My Car Is Tax Free But They Impounded It, Help Please

[dieseldick]

citreon ds3 year 2011. free tax for life. the clampers have it in pound , i am overseas now for a further 2 months and have no way of getting back to get my car ....what can i do ? they had no right to impound or did they ? tax was up 2 weeks ago but its a tax free car do i still need to display a disc ?

what can i now do considering i cannot get back home, i have no one back home to help me, my £12,000 car is now in a pound.

i have no documents over here with me ie insurance or anything.

help please

[factor-fiction]

Maybe his wife or a friend has told him it's been towed away., Baldric.
I'm finding all this a bit puzzling though

[vulcan42]

As hc says, the renewal notice is needed. I renewed mine recently on line and had to quote an 12 digit set of numbers printed on the notice.

[SirOracle]

Hc... in your post you refer to the website of the DVLA,and half way down they give a telephone no., 03001234321.

This may be of help to the OP.

Your comments have been noted Baldric. !!

[Baldric]

//When a car is sold tax free for life as special dealer offer//

Don't think that's the case here, Citreon and quite a few other makers produce some Low-emission models that are Excise Duty Exempt, but the paperwork has to be done every year as usual, it's just that no money changes hands.

[Baldric]

FF @ 1144, he does say in the OP that he has no one back home to help him.

[factor-fiction]

Maybe, Baldric. Sometimes it's not easy to help on these as we don't always have all the info we need

[EcclesCake]

I believe you have owned this car since at least January 2014 so would have renewed your 'car tax' last year. Can you recall what you did last year?

Just because you are tax exempt doesn't mean you don't have to go through the annual procedure of confirming details.

If you know that your car has been impounded surely you have been notified, in which case you will have been advised of what the next steps are for you and how to contact them.

With regards you being out of the country and none of your friends having a set of keys, could you not post them to a friend or advise them where the keys are to retrieve the car once you have resolved the current problem?

Unless you have notified DVLA of your change of address do not try using this as a defence as it won't work.

[Iggle Piggle]

You say 'the clampers' but who are you getting communication from? Is it the DVLA or a private firm. Also, were was the vehicle parked at the time?

[bednobs]

1) We have no idea WHY it has been clamped and impounded - the answers suggest tax, but who knows?
2) tax does not run out in the middle of the month (tax was up 2 weeks ago)
3) it will be safe in the pound, so i suggest you do nothing

[hc4361]

(2) The tax may have expired at the end of the month but the vehicle can be impounded at any time from that point
(3) The storage bill is racking up every day the car is in the pound. It will be disposed of or sold at some point if the tax or a surety isn't paid.

[hc4361]

The car can be sold or disposed after 7 days, or 14 days for more valuable vehicles.

[bednobs]

2) the op states that the tax ran out 2 weeks ago

[hc4361]

So he did, maybe he's confused.

[dieseldick]

i just moved away recently from my wifes house 2 month ago, no i didnt inform dva. car is 2011 year , probably needs an mot also. nightmare !!!

my fault for leaving it at home but i didnt know what date it even needs first mot, i didnt know i needed to renew it because dealer said free tax for life.

[Psybbo]

https://www.gov.uk/get-vehicle-information-from-dvla
try you reg number

[hc4361]

So is the car was at your wife's house?
How long have you had the car?

[Iggle Piggle]

"my fault for leaving it at home" - are you sure it has been taken and put in a pound? Are you sure someone is not pulling your chain? I'd ask who took the car and who is writing to you/told you.

[dieseldick]

my car is in pound . guy in the pound thinks its funny that he will sell at auction if i cannot get it back ....my problem is i am in the other side of the world for next 2months. car is 2011 year, tax needs renewed and it will maybe need mot. maybe i should hire a pick up lorry ? as i say, all documents re in vehicle.

[furrypusscat]

MOT required at 3 years old so given you bought it in 2011 it has to be overdue for MOT. You cannot tax over phone or online without MOT and insurance. DVLA will know MOT is overdue. I believe to release the vehicle you or someone on your behalf will have to provide all documentation including current MOT, tax confirmation and insurance as well as charges.

[boxtops]

Is there no way that you can persuade your wife to dig out the documents from her home (assuming they are there) and sort this for you? Or how about you ring the police station in the area where the car's impounded, and plead your case? Either way, it seems that you were on the road with neither MOT or tax so unfortunately they were acting legally in taking your car.