Safe Speed Forums

Hi there, I have been away to holiday in oxford over the xmas and have now encountered a problem with my car which hasw delayed my expected return to essex.

However my tax is due to be renewed today and I do not have the documents and information required to order it online as they are in Essex.

Do you get a few days grace with tax or will you get in trouble for a couple of days?

I am really paranoid now and dont want to drive it back til I have tax but feel I am in a catch 22 situation. It could be 4-5 days before I can get back and up to a week before the tax disc comes.

Are they leniant on thisa or will I end up with points and a fine? :-s

-Rob

There is a 5 day grace period for the displaying of a tax disc, but not one for buying.

You have to immediately SORN your car (and keep it off public roads) if your tax has expired and you haven’t purchased a new one.

If you purchase right now (say via online, assuming your MOT & insurance docs are up-to-date) you will be safe for only the first 5 working days of the month; you will have to display your old disc in the meantime.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/pressoffice/ ... 08_09.aspx
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Ow ... G_10034732

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

Nowadays you need to be very vigilant about your tax renewal date. I'm the kind of person who naturally is, but I recognise everyone isn't the same.

You should have been sent a renewal notice about 2-3 weeks before the end of the month, but if you're not living all the time at your registered address it can easily be missed.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Is there anyone at home (in Essex)where the tax renewal form is? who can access it and give you the ref no. off it?

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

The reference number in the V5C will also suffice if the tax renewal form isn't available.

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

Someone is going to go to my flat in essex TOMORROW to give me the details.

Will I be ok? It will be 2 days past the renweal date when I order it.

What is the punishment if they decide too?

Will they be able to check that I havent had it taxed for 2 days or will they see that it has since been taxed and not bother?

Bearing in mind I am already one day over so tomorrow will be 2 when I order.

Well technically I believe the max fine is about £2,000 or if you get caught driving, you are not insured, because it is a requirement of your insurance, so seizure of your vehicle. However, there is not and in fact never has been a grace period. If you are within 2 weeks of renewal, and can show good reason (which you can) it is unlikely that a prosecution will be persued!

So you think I should be fine then .

Just want to alliviate my fears .

Thanks

Renew it ASAP, technically you are commiting an offence to use your car on the road. However, when you do renew you will be paying for the "gap" in the road fund. One should never knowingly commit an offence, the police are able to consider mitigating factors at the road side, should they decide to charge you, then the magistrates will consider your mitigation.

The simple solution, go online and get your tax renewd, phone a friend and and get the ref no from the renewal notice, and you are away!

Renew your tax straight away, or SORN your vehicle.
I assume you will renew online or by phone tomorrow (Sunday) - not by post. If you can't renew for any reason then be safe by just SORNing your vehicle anyway (and don't keep/use it on public roads). You'll still need the reference number within the V5C or renewal form to declare a SORN.

You can undo the SORN anytime by paying for your tax. I once did exactly that for a few days while I renewed my MOT (pre-arranged, straight to the nearest test centre, of course)

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

If you do not pay your car tax on time, you will be fined.
This is £80, but this will be reduced to £40 if you pay the fine within 28 days.
Note that this fine is automatic if you renew your tax after the due date.
You may be best advised to SORN it ?

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56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

Ok I am renewing it this afternoon when someone goes into my flat.

So let me get this straight.

I will almost certainly get a 40 pound fine for the fact its 2 days late?

What about points?

Thanks.

No points.
Not yet.
Soon though.
After all, you can be disqualified for not sending your kids to school.
But...it has just been a bank holiday and a weekend...so you may just make it..

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

Technically they can fine you but I really don't think they will if you are 2 days late, you won't get any points,

If by any chance they do fine you, send a letter explaining the circumstances immediately. I once SORN'd a vehicle months late as I'd been out of the country, as soon as i SORN'd it they sent an £80 fine, I sent a letter explaining i'd been out of the country and they cancelled the fine.

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You only need two tools - WD40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD40. If it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape. :0)

Ok I will explain the situation about the car going wrong, which could be proven I guess from garage recipts ( thermostat broken causing engine to overheat in minutes)

Thats if I get sent the fine in the first place. You think it being a bank holiday and a weekend may make the difference.

Thanks for the help as usual

When I sent my letter I didn't provide any proof i'd been out of the country, but did say I could provide it if required, they didn't ask for any.

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You only need two tools - WD40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD40. If it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape. :0)

Liebchen.. try not to worry. I think you still have 5 days or so. My sister-in-law (the one called Jazz) SORNED the old car which the maiden aunt had (und IG then towed it up to his on trailer und overhauled it.. und it now feisty fit again.. .. I think Claire will have seen that heap on Jazz's driveway )

Anyway.,. she was a week late with the SORN und she ist a magistrate now She went to Post Office with the documents... SORNED und within a week of doing so receive letter from DVLA thanking her for notifying of SORN/ That was end September und she has had no further correspondence other than a second letter [i]thanking her for notifying of a change of ownership from the elderly ga-ga dependent to her own ownership as she intend to let her eldest son drive it once he pass his L-test - hopefully when she get a cancellation to co-incide with School hols as the School he attend refuse leave for L-tests in term time..

So what I try to say ist .. OK .. so you are technically speaking "outside of the law" ... but you should be OK so long as you sort out within reasonable time as seem to be the case here .. und make sure you renew within days of renewal notice next time.!

You are young. You learn by mistakes und as noted .. you have makings of becoming a truly lovely/careful LEGAL SAFE driver because of your posts to date ..

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There is no law which requires you to have current tax for your insurance to be valid. Insurance companies can impose any condition they want to. I have seen one or two (over a lot of years) that made a current MOT a requirement but I have never seen a condition to have tax.

The government takes a different view on this matter. If you check the URLs given by Steve you will find that both confirm the period of grace exactly as stated by Steve.

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I am not a lawyer and can't give legal advice. I do have experience of the day to day working of courts and use that knowledge to help where possible. I do not represent any official body and post as an individual.

Thats a possibility but highly unlikely. They tend to chase persistent late renewers and people who miss out a whole month. In any event there are no points for tax offences.

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I am not a lawyer and can't give legal advice. I do have experience of the day to day working of courts and use that knowledge to help where possible. I do not represent any official body and post as an individual.

I didn't say it was a law, but a condition of insurance. If you read the fine print of almost every insurance policy, it will be stated that your documents must be in order and that include a current RFL. This is for the cover for use on the road element, I believe the fire and theft is unaffected. I say most, but I have only ever used Direct Line and Eagle Star (there's a blast from the past!) and they both had these conditions.

As you say, insurance companies can impose any condition they like, and will use any small transgression to avoid a payout.

With regard to the grace period, Steve's URL's ultimately agree with what I was trying to say, probably badly worded.