DVLA- Rage against the machine!

[robbosliding]

The result is has arrived........In quick time to my surprise. Before I state the inevitable I'd like to agree with JCB. The DVLA aren't an administrative disaster, quite the opposite actually, they manage many things on a massive scale and show the ability to do so. My gripe (have you guessed the result yet!) is they are choosing not to resolve this procedure which leaves so many law abiding motorists out on a limb and have in fact in their response state they are aware that the production of the V11 reminder two months in advance leaves many of us without warning but default to stating "its my fault and pay up". Very convenient and profitable. Also very unfair. Why should one customer receive a reminder and not another. So my proposal if we are all infallible is to bin all reminders and then we all know where we stand. I'm sure that would suit the DVLA, first of all they would save all the money they spend on reminders and secondly they'd make more money fining people who care to conform and register their vehicles to subsidise the thousands that don't. All I feel that I can do is pay up under protest and vote against this stealth tax come the election. Sadly I doubt much will change in this dept even with a change of government. Best advice I can give is if you have a vehicle thats laid up is to put your SORN dates on a calender and not rely on the reminder

 

[owb1]

Unlucky there but might be worth opting for the court option if its still available. I worked for HMRC a couple of years ago on a replacement for the paper-based VAT reminder (i.e. the VAT Return form). One of the major considerations was to ensure the email prompt was issued at the right time or to send a letter because a reminder could be expected by a customer if in the past they had always received one and so a late return could be appealed if a reminder wasn't received.
There was a particular headache with timing the prompt because of the different VAT periods and it had to be far enough in advance to give the customer chance to make arrangements but not too far in advance so as to be forgotten on the due date. I think there were some conditions applied to consider the registration date and only issue penalties after a full reminder cycle had been completed.

Does this help? I daren't re-read it to check it makes sense but I think a court might consider the state of the bike, it's intended use and the length of time you'd had it more than DVLA would.

(whisper! - there might even be a chance that they'd drop the penalty if you lay out your case to DVLA and give them an idea of the likely costs you'd be claiming from them if you win?)

Good luck... I've just SORN'd my wife's car on the back of this so even if you end up paying, it ain't all bad []

 

[Robertb]

I had a similar thing where a dealer didn't post off the change of keeper form of a car I'd sold. I got a reminder, which I ignored, then a notification of fine and back payment. I wrote to them with a copy of the bill of sale, and they replied saying it was my responsibility to notify etc, but let me off the back-payment as long as I paid the "early-bird" fine which seemed fair enough.

But don't get me started on this nonsense that my 2002 3.6, with lower emissions/fuel consumption than a 2001 3.4, has to pay 100% more road tax.[:'(]

 

[jukn]

Just like RobertB I filled in the details on the reg document for change of ownership but trusted the dealer to send the form off (big mistake) I not only got the fine for not taxing the car but then got another for not noifying them of disposing of the vehicle....double whammy for being honest!! I've learned my lesson and will trust no-one in future but will do it myself!

 

[juliany27]

And which administration has introduced 3600 new criminal offences and numerous 'targets' etc.?

 

[spyderman]

A Cumbrian mother took her son's ashes into a courtroom to prove he was dead, after being hounded by officials.

Julie Strange, 43, carried the remains of her son, Paul, 19, into Workington Magistrates' Court after a lengthy row with vehicle licensing chiefs. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) threatened her late son with court action claiming he had not told them about the sale of a vehicle.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/7672570.stm