CHIT, CHAT AND GRUMBLE

[Paul Sheridan]

Can use this post for all the quickies that dont need their own discussion or blog title.

Happy ramblings  :-))

[Paul Sheridan]

New Sorn rules now in place, plus insurance changes.     https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dvla-cuts-unnecessary-red-tape-f...

[Adrian Southgate]

So if I read that right, you now have to have an insurance policy in place even if your car is on SORN and in bits in a garage? Anybody else reading it that way?

[Paul Sheridan]

No two different items (i think)

1, no insurance certificate required to be shown, when taxing a car. (they will already know)

2, no need to renew Sorn anually

[James Doulton]

My Melos's SORN runs out in January and the DVLA have just written to me to renew it, which I did!

I think that the rules in their press release are not clear on the insurance issue. There is no statement that it only applies to cars that are on the road. I recall some talk in CKC about there being a need to insure SORNed vehicles. However, they don't just fine you, they write to you to give you the chance to arrange insurance first. Presumably they have been implementing this part of the scheme since 2011, so I'd be surprised if we wouldn't have heard of cases by now. I guess this means that we don't need insurance for our project cars.

[1midz0wwbl268]

i'm in the same boat James my SORN  runs out 1st Jan, so do i have to renew it or not? i know it says from 16th december, but as  intend to MOT mine in the next 2 months, is it worth it?

Also do i still have to go to my local DVLA office to change the taxation class?  

[Paul Sheridan]

If you can find a local DVLA office Martin !!!  They are all supposed to be closed by the end of 2013, I suppose for the little time it takes on the DVLA website to register it sorn, you may as well do so, untill the sorn button is removed.

[1midz0wwbl268]

is it possible to change taxation class online then, if there is no local offices near me that are open,  at the moment its either Brighton, or Maidstone.

[1midz0wwbl268]

Your spot on, Brighton closed in Oct, i have  once i have a valid MOT apply to Swansea to get the taxation class changed, means it takes 10 working days rather than being able to just pop over to brighton and do it there and then, and be able to legally drive the car, and they say this is modernisation  ??

[Dave Adams]

The sorn rules are a mess.....you must sorn a car that has no insurance but a car with current tax cannot be sorn. So you must surrender the tax......very very annoying and stupid.

[alfie murie]

yes Dave,  I recently transfered my insurance from my L200 Warrior onto my new Hilux leaving 2.5 months of road tax on the L200,  then got a letter from DVLA stating that I had to either re-insure or sorn the vehicle, I sorned it !! and lost the remaining road tax as it was too much hassle to reclaim about a months tax 

[Big Vern]

Not really, a car which has tax but no insurance suggests its being used without insurance, an RTO.

Why would you  leave TAX running on a car you're not using, surely in these finacially difficult times you would want that money in you're pocket so sorning a car that you're not using and 'cashing in' the remaining tax makes sense. If its only for a month or two why would you not re-insure it?

As for the sorn/ insurance issue James, If the car has been on the road and therefore insured then when you stop the insurance you need to sorn it as you are declaring you are no longer going to use the car. If you sell the car straight away or trade in then you only need to tell the DVLA you no longer have the car.

The system is designed to try and catch those intending to use an untaxed or un-insured car on the road, once you get your head around that then the system seems simple enough.

[Dave Adams]

so you can sell it!

try selling a car with out tax, its a hassle for the new owner to take the car away they either have to trailer it or buy tax before going to pick it up.

the system was designed by bone idle coppers looking to save shoe leather by having the public nick themselves and does nothing to prevent illegal use of motor vehicles.