the left if you found my advice useful.

[rangieowner]

All good for me I suppose! Thanx sam!

[TheGwentDragon]

I wouldn't risk driving it to get tax. I bought my Puma off eBay. In excellent condition, but it was only when I went to Cardiff LVLO (no V5) to get a tax disc that I discovered that it had been written off and bought back. Consequently, I required a Vehicle Identity Check to get a V5. I was in and out of hospital, so a friend took it for prebooked MOT and then a prebooked VIC check. On the way home, they drove via Cardiff LVLO to get the tax. They got stopped 100 yards from the LVLO, and told that they should have taken the car home by the most direct route. Although they only had a telling off, the copper COULD book you if you go off the direct route in order to get tax.