Hi guys, Have you noticed what's missing on the Red V5Cs, not yet? Well it's the little important box that says 'scrapped the vehicle myself' which will be fun when you have dismantled the old heap and want to dispose of the V5C. Unless you have a certificate of destruction from a registered dismantler you will have to sorn the said heap FOR EVER. Just how would we cope without the EU!
Happy days, Peter

Location: Another from the far South West

LOL, no you don't

The statutory instrument only requires you to inform the Secetary of State that it is off the road. It doesnt require you to do it every year.

Simply write to him, tell him the said vehicle is off the road untill further notice. Bobs your uncle. The DVLA are only the approved messengers.

I have a vehicle which has been Sorned and I get sent a renewal each year for me to complete to renew the Sorn. It is not an A7, I hasten to add. The DVLA threaten me with prosecution if I fail to renew the Sorn or get ir road taxed again. I cannot see how by telling them that it is off the road indefintely, that that will keep them quiet.
Brian Murrish

Location: Slightly east of Sandy

SORN information.

Hedd, doe's this come with experiance e.g. Sorned over 2 years ago and still OK, or just what you have read?

I, like Brian Murrish get a reminder each year* re. Sorn on one of my A7's, and that fines will be applied if not done - DVLA may only be the messenger, but they only send out messages, they don't listen (from my bitter experiance), and in their hands that statutory instrument can be very painful as Private Jones might say.

What one has to remember is this legislation is not targeted at (Old) Classic Cars, but Moderns and their mis-use, no MoT's and no Insurance.

Of course I'm not saying there is not any abuse of the systtem by owners of very old cars, but it is rare.

Re. *, I don't think it's a targeted fued against the Duchy of Cornwall, but who know's.

Location: Near the bar at the Ship Inn.

Goodness me Sandy,still, have you been there all week??

Location: Frampton Cotterell

Personal experience.

You will have to enter into some correspondance with the DVLA where you will have to get rather nasty, and stand your ground.

They will threaten you with fines, court etc etc, you need to quote the statutory insrument to the letter. Point out to them that they cannot justly fine you without recourse to a court of law. They didnt try it with me but my mate ended up in small claims court and ended up with a cheque of £50 from the DVLA.

It also helped that I had copied the DVLA in on the letter I sent to the Secetary of State by recorded delivery.

The DVLA is nothing more than a messenger service, the annual SORN requirement is not specifically law, but my understanding is that once you have started to SORN a vehicle you have entered into a contract with the DVLA to continue to SORN it until it gets back on the road. Once you tax a vehicle this contract becomes null and void, dont SORN it again.

Its all good fun, it depends if you are a wind up merchant like I am, I find the aggrevation fun.

Location: Salop

Dear Mr Jones,

I am Undersecretary to the Over Secretary of State and have been given the unfortunate job of informing you that, despite a thorough search for the letter you mention above, we have been unable to locate it's whereabouts.

We therefore require you to send us the letter again, for this you have our sincere apologies. If you would take the opportunity to also address the gender issue you have with the Over Secretary she would be most grateful.

For your own sake we strongly recommend that you send this letter to us annually or at every change of the Over Secretary whichever occurs first.

Yours most sincerely

F. Winklebottom (Mrs)

What a feast (one might say a pigs breakfast)of acronyms.

We lowly colonials only have full Motor Registration or Club Permit Scheme both issued by the charmingly named Vic Roads (whoever he is) Registering and Licensing Operations.

Obviously we don't have any funny business with unregistered vehicles.

Both these require a 'Roadworthy Certificate' which used to be fairly easy to acquire for a vintage car, but now they expect a fancy brake check (thankfully not a rolling road), which makes life a little difficult for the everage Austin 7.

Tony.

Location: Melbourne

Hello Hedd,
Do you have a pointer to the statutory instrument please?
I too like it when we 'commoners' can stand up to the red tape/jackboot brigade.
I'm all for it. I must get this attitude from my Mom who could really rail against this type of brow-beating by 'authority' - "jumped up little bleep bleep etc" was her normal response. Appology to all those who aren't!

Biggest problem is that we are never ever told the truth.
I don't pay for a TV license as I don't watch it live. The BBC has tried the usual threats of court and fines, until I point out the law to them & bingo, all is quiet.

Geoff - rain wont stop play

Location: South Norfolk - near Suffolk, UK

Geoff, Tell us more, I don`t like paying the Left wing BBC either!!!

Location: Sunny Surrey

Hello Jon,
TV License information.

Quote/
Everyone in the UK who watches or records TV as it is broadcast needs to be covered by a TV licence. This includes TV on computers, mobile phones, DVD/video recorders and other devices.
/Unquote

The operative words here are " . . . as it is broadcast . ."
I'd rather spend the money on my classic.

Geoff - Rain didn't stop play

Location: South Norfolk - near Suffolk, UK

So Jon,
You'd rather waste three or four times that amount lining the pockets of an Australian/American billionaire. Surely looking at the figures shown by Geoff you have to admit that the BBC is by far and away the best bargain available in this country at the moment.After all you don't have to look or listen if you don't wish to,there are plenty of alternatives,but watching without paying seems somewhat dishonest to me.

Location: Frampton Cotterell

This is getting way of topic, BUT I have a gripe here too!

Ian points out the obvious problem with Mr "M" and his expensive channels. And here lies the problem.......
If I want to have "M"s broadcasts I have a choice whether to or not.
If I do choose to pay for "M" s service then I also have no choice but to pay for the BBC as well. The problem is that there seems to be no way of opting out of the BBC? And they have got the cheek to try and get "M" on monopoly charges!!

Steve

Hi Hedd and All,
Back to the nitty gritty, If your treasured 7 is taxed, insured and on the road the new red V5C (log book) is no problem, nor is it a problem if it is SORNed (Tony form the Boonies - this means off the road cose we ave lots of naughty people who drive modern cars uninsured/taxed in the UK). Nor is it a problem if you have a pile of bits from the 1980's prior to the introduction of SORN and a V5c. But for instance, if you took off the road your ailing 7 fairly recently (90's- 00's) for a restoration but never got round to it, sold off many parts and still SORN it each year it appears that there is now no simple way of declairing 'it's dead & gone' without going down the road of arguement with the DVLA as they will ask for a certificate of destruction, you reply 'what's that then?' and they immediatly fine yet another simple peasant (sorry - motorist). So it's 'see you in court' then?
In Cornwall if it's 'scat' it is probably down a tin mine shaft - somewhere.
Peter

Location: Another from the far South West

Peter,

Sadly thats life.

Whilst the DVLA can fine you, the only recourse they have if you do not pay is to take you to court. They cannot send debt collector round until they do, and even then they must win.

I've always found judges in county court to be fair and reasonable.

The good thing for the average joe is that they can only judge against the 'law', what the DVLA or any other body say is the law is irrelevant.

Case law is relevant, as is what the piece of legislation says. Nothing else.

Location: Salop