DVLA and Advantis Late Licensing Penalty

[HB500]

Hello,

 

I moved house over a year ago and told DVLA about my change of address twice - by letter and by phone callicon.

At the time my licence was being renewed. They returned this to my old address and the current owner hand delivered it to me.

Again, I phoned DVLA with my new address.

 

Since then I have had a letter from Advantis about an issue with DVLA. I ignoredicon the first one as it looked like a [problem]ming email asking me to call a premium number.

They sent me a 2nd letter with more information - i.e. I had not paid renewed my tax disc for 6 months.

I checked my car and saw that my tax disc had indeed expired.... but I didn't know about it. I always rely on the reminder letters.

 

I hadn't received any reminder letter. I wrote to DVLA explaining that i believed they had sent the reminder to my old address and offering to settle the debt directly with them, rather than go through a debt collectionicon agency. They wrote back asking for my vehicle registration number as they did not have any record of a vehicle registered at my new address!

So, pretty clear that they did not know my address.

 

DVLA have now sent a letter accusing me of tax evasion. I have now requested their dispute form as I want to contest this (this took me 1 attempt by phone, and 2 attempts by letter before receiving it!).

 

I haven't evaded the tax. I have made every reasonable effort to inform DVLA of my new address and offer to pay the outstanding amount.

[tony3x]

There is a change of address section of the V5, did you send that off.

[HB500]

No, I didn't realise I needed to. In fact, in all my conversations and correspondence with DVLA - no one has mentioned that I need to do so.

[tony3x]

You may need to SAR to get details of any phone calls to prove that you had tried to inform them of the change of address. Did you send your licence off to get the address changed.

[HB500]

Actually, DVLA had my licence at the time of the move. I have to renew it every 3 years and it was with them at the time.

Come to think of it, I think my licence has my correct (new) address on it.

 

Does SAR provide call logs?

Thanks for your help..

[Raykay]

Has your V5C the current address shown? That is the address the DVLA use for vehicle matters, if it is your old address it will be why correspondence is being sent there.

 

A problem may have been that the DVLA has two departments - Drivers and Vehicles - and each only dealing with queries about their own department.

[dx100uk]

well whatever you do

you TOTALLT ignore the powerless DCA.

they ARE NOT BAILIFFS

 

 

dx

[tony3x]

Actually, DVLA had my licence at the time of the move. I have to renew it every 3 years and it was with them at the time.

Come to think of it, I think my licence has my correct (new) address on it.

 

Does SAR provide call logs?

Thanks for your help..

 

In my opinion if your licence has your correct address on it may help your case as you have not tried to hide. As someone else has said the DVLA have separate depts for drivers and vehicles that don't link at all - quite pathetic really with current technology.

 

I would assume that a SAR should have call logs but this is the DVLA you are dealing with and they will probably send you the absolute minimum.

[Raykay]

If the letters are from the DVLA rather than debt collectors, they are often an out of court settlement offer for the offence of keeping an unlicensed vehicle, plus the outstanding duty. Rather than the Late Licensing Penalty which debt collectors often deal with.

[HB500]

I've just checked my documents. My drivers licence has my current address - so this must have been updated when I called the DVLA. My V5 has my old address - which I now know I need to send off to be changed.

 

I think you are right. DVLA has separate departments and don't share the information. It is strange though that returning the V5 was never mentioned to me - despite me phoning and sending letters.

 

Yes, it may help my case - prove that I was not trying to hide - but on the other hand I assume it is my responsibility to return the V5 form instead of sending them a change of address letter.

 

I shall pursue this. I would rather pay my debt to the DVLA - I really don't want to be on any records a debt company.