DVLC Not insured fine

[Wellsy]

Early last july my disco failed its MOT on the rusty rear wheel arches around the seat belt mounts.

Major repairs, so I transferred over my insurance to my daughters sorned 90 to keep me mobile.

I repaired the off- side arch and sills with a new panels but the nearside outer arch was unavailable at that time. So in prep. for the its arrival I cut out all the rust and repaired the sills etc. I waited and rang around all summer to the suppliers . None available they will be arriving in Oct. I was told.

End of Oct. still no sign of arches and also a letter arrives from DVLC informing me to explain why my vehicle is not insured or sorned .

I wrote a note on their form explaining as above and said that it was still taxed.

Last week another letter - YOUR FINED 100 quid! I could not believe it. Fined for keeping it on the drive for 3 months. B.A.....R......DS

I did not realise I had to insure it. I thought as it was still taxed it did not have to be sorned.

They don't exactly make it obvious on the tax forms(on the back low down) and who reads it ?

Have I any hope of keeping my £50?(early payment reduction) or do I fight?

Wellsy

[mmgemini]

Yep. Continual insurance has been required for a few years now.

You either insure it or SORN it

[LandyManLuke]

Unfortunately, this has been reasonably well covered in the press and documentation. Doesn't mean it's right, but it's quite clear.

[tacr2man]

You should have surrendered your tax and got the money back , and sorned it at same time , or kept insurance on it simples , so pay the fine quick

[Wellsy]

Yes tacr2man, looking back at it now that would have been the best thing to do , but I did not realise insurance was needed and how long this panel would take to become available. .

Good news is, panel has arrived and discovery will be back on the road soon.

Lesson leant.

PS got a spare offside D1 rear arch outer panel if anyone interested.

W

[GW8IZR]

Yeah.. I was one of the first to be fined back in about 2003 for keeping my 90 in the garage and not SORN...

Yes my fault for not keeping aware of the changes but it certainly made me grit my teeth paying the fine.

[Retroanaconda]

I thought the law only came into effect in 2011? And the act passed in 2006?

I know I certainly had my 90 in the garage over the winter of 08 - 09 taxed but with no insurance without getting any letters!

[GW8IZR]

I was referring to the automatic fine process- mine for forgetting that I had the unused 90 in the garage hence not SORNing it.

[Retroanaconda]

Ah I see, yes.

As an aside did I just imagine it or were SORNs supposed to be permanent now? I could have sworn I saw somewhere that you wouldn't have to renew every year any more but it doesn't seem to be the case as I've just had to renew my 110s SORN again.

[CwazyWabbit]

I think it is a change that is yet to come in James.

EDIT: Page 86 part 2.151 of

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/221885/budget2013_complete.pdf

[mickeyw]

Do DVLA send out SORN renewal notices then?

My RRC has been off the road for over a year and a half. When I first took it off the road I it was still taxed, but not insured. When the tax renewal turned up I declared it SORN. I've yet to receive a SORN renewal .

[CwazyWabbit]

Yep, I recieve a renewal notice every february for a couple of bikes that have SORN declared on them.

[GW8IZR]

Do DVLA send out SORN renewal notices then?

My RRC has been off the road for over a year and a half. When I first took it off the road I it was still taxed, but not insured. When the tax renewal turned up I declared it SORN. I've yet to receive a SORN renewal .

I get a sorn notice for both vehicles , well I won't get one for the 90 now cos its not sorn, but you know what I mean....

I have a couple of other vehicles, I like to call them projects, that have been untaxed for much longer than the sorn process has been arround. I don't get reminders for them. Also the Allis Chalmers also has a log book but its not sorn and I never get a reminder.

When I asked DVLA what would happen when (if) they re surface and they said no problem, just MOT and TAX as required but from then on they would be subject to continual insurance or sorn as required.

[Retroanaconda]

Cheers Barry, makes sense now. I know if you have a vehicle that pre-dates SORNs then you won't get reminders until you tax it or something which brings it into the new system.

I guess it's not that much bother to fill in a couple of text boxes online once a year!

[CwazyWabbit]

They are part way through with the change, the enabling act has received Royal assent and it is now trickling down through the rest of the legislation.

[discomikey]

you get fined if you have no insurance, and tax,
you dont get fined if you SORN it, ok a pain in the neck but not the end of the world,

but what happens to those who have had vehicles off the road so long they have not kept re SORNing it, i.e. barn find material?

i have heard stories of poeple buying such vehicles for restoration and when the time comes to put it on the road they are faced with a fine for not doing anything with it.

is this true, like i said its only stories and i guess whenever i have paperwork through and the tax has ran out they are notified of a new owner and therefore might send a reminder?

[reb78]

but what happens to those who have had vehicles off the road so long they have not kept re SORNing it, i.e. barn find material?

i have heard stories of poeple buying such vehicles for restoration and when the time comes to put it on the road they are faced with a fine for not doing anything with it.

is this true,

I hope not, cos I have one! A 1974 vauxhall magnum taken off the road in 1990 well before the current regulations and waiting for me to magic up the time to restore it.

[discomikey]

like i said, i dont know anything about it, im sure its probably just stories.

[smallfry]

you get fined if you have no insurance, and tax,

you dont get fined if you SORN it, ok a pain in the neck but not the end of the world,

but what happens to those who have had vehicles off the road so long they have not kept re SORNing it, i.e. barn find material?

i have heard stories of poeple buying such vehicles for restoration and when the time comes to put it on the road they are faced with a fine for not doing anything with it.

is this true, like i said its only stories and i guess whenever i have paperwork through and the tax has ran out they are notified of a new owner and therefore might send a reminder?

No it isnt true.

You will be fine with the Magnum. It is the Firenza shape ? I had one many years ago in matt black. Wish I still had it................along with many others

[reb78]

No it isnt true.

You will be fine with the Magnum. It is the Firenza shape ? I had one many years ago in matt black. Wish I still had it................along with many others

Unfortunately it's the 2 door saloon rather than the coupe. Dad bought it new in 1974 (still has my child seat in the back!). Pics here:

http://www.vauxhallviva.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=18544

There aren't that many still on the road. Depends where you read, but it seems to be under 50.

[smallfry]

Nice. When I worked in paint and body (and parts) at a Vauxhall dealer, the Viva HC was still in production............just.

The amount of body and trim stuff that was destroyed would break your heart, I even remember PA Cresta and F model Victor stuff which had been kept for years all going in the skip too...................

Sad that no one can keep this stuff

[bushwhacker]

I know a person who received a sorn penalty of £80 reduced to £40 if paid early. They looked into it, there were things they could have tried and then thought stuff it pay the £40 and be more careful in future.

It was then, they remembered they had forgot to re sorn two other vehicles (they don't think they got renewal notices) which according to the DVL is no excuse as the system is not perfect so the vehicle owner is resonsible for keeping vehicle/s up to date with current sorn/s.

They had a good idea when the outstanding sorns should have been renewed from (a few years outstanding) so they rang DVL telling them they had not got 2013s sorns for two vehicles to which they were told DVL could not find the two vehicles another check was done and still nothing so they ask what were the options they were told they could sorn the vehicles right now on the phone and that would keep things right.

A true story. I kid you not.

I wish I was lucky and won the Lotto.

[Ratty43]

Years back they tried to fine me for not renewing the SORN on my Spitfire after my old man gave it to me as my 18th birthday present. Since he didn't sell it to me and the address it was at didn't change we didn't think it was an issue until the fine turned up. We argued the case since what we had done was not on the list of renewal reasons and after a lot of letters they 'decided not to pursue the case'. They never have added change of owner as a reason and I've always wondered if other people have been stung in this way.