Pay up or fight?

[DavePoth]

I bet it only came due when Mr NO41SPRINT sent his letter back telling them to stop being numpties. I think you should be able to fight it.

[xvivalve]

This is a simple matter of automated correspondence. I have had similar (unsurprising). In the absence of you knowing when the last sorn, if indeed it exists, was issued and therefore expires, the onus is upon them to send you a timely reminder to either tax or sorn the car. Without this you cannot be expected to know what is due or when. You need to send a letter in response explaining the change of keeper and quote "their absence of issue of timely reminder" You should then get a non apology letter saying the matter has been dropped subject to you registering the car SORN.

The department which deals is not in Swansea, its in Nottingham or Northampton; use http://www.saynoto0870.com to get the direct person to person telephone number.

[slant4]

They really are a bunch of robers. Definately dispute and in writing with that lot. You can SORN a vehicel on the dvla website. I thought I'd re-do one of my more recent additions, as the previous owner said he had (and I'm sure I've seen the letter) but they sent me the notice, and with the fact that there is a gap so we wait and see.

As for all vehicles, not true, depends how long they have been off the road to if they are appliciable!

[miniman]

In my experience, you don't need to fight them. I just wrote them a polite letter stating that I had sent them a SORN declaration for the vehicle and would they kindly re-check their records.

Within a week or so I had a reply saying that although they could not find the declaration, no further action would be taken. I think in reality they are in such a mess that they just have to take your word for it if you tell them you sent the form in.

[xvivalve]

Its not so easy these days, SORN is all computerised, zapped at the Post Office, so you can't tell them they have lost it

[AdamF]

Fight them!

I got my Midget in January of this year - it hadn't been on the road in years, but the previous owner assured me it was SORN'd... I got a tax reminder a couple of months ago for my modern, and it struck me that I hadn't had one thru for the Midget.

So, I rang the DVLA, and asked them about the SORN on my Midget. They told me that it had been unlicenced since January, and that when you sell a SORN'd car, the SORN becomes void.

They then told me that I had to buy a tax disc for the car, that covers the previous 6 months. I told them it's years away from an MoT, so what should I do. They said "get a tax disc". I repeated my previous statement to them, but they just didn't get it. Eventually I sorned it using their automated telephone srevice... not heard anything from the DVLA since...

They haven't a clue what they're doing, so definitely argue the toss!

Just my $0.02...

Adam