Penalty for unpaid tax

[Hair Bear]

I bought a secondhand car, insured it via telephone before driving it but then drove it the short distance home to get it taxed on my PC.

 

Due to events not worth going into, I didn't get chance to tax it until a couple of days later (so left it in a garage), which I did.

even so, I've now got a DVLA fine for the car "being used or kept while untaxed in XXXXX Street".

 

Would I be correct in assuming that there is no fighting this one,

that that's it,

i'll just have to pay up because I hadn't yet taxed it on the date in question

(although ironically the tax is backdated to the start of the month when you pay it)?

 

Note also that I'm convinced I never went anywhere near the particular street in which they say I was spotted!

[Will Goodfellow]

It sounds as if you have a penalty for "Using or keeping an untaxed vehicle without a SORN" as it was spotted on the street. You now have a chance to settle the out of court penalty otherwise it's a magistrates court fine. If that is not paid, your vehicle will be clamped.

 

If you are certain that you were not on the street mentioned, you can contact the DVLA and argue your case or plead not guilty in court.

[dx100uk]

sounds like you were caught by an ANPR dvla contractor

[Hair Bear]

Thank you for your responses. Can I ask them to send proof that I was on that street? And would it make no difference anyway, since even if I wasn't on that street I evidently hadn't taxed it on the day in question? 

Edited May 25, 2019 by Hair Bear

[unclebulgaria67]

Did you ever have the car on a street while it was untaxed ?

 

The answer will be yes.

 

In your situation, I think you had to buy the car tax, the same day as you bought the car. Either online or at a post office.

 

You did not do that and the letter suggests evidence of the car being on a street on a day it was not taxed. Ask for evidence if you want, but I would suggest you pay the penalty first to avoid further actions and then query evidence afterwards. 

 

 

[Hair Bear]

Will do, thanks

[Hair Bear]

Purely out of curiosity, if I don't pay and go to court will the fine be more if i'm found guilty? 

 

[dx100uk]

yes lots more