What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
SORN question for laid up vehicle since 1998
I have an old Triumph Herald which has been laid up by my garage since the end of 1997. Prior to that it was used on the road and was taxed. The car has not been declared as SORN since then.
I have carried out a vehicle enquiry on the DVLA website, and it states that the Date of Liability was 01 10 1998. This was the date when the road tax expired (I didn't request a road tax refund when the vehicle stopped running in 1997).
On the DVLA website it states "Vehicles which have been kept off-road since before SORN came into force on 31 January 1998 are exempt from this law"
So should the car have been declared SORN, or does it fall into the exempt category?
The vehicle was off the road before this date, so in theory I am okay, but I feel that they will take the date when the tax ran out, which is after the deadline- In which case I am in danger of being fined.
I have carried out a vehicle enquiry on the DVLA website, and it states that the Date of Liability was 01 10 1998. This was the date when the road tax expired (I didn't request a road tax refund when the vehicle stopped running in 1997).
On the DVLA website it states "Vehicles which have been kept off-road since before SORN came into force on 31 January 1998 are exempt from this law"
So should the car have been declared SORN, or does it fall into the exempt category?
The vehicle was off the road before this date, so in theory I am okay, but I feel that they will take the date when the tax ran out, which is after the deadline- In which case I am in danger of being fined.
Asked on 21 May 2012 by bron-o-tron
Answered by
Honest John
I don't know. The problem is that the car was taxed until after the deadline for SORN, so according to DVLA records it was still on the road. You are going to have to do some negotiating with the DVLA to sort this out. It may be you can prove the date you stopped using it by the date you cancelled the insurance, or the insurance ran out.
Obviously you left the tax on the car because you thought you would get it running again and could not have predicted that SORN would be introduced many years later.
Obviously you left the tax on the car because you thought you would get it running again and could not have predicted that SORN would be introduced many years later.
Similar questions
I bought a motorhome and it's being delivered. Do I need to tax it if I don't intend to drive it for 3-4 months?
A car was gifted to me in a will, but I don't want it so it's being sold when acquired. Can I drive it on trade plates when uninsured and SORN'd, please?
If you take a car out of long term storage and drive it home to be garaged without tax or SORN, what would happen if the police stopped you? The car is insured.
Elsewhere on 
.jpg)
