End of another GTI advice needed too

[G6dub]

Right this is going to be long!

A friend has gone to New Zeland for 6 months, left his Golf with another friend who has it parked outside his house in Portsmouth,

Ok in the early hours of today, joy riders not only hit the golf but went right over the roof, so you can imagine the state of the car  Police got a local recovery truck to come and move it, friend had to go to Police station, well even though he was in bed at the time, he this morning ends up with his friends car written off! a 7 day wonder, and there is NO MOT as run out last week (has insurence from his caddy to cover insurence but that is not valid cause no MOT) the car is Taxed and to top it off a ?130 tow away fee from the Police taking the Golf away.

We are collecting it tomorrow and having it crushed, but why the hell does he get a 7 day wonder and I don't think it needs to have a MOT if it is just parked up on a road? It is taxed and i thought that was all that was required?

Bloody kids all this hassle and a perfecty good GTI gone cause of then nicking another car!!

[richandhazel]

Thats very bad news
I would have thought that as long it is taxed it has every right to be parked there, however, insurance will be invalid with no MOT. I still don't see any reason why you can't claim from the third party

[Horney]

Don't crush it!

Strip it for as many spares as you can get so at least your mate will get some money back!

[Mr Blue]

Don't crush it!

Strip it for as many spares as you can get so at least your mate will get some money back!

second that.

Is it a MK1 or MK2?

[G6dub]

Don't worry have been doing that already, seat are down at the trimmerws being sorted for the Caddy.

Crushing it and will get weight price, if I take it to a scrap yard they will charge me!

[Dizzie]

I'm sure you'll get more from stripping it down to parts and selling on here/ebay though. scrappers are buggers now. you have to pay them to take it away and then they sell the bits and make even more money.

[tinman]

ok, me and a friend are reading this and having a small disagreement.

I think that because the car is unused it doesn't need an MOT but does require tax. my mate thinks it needs both. he thinks that a car, even if its not being used and is merely kept on the "public highway" needs an MOT. We're not sure about insurance though.

we're not too sure about the fact the car got towed away. if the car was registered locally they could of gone round the owners house, woken him up, showed him the car - and the owner then makes gets the car moved off of the public highway. but then it only needs to be moved if it constitutes a danger to other road users - and if theres anything sharp sticking out - its a danger.

we would be inclined to visit plod and put it down in the record that the

a) the car belongs to the person who has gone travelling - so if they want to "book" someone - its him and not your friend.
b) i'd pay the tow away charge as a sign of good will - however, you are under no obligation to as your friend isn't the registered keeper
c) state for the record that the car has not been used on the public highway - and if they want to prosecute - let them.

i really cant see this going to court, and if it did, represent yourself, and tell the magistrate straight - not my car & car not being used anyway.

[topher]

the dvla website isnt very clear on the MOT issue , http://www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/obligations.htm.

"before taking a vehicle on a public road.." i suppose they can argue that even though its parked, with no intention of it being driven, its still on the public highway. I wonder how that stands if the MOT expired while it was parked up, afterall it had a valid MOT "before" it was taken on the road ?

[Overseer]

tinman> i believe you're right.

the fact is.. if a car is sat on a public road it needs tax.

since you need an MOT to get tax thats a given. BUT technically yes a taxed car can have no MOT if it was taxed past the expiry of the MOT.

BUT.. you cant re-tax without an MOT _AND_ insurance.


to register it SORN you must also keep it offroad...

[G6dub]

Ok Police say it needs the MOT and Insurence to be parked on a public road!
They have seen that is has tax.
The nice Joy riders also took out 2 shop fronts, the Golf was left in the middle of the road with half its side missing and the roof pushed down into the boot,amazing what 2 kids in a Rover can do, they ran off and WTG for a change the Police got them.
 
So really I understand that it had to be towed away, and yes that has been paid for now.