SORN - a reminder for the rest of us......

[Diamond Hell]

I know there was a topic on this recently, but I thought I'd share my experiences......

Bless the DVLA. They're SO joined up.

Yesterday I got a failure to relicense notification for this grey shed I have on the Isle of Wight.

'Odd' I thought 'I don't remember getting a reminder to get that re-SORNed.'

So I hunted through my records and couldn't find it, I then looked through the form and as far as I could make out I had to respond to the demand within 4 weeks to only pay £40..... to do that I needed to include the re-SORN notification, which *should* come through in four weeks..... but if you're over the four weeks you'll need to pay £80 - cunning, eh?

Because I live 1/2 mile from a DVLA office, rather than fighting through a phone system (it said I couldn't appeal by phone on the form anyway) I tend to go and sort out my grievances in person. So I re-SORNed online, made a note of the reference number and went down to see them.

Once I'd queued for the required time I was escorted to a small office away from the main office, as my case was an 'enforcement' case. I then had to wait for the required time to see an enforcement officer (quite a nice matron-esque lady actually) to who I explained I'd got two other reminders that month and I didn't understand why I hadn't got this one, which would have prompted me to re-SORN. What was her response?

'You cannot rely on the reminder to re-SORN'

'Yes' I said 'I know that, as if I'd had a reminder I would have re-SORNed this vehicle in January.'

'We only send out SORN reminders for the majority of vehicles'

'oh right, so it's like a lottery?'

*looks slightly awkward*

'Yes, you could say that, but you shouldn't rely on the reminder to re-SORN your vehicle'

Now that is a stealth tax, unless I'm much mistaken and it is one I object to.

I didn't have any option really, so I paid my £40 and got out of there, before my car got clamped in their car park.......

Rmember kids 'we only send out reminders for the majority of vehicles'. You're not at risk if your vehicle is taxed, or destroyed. If you have a hobby where your car is off the road you REALLY need to keep an eye on those SORN dates - you're a revenue stream, you are.

[Steve_B]

Do you have to update if your car stays off the road, mine's been like that for year and a half now.

[DubFan]

Do you have to update if your car stays off the road, mine's been like that for year and a half now.

You have to re-SORN you car every single year it's off the road, just like you have to re-Tax your car every year.

[Steve_B]

Fckn dvla  Never got any reminders, how much will i get stung for?

[Diamond Hell]

Either get your V5, get to their page and SORN the car now, online.

Alternatively 'sell' it to a mate/parent/other half, who SORNs it when they buy it. This then makes it pop up on their records.  In my experience stuff that hasn't been SORNed and isn't being chased by reminders and threatening letters doesn't exist in their world.  Once it's been SORNed it's on their radar and systems and it seems that it's from that point they MUST know the status on it, or you'll get stiffed.

[JC]

Should put DVLA incharge of Immigration

they know exactly where all the fooking un taxed cars are - at least we would know where all the illegal immigratants are tpp

Off to petition Gordon Brown 

[cняis]

i think if you purchase a vehicle which is SORNed, the new keeper get a new 12 months SORN period, rather than continuing with the old SORN.

Hence my project signed over in December 2007 says this:

Date of Liability  01 12 2008 
Date of First Registration  13 04 1989 
Year of Manufacture  1989 
Cylinder Capacity (cc)  1781CC 
CO2 Emissions  Not Available 
Fuel Type  Petrol 
Export Marker  Not Applicable 
Vehicle Status  SORN Not Due 
Vehicle Colour  GREEN 
Vehicle Type Approval  null 

[leeroy20vt]

i just got a nice letter thru the door as the car is never goin back on the road i was goin to tell them that i have never heard or seen this car in my life what u reckon there say to that

[Diamond Hell]

If you're the registered keeper then the car is your responsibility until you tell them it is scrapped or sold.

The only thing you can do is send them the V5 with the scrapped box ticked, dated back to when the SORN expired.  If the letter is demanding money then your problem is they have assigned money to your case. This will make it tough for them to 'forget' the money attached to your letter. 

[leeroy20vt]

dam even if i say i have never seen or heard of this car some 1 must have put in my name doin a dodgy deal lol