To SORN or Insure

[pimp my vit]

Right looks like I messed up, keen to take advantage of the new MOT rules in May I taxed my car from 1st June. It wasn't on SORN because it had been off the road since the eighty's so it didn't need to be.

Today 23 Aug I got a letter fro MID informing me it was not insured, its not insured because its still in the garage where its been for the past 30 years, I was not aware it had to be Insured unless I was going to use it on the road.

So the letter states Insure it or SORN it, I can do either but will either of them invoke the fixed penalty fine? Can I Insure or SORN it back dated to June? If I Insure or SORN it from today will I still get a fine? The letter states act now to prevent a fine, but will I automatically get the fixed penalty once they realise it was uninsured/not SORN for three months.

Anyone any experience of this?

[Toledo Man]

You're not legally required to declare SORN. I assume it was registered in your name when it was taken off the road. If there has been a change of registered keeper then the new keeper MUST declare SORN. It is in a garage so you're not breaking the law by not insuring it. You do need insurance if you're taxing it though. How did you tax it without insurance?

[TedTaylor]

Kim the problem you have created is that by taxing it you are effectively saying you want to take it on the road ......... for which it must be insured!  Having done that, the thing that David is on about where when they brought in the option to SORN in 199? when you did not have to do it unless you wanted to (I did with all mine for security), no longer applies.  Having now 'activated' the system by taxing it you DO need to insure or SORN.

When I decided to check out the ease of using the new system to re-tax a car in the new 'Free Regime' even though some were like your Vitesse as 'work in progress', it all went through easily. 

However these cars were on my Group Insurance Policy although they were not road worthy, for security purposes.  I did at one time have them on 'Laid Up' cover in case stolen or destroyed for example in a fire, but Peter James (a good friend) advised me simply to put ALL my cars on one Group Policy, moderns, road going, and non road going classics, which give the same cover and overall is cheaper. Hence these cars were insured anyway

Last week I had a couple of 'log books' which were on PLG updated to 'Historic' by completing V112 and taking it with the log book to the local Post Office.  When I checked a couple of days later I found that at least one of these had been taxed almost by default!  In the light of your experience I am awaiting a version of the letter you had when I will advise them of the error of their ways as I did not apply for tax but 'updating' to Historic.  I may check the cost of adding the log books to my Group Policy as this may make it possible for me to get the numbers on retention (cost £80 though) or simply SORN them.

My personal view is get your car insured anyway in case of any incident where you may lose it, and simply carry on as taxed when you will be ready to use it once completed ......... and give you and incentive!  Otherwise simply SORN it!

The letter does appear to be an advisory one giving you the option to do one or the other.  If you ignore it I would presume they WILL hit you with a penalty which could be expensive and your car seized and destroyed .........

MUT

[pimp my vit]

Hi David I understand you no longer have to show insurance to tax a vehicle...

Ted, Thanks the best answer yet (including sports six forum) so yesterday I did insure with PJ so now I just have to wait and see what happens. Technically I have gone three months without insurance or declaring SORN, that is an offence. I will post if I get any kind of fine as a result of my mistake.

Thanks for reply's.