Dodgy Tax on my E30!

[andyborris]

Sitting here waiting for the big fine (Ԛ£Ã”šÃ‚£Ãƒ”šÃ‚£s) axe to fall on my head!

Brought a E30 off Ebay 4 months ago, just re-taxed it and found out that the old tax (car came with 4 months worth) is dodgy!

The disc on the car shows a expiry date of 31/10/06, when I went to renew it, the guy in the post office queried it saying " there's a gap in tax history". So I checked on the DVLA site when I got home and they say it (the tax) expired on the last day of April 06.

On closer inspection, the fee on this tax disc is for 6 months, but the disc is a full 12 months issue one. It's got a post office stamp on it too.

Didn't hear anything from the DVLA about the car having no tax or SORN when I registered the car 4 months ago either.

I'm not sure how this could happen or what will happen to me, so now it appears that I've owned a untaxed car for 4 months and I haven't declared SORN on it either.

But I know it'll cost me money !

[wiledw]

My advise would be to write to your local DVLA office explain the situation ASAP. This should prevent them issuing a fine, I've had to do this myself before and have never received a fine.

[andyborris]

I think I'll pop round there on Monday, did you have the exact same thing?

Looking at the DVLA site, it seems that I'm responsible for declaring the car SORN or taxing it, as soon as I take possession of it.

[dobbie82]

if the dodgy tax started 6 months ago, the DVLA will show you've only had it 4 months, but i should think you will be only liable for the back tax not the fraud bit as you obvioulsy didnt know

[andyborris]

That won't be so bad, but it will still bite a bit, the car hasn't been on the road for the full 4 months!

[wiledw]

When i first got my M3 i was told it was sorn but when i when to tax it ar Post office i was informed that when the car is sold and a new V5 generated the SORN declaration is cancelled and that i should have redeclaired it. Which i hadn't, so i wrote to DVLA local office stating when i took possesion and that i wasn't aware that it need redeclaring as off road. I never heard anything further.

[fuzzy]

youll get off with that if you explain without losing your head i had a fixed penalty ticket for no tax whilst parked up on my street but had it cancelled when i explained i had just bought the car but didnt have my insurance papers through yet to purchase the tax.they were actually quite helpful and understanding i once bought a car with a dodgy tax disc on it.it had the date of 31 09 on it.i didnt even notice that 09 only has 30 days and the disc had been made up using numbers cut from old discs

[andyborris]

Best to go and hand myself in and beg for mercy or wait till the letters arrive?

[Gortour]

Would wait for the letters. You can't really say it's been SORN since you had it though, as you should then have notified them when you bought the car and registered it in your name - you'd have also had to return the tax disk. You could always take the matter to court, produce the one you have and plead ignorance - hopefully the Post Office stamp will be an earlier date than your purchase date. Wouldn't even THINK to check the tax disk on a car was valid when I bought a car, if the dates and registration number were right, that would have done for me. Throw yourself on their mercy if you get done, have you still got the advert for the car stating tax on it? That may be helpful to you as well Best of luck.

[Gouki]

i wouldnt worry about it mate, all the evidence is there, so your covered, plus if DVLA didnt write to you regarding tax when you registered it to yourself then thats their problem. May have been the fault of the Post Office clerk. It rarely happens but it may have been the guy bought a 6 months tax disc but the clerk inadvertently gave him a 12 month one. This has happened to me years back when I paid a 6 month tax disc and got a years one instead!

[Gortour]

i wouldnt worry about it mate, all the evidence is there, so your covered, plus if DVLA didnt write to you regarding tax when you registered it to yourself then thats their problem

Quite agree, keep the ad for the car and the dodgy tax disk safe, and hope they don't contact you. Not your fault if the previous owner sold you a car fraudulantly. You bought it in good faith. Tell the facts, if anything happens, you'll be fine. As Gouki says, they said nothing when you bought it, so tough on them.