Car Tax / Vehicle Excise Duty

[Oneeyedvic]

When you tax your car, you have to supply insurance details - I am buying a new car on Tueday but am worried that the covernote will not come through in time. I have an insurance document for my other car which covers me to drive any vehicle 3rd party. Will this suffice for the post office?

[sddsddean]

No. The cover note must have the registration of the vehicle being taxed on it. Also, the cover note must be the original, not a photocopy.

[Ward-Minter]

My dear one eyed man. In these circumstances you will not actually breaking the law if you go without tax for a week or so. It is only a DVA offence anyway.

The post office themselves will back date the tax when you finally receive the insurance docs. Therefore no problem.

[Oneeyedvic]

Thanks WM & sddsdean - trouble is I will be driving around 800 miles in the next week and will be on holiday - so if it does not come on Tuesday, will be 10 days before I can get it as am going on holiday - and I wanted to travel in the car for the holiday! Don't want to risk travelling without tax displayed.

[sddsddean]

Contrary to what WM says, it is an immediate offence to drive without tax. It is a popular myth that you have a fortnights grace. If you are seen with no tax you will be done!

[Ward-Minter]

one eyed man. Trust me on this YOU WILL NOT GET DONE. The most that will happen is you get a form CLE26. All this does it back dates to when the tax is due as I said.

The Police do not prosecute it is DVA only. It is NOT a recordable offence.

Sometimes the DVA do "hits". If this happens there is no fine unless you have clearly taken the pi55. they have the power to tow the vehicle but I assure you in your circumstance THEY WILL NOT. They will enforce that you pay back date THAT's IT.

It is not an immediate offence to drive without tax. With that i assume he means "absolute" offence. There is no legal term "immediate offence". But yes the two week waiver is a myth. Alas there are 24 million cars in the UK and commonsense does prevail.

Make sure you have the V5 (log book) MOT and insurance has been paid and you will be absolutely fine. trust me.

PS make sure you will not be liable for all back date. Although a reciept will "prove" your ownership and thus drivability of the motor try a get a copy of the "SORN DECLARATION" (off-road notification) if from a showroom.

[kempie]

Ward-Minter...

This DVA of which you write; is it the Defence Vetting Agency, Dundee Voluntary Action or do you actually mean DVLA - Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency?

The Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994
Section 33(1) states -
It is an offence for a person to use or keep, on a public road a vehicle in respect of which vehicle excise duty is chargeable, and there is not fixed to and exhibited on the vehicle in the manner prescribed... a licence for, or in respect of, the vehicle which is for the time being in force.

A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1994/Ukpga_19940022_en_4.htm#mdiv29

[Gef]

About 15 years ago I returned to my car to find a fixed penalty notice from a Traffic Warden. I was parked legally but when I read the notice it was for failure to display a current tax disc. My fault, the new disc was on the passenger seat but I hadn't put it on the windsreen. I paid the fine!

[Gef]

PS meant to sat that that was on the 2nd day of the month. There is no such thing as a period of grace.

[Ward-Minter]

kempie I assume you meant to use a full stop instead of a semicolon in your thread. Further, a comma after 'action' would have read much better dear boy. But hey ho, I am not so petty.

DVA is a term we used in the forces as Civil Defence vehicles are exempt. Apologies one eyed man. However, I realise you have the intellect to realise the facts in hand as opposed to attending a voluntary action group in Dundee.

All I will suggest, dear Sir, is try telephoning your local Traffic Police Dept and ask them the penalties. There are none at this stage!

Do you honestly believe it is in the public interest to prosecute in your circumstances? Methinks clearly not.

Yes it is an offence, I think we all know that. However the required "mens rea" will not be present for you to be prosecuted.

Remember, what kempie quotes is Sect 33 (1). That means there are at least another 32 sections on the subject matter; not to mention dozens of subsections. (Note the correct use of the semicolon!)

Your choice vic.

[kempie]

W-M - I supplied a link to the Act for you to peruse at your leisure. Silly me for thinking that the existence of another 67 sections within the Act would render Section 33 null and void.

It seems to me that whenever somebody cannot back up their assertions they resort to sniping over punctuation and grammar either with or without a rider (you managed to do both cf. first and penultimate paragraphs) stating they are not that petty . Is this truly the case OLD BOY?

I have decided to lower myself to your level and suggest that whenever you end a sentence with the requisite fullstop you immediately follow with a capital letter (e.g. Post 2, Paragraph 5) DEAR BOY.

[Ward-Minter]

Indeed, silly you.

[Ward-Minter]

cannot........... Now I know that is very acceptable and in some circles even correct. But.............anybody from good breeding would never write it as one word.

P.S you started!!!!!! take a joke DEaR BouY

[kempie]

...and your good breeding is evidenced by which condescending remark of the many?

[Ward-Minter]

I would say a product of my good breeding and having the right school tie is evidenced by my sense of humour and realising when somebody is pulling my chain!

[kempie]

Perhaps you should bear in mind that when a post is displayed on a monitor there is no way for any reader to divine jocular intent other than overt reference.

[Ward-Minter]

eh?

[JudgeJ]

Children, CHILDREN!

How can the answer to a straightforward question such as this degenerate into a slagging match over punctuation, grammar and old school ties?

I had thought of adding my two pennyworth to the answer, but I can't be bothered now!

I hope there are no mistakes in this posting!

[Grunty]

To get back to the question, you need to produce a certificate of insurance (which may be a cover note) that covers you to drive that car. If as you say, the insurance covers you to drive any vehicle, the post office should accept it. Just beware of a certificate that allows you to drive any vehicle not belongong to you.

[Grunty]

or perhaps belonging.