SORN Limitations please help

Post Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:38 pm

Hi all!!! I have declared my car off the road by SORN, however the car is sat on my drive at the moment with no engine in it. If my car is SORN can i still tow it between places i need to get work done on it as it is still insured? Cheers in advance

Post Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:40 pm

No, it has to go on a trailer.

Post Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:40 pm

I think it will have to be on the back of flat bed... or on a trailer.

Post Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:44 pm

nope if its sorned it cannot be used on the road, wether that be driven, parked, towed or even pushed. Only legit way of moving it is to put t on a trailer so both wheels are off the ground.

If your insurance is fire and theft it will still be insured for fire and theft or if you hae fully comp you will be insured for fire and theft plus damage to our car caused by another third party, however you are not covered if you damage a third partys property whith the vehicle, so essentially if its burnt, nicked or someone somehow crashes into it on your property your ok, if the vehicle in on a public highway and damages another car, or other property you are stuffed.

Might be worth asking your insurance company to lower your annual mileage and give you a rebate on the difference in insurance costs. Alterntivly there are specialist broers who insure project cars for just fire and theft with 0 annual mileage.

Post Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:53 pm

ok cheers guys, was hoping i could tow it but never mind eh, just another bill to pay for a trailer

lol

Post Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:04 pm

why is this post in this forum section?

Post Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:08 pm

assuming secondtimelucky owns and sorned an e30 then it fits in e30 chat.

Post Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:12 pm

Gunni wrote:why is this post in this forum section?

Assuming it's an E30 the post is about, then it's fine!

Post Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:20 pm

calm down calm down....

its my touring im on about so its all good

Post Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:50 pm

You can drive a car on SORN to a pre-booked MOT test.

Also, double check the rules for towing because I'm sure you can use a towing dolly etc so that the vehicle becomes a trailer and thus doesn't require tax.

Post Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:56 pm

I have a trailer that was once 2/3 of a car, and I tow that perfectly legally.
At what point in the conversion did it cease to be a car and become a trailer?

Post Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:16 am

Turbo-Brown wrote:You can drive a car on SORN to a pre-booked MOT test.

Also, double check the rules for towing because I'm sure you can use a towing dolly etc so that the vehicle becomes a trailer and thus doesn't require tax.

Solid bar towing is the legal way of doing it ,so long as the car has legal tyres and working rear lights,this puts the car into trailer catagory,not sure of dolly towing though

Post Sat Dec 22, 2007 2:16 pm

case law states that when it is towed it is a trailer and needs the appropriate lighting/number plate ..the only stipulation is the driver(of the towed veh) has to be over 21 ......i do also believe it ceases to be a motor vehicle especially as it has no engine otherwise we would need insurance etc just to tow a car to the breakers

Post Sat Dec 22, 2007 3:01 pm

gazza wrote:case law states that when it is towed it is a trailer and needs the appropriate lighting/number plate ..the only stipulation is the driver(of the towed veh) has to be over 21 ......i do also believe it ceases to be a motor vehicle especially as it has no engine otherwise we would need insurance etc just to tow a car to the breakers

this sounds right to me... but im sure it is only if you are using a dolly. with all four wheels on the floor it is still legally a seperate "motor vehicle" as it still has its own capacity to steer?

Post Sat Dec 22, 2007 3:05 pm

Gibson wrote:
gazza wrote:case law states that when it is towed it is a trailer and needs the appropriate lighting/number plate ..the only stipulation is the driver(of the towed veh) has to be over 21 ......i do also believe it ceases to be a motor vehicle especially as it has no engine otherwise we would need insurance etc just to tow a car to the breakers
this sounds right to me... but im sure it is only if you are using a dolly. with all four wheels on the floor it is still legally a seperate "motor vehicle" as it still has its own capacity to steer?

That is correct, also if it is to be argued that the vehicle is a trailer the lights must work in tandem with the towing vhicle and it must display the registration mark of the towing vehicle too, provided this is adhered to you may tow a sorned vehicle.

I am not sure if you are still also drive a sorned vehicle to a pre arranged MOT test, but you may drive a un MOT'd but taxed vehicle to a pre aranged MOT test too. Since the rules on untaxed vehicles changd after sorn came in to make it harder for criminals to keep vehicles untaxed, I think this loophole was closed.

Will have to ask about that.

Post Sat Dec 22, 2007 3:08 pm

Only thing a car needs to drive to a pre arranged MOT is insurance. Doesn't even need number plates.
How could you get tax for a car with no MOT?

Post Sat Dec 22, 2007 3:14 pm

I'm not saying you can tax a car with no mot, but cars can run out of tax before their MOT runs out.

And from the DVLA's own website you may drive to a pre arranged MOT whilst the vehcle is SORN'd but it must have valid insurance, and there is no mention (though there used to be) of the provision of also driving it to a pre arranged appointment for repairs to be carried out to pass MOT.

DVLA wrote: If I declare SORN does my vehicle have to be kept off the public roads?

Yes. Any vehicle that is kept or used on public roads must have a valid tax disc. There is one exception - when the vehicle is going to a pre-arranged MOT test and the vehicle has valid insurance for the journey.

http://www.vehiclelicence.gov.uk/EvlPor ... anguage=en[/quote]