DVLA : To SORN or not to SORN?

[prince-h]

Hello all, I have just joined and would like to ask some advice please. Thanks in advance.

 

I own 2 vehicles registered to myself at address A, and then in late 2007 I moved to address B. Both vehicles have not been driven since 2007 and are currently sitting still outside my addres B (off the road). I know it is probably my fault but I really forgot to declare them SORN at all over the last couple of years (my driving license is still registered at address A).

 

I went to visit my old address A to check for mail etc, and there are tonnes and tonnes of threatening letters from bailiffs, and occasionally knocking on the door looking for my name! I am really scared to say the least, and have been advised (by a friend) NOT to change my driving license address to my current address B until this mess is sorted.

 

About the mess: I would like to know if I can declare both vehicles SORN as of April 2011, and do a "stat out of time declaration" (PE2 PE3 form) to help my situation (also advised by the same friend). I have searched the internet for more info and have printed out the PE2PE3 form but I 'm having trouble understanding how it works at all! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

Prince

 

p.s. It is my intention to now sell both vehicles but I'm not sure about the consequences of doing so with my current mess.

Edited April 6, 2011 by prince-h
adding something...

[sailor sam]

Hi and welcome to CAG.

 

I'm not sure how you are going to get round this to be honest. Basically a vehicle must be either SORNd or taxed at ALL times. There should be no gaps in between either. Your problem will unfortunately not go away when you sell them either so you will have to sort it first. As for your driving licence address, legally your licence address must match your home address.

 

Unless anyone has any loop holes to explore, you can expect to have to pay the back duty on both vehicles from when their respective tax discs expired plus any associated fines which have been issued against them.

[crem]

As for your driving licence address, legally your licence address must match your home address.

 

Not strickly true. The address you declare on your driving licence (and the V5 for your car for that matter) only has to be an "address at which you can be reached". i.e. it is perfectly acceptable for you to leave your licence registered at your parents address when you move out, provided that the parents advise you when there is mail for you to collect.

[sailor sam]

Not strickly true. The address you declare on your driving licence (and the V5 for your car for that matter) only has to be an "address at which you can be reached". i.e. it is perfectly acceptable for you to leave your licence registered at your parents address when you move out, provided that the parents advise you when there is mail for you to collect.

 

I believe it is permissable to have a different contact address on the V5 but not on the actual driving licence although I am happy to be corrected.

[prince-h]

Hello and thanks very much for your feedback. Dont get me wrong I dont want to sell the cars to escape consequences, the time has come to sell them. I just found the paper work for both vehicles and I will start a SORN for both asap.

 

So how do I go about doing this? Call DVLA directly? The fines and money being asked by the threatening letters are nothing shot of a joke. Do they just pull random figures out of the sky? I will arrange some legal advice to try and consolidate the fines, if anyone can suggest a company because in my research I am finding financial and legal jargon hard to grasp.

[Raykay]

If the cars were not SORN, you could be liable for the tax since the last tax or SORN expired. It depends what DVLA are claiming, it would be a either a Late Licensing Penalty - which is a civil debt and could end up in County Court, or for not having a licence - a criminal matter which could end up in Magistrates Court. In either case they may also be claiming the back tax.

Edited April 7, 2011 by Raykay

[prince-h]

I now have two letters from Inter-Credit International Ltd "preparing to claim against me" unless I pay them £80 for each car. I will call and pay this as I can muster up £160 for now, but it seems too little for my situation of having two cars off road but not sorn'd. Something else is about to hit me hard isn't it?

 

Ideally I hope to get some free legal representative who can gather all my fines together and settle all for something that I can actually afford.

 

Regards, Prince

[DaniPedrosa]

If it was me I would sell the vehicles and try to remain below the DVLA radar. I certainly wouldn't speak to Inter-Credit International Ltd under any circumstances.

[No Surrender]

Hi Guy's 'n' Girls,

 

I may have an interesting one for you..

 

DVLA are hounding me to pay 2yrs back Tax £179, for a written off vehicle, which was off road in private parking on private land. They were aware of it, as my insurers and I informed them not long after the accident and on doing so I never received another reminder to tax or SORN the vehicle.! Hence the vehicle was never SORN off road..

 

As you might gather I have no intention of paying these pricks a dime and was wondering if using the Trust Law could f**k'em even before it goes to court, or to be honest any other advice that could help?

 

As anyone with an ounce of common sense can see that the legality here, has only risen due to a back door law that DVLA have managed to push though making something that originally was legal into illegal.. I'm talking about the law allowing them to even include vehicles parked in private parking on private land as if they are on the public highway! This in my opinion is nothing more than legalised theft for revenue making..!!

 

Your views on this would be appreciative..

Edited November 6, 2012 by No Surrender

[sailor sam]

Hi NS, I don't believe that you do get a reminder to re-SORN so unless you do/have, you become liable for any tax due for the un-SORNd period i'm afraid. I'm happy to be proven wrong though.

[No Surrender]

Hi NS, I don't believe that you do get a reminder to re-SORN so unless you do/have, you become liable for any tax due for the un-SORNd period i'm afraid. I'm happy to be proven wrong though.

 

Yes you get a reminder every year, as I have recently done one for my classic car, which has now been in storage 2 years..