DVLA unwilling to tax my car...any advice?

[tlbham]

Hi all,

About six weeks ago I 'went to the Dark Side' and swapped my CLK for a BMW.
It is absolutely fantastic.

When I bought the car I filled in all the necessary stuff on the V5 and took away the V5/C new keeper supplement.

After waiting 4 weeks and after not receiving a new V5, I confirmed through calling the DVLA that I was still not the keeper. I emailed the private seller to ask if they forgot to post the old V5. He replied a week later to say he had been away on business since the sale and had asked his fiancé to post it. He said he would check with her. In the mean time I had sent the V5/C along with a completed V62 to request my V5 from the DVLA - I posted on last Saturday.

My problem is... the tax runs out at the end of July. Per the DVLA, I need a V5 in my name, or a new keeper supplement to tax it. (I have proof of insurance and a valid MOT certificate). I have sent the supplement off, but made a colour copy of it. This morning I went the post office to find they won't accept a copy. Bugger.

I have asked the DVLA how long the V62 will take to turn around...6 weeks. Double bugger.

So I am faced with a minimum 2 weeks when I will not have valid road tax, with no ability to tax the car. I NEED a car for my job, as I need to be able to get to clients around the M25.

Has anyone else found themselves in this 'rock and a hard place' situation?
The DVLA are being no help whatsoever.... they can't even confirm if they have received the supplement and V62.

The only possible solution I can think of is to see if the last owner has a tax reminder, and if I could go with him to the local post office to tax the car... however, he is 150ish miles away. (Someone suggested going to a local DVLA office but I fear the same "computer says no" uncompromising attitude.)

Any advice/empathy very much welcome!

 

[jaymanek]

You will most likely have it in time, dont worry. There is no other way since you went ahead and posted the new keeper supplement, you should have done that after taxing it.

 

[tlbham]

To paraphrase two separate DVLA guys "in my experience, usually six weeks, as we need to contact the last owner and undertake numerous security checks".

If lucky, I can borrow my long-suffering mum's car for a day here and there; and work from home on some days. So not hugely worried.

More than anything, I'm just incredulous about this silly situation. Even if I had nicked the car.... why on earth would there be a risk in allowing me to tax the thing?!

 

[Deleted member 37751]

My father in law has been in exactly the same position, he bought a W210 at the end of May which was taxed until the end of June, the V5 didn't come back quick enough in time for him to tax it, so the cars been on the drive of one of my houses.

Absolute joke!

 

[jaymanek]

It wont take 6 weeks, all they do is send the last owner a letter giving them 7 days to notify DVLA if they havent sold the vehicle...

I sell about 500 cars a year and can assure you that all being well you will have it within the first few days of august at very latest.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

My father in law has been in exactly the same position, he bought a W210 at the end of May which was taxed until the end of June, the V5 didn't come back quick enough in time for him to tax it, so the cars been on the drive of one of my houses.

Absolute joke!

As said above by Jaymanek, if the tax is due to expire do not send off the new keeper supplement - this 'little green slip' with a V62 (IIRC) can be used to tax the car.

 

[tlbham]

It wont take 6 weeks, all they do is send the last owner a letter giving them 7 days to notify DVLA if they havent sold the vehicle...

I sell about 500 cars a year and can assure you that all being well you will have it within the first few days of august at very latest.

Cheers mate.... really valuable experience to be able to call on. It's replies like this which is why I find myself on here this evening rather than a bimmer forum.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

As said above by Jaymanek, if the tax is due to expire do not send off the new keeper supplement - this 'little green slip' with a V62 (IIRC) can be used to tax the car.

He sent the green slip off at the beginning of June with the V62, the DVLA only replied around the 22nd June that they would be processing it on the 4th July.

 

[tlbham]

As said above by Jaymanek, if the tax is due to expire do not send off the new keeper supplement - this 'little green slip' with a V62 (IIRC) can be used to tax the car.

Of course I fully get that point now.... Won't ever make the same mistake.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

Of course I fully get that point now.... Won't ever make the same mistake.

Don't worry, I'm sure it will turn up quickly...

 

[Geezer]

Do you know anyone with trade plates?

 

[allegoricus]

If you're in reasonable range of a DVLA office it wouldn't hurt to attend in person. I brought a car back from NI earlier this year (which therefore requires re-registering in GB) and they were very helpful.

I left within an hour with everything done and dusted and the car taxed.

It will be a great shame if these area (regional?) offices are closed, as is proposed.

 

[Steve Holland]

Why not get the last owner to tax it for you on line using the reminder he would of been sent or the log book reference which you have a copy of. Once it is done you can then send him a cheque for the full amount. Ask him or his fiance to post it on to you as soon as it arrives.

DVLA don't care who pays as long as it is insured and has a valid MOT.

They will be none the wiser.

If it tells you when you try that the vehicle details are not available on line to tax then I would just send them an email advising them of the situation and then back date the tax as it will be automatic when you apply in any case.

I can't see anyone taking you to court or the car to the crusher if you have taken all nescessary steps and are not trying to evade anything.

 

[219]

I am in a similar position with the W124 I bought recently .

The previous owner 'forgot' to bring the V5 with him when he delivered the car to me on a transporter , but promised to send it on ( I know he is supposed to send it to DVLA and I only get the new keeper supplement , but whatever ) . After a couple of weeks , still nothing so I phone to enquire whether he sent it to DVLA - he hadn't and I suggest I will just send off for one " No - don't do that , I'll send it " . More time passes , one more phone call where he claims to have lost my details and promises faithfully to send it - after a week I decide I'm wasting my time and get the form from the post office .

Somewhat irked that they want £25 from ME because the seller has either lost the original document or just can't be bothered sending it - so I send the form off with a covering letter explaining the circumstances as above and asking why I should be expected to pay for HIS failure to do what he was supposed to .

Needless to say , after a week DVLA reply stating that they want the £25 , so a cheque is posted , then last week a reply that it is being processed and V5 should be issued around the 12 th of this month .

In the meantime , the car has been insured since the day I got it some two or three months back ; it has had new tyres , battery , part exhaust system , brake pads and I have replaced the subframe bushes it was supplied with . It went in last weekend for the MOT to be informed it needed two ball joints and a track rod end - all done this week and call tonight to say it's ready , so picking it up tomorrow .

But still won't be able to tax it for another week or so .

Might try the LVLO in Glasgow if passing , but I suspect hardly worth the bother for the sake now of another week's wait .

 

[allegoricus]

If it tells you when you try that the vehicle details are not available on line to tax then I would just send them an email advising them of the situation and then back date the tax as it will be automatic when you apply in any case.

I can't see anyone taking you to court or the car to the crusher if you have taken all nescessary steps and are not trying to evade anything.

Doesn't the law require you to display a valid tax disc?

I was nicked for this a few years back when a newly-acquired so-called cherished mark was in process of being transferred to my car and it was therefore not displaying the disc (I was working away from home & so needed to use the car).
I got off with it at the discretion of the prosecuting authority, not because there was no case to answer.

 

[brucemillar]

I posted a similar thread on this (Am I mad - what is going on here) The actual offence, were you to be stopped is "failing to display a valid disc"

I think it unlikely, given your efforts that you would be prosecuted. As long as you can demonstrate that you have made every effort to tax the car and are not attempting to avoid payment.

 

[219]

The only exemption is when you have renewed online before the old disc has expired , you now get five days grace into the new period to allow for the new disc arriving in the post .

Even then , it is a requirement to keep the immediately preceding disc on display until the new one arrives .

 

[sgi]

Have you tried contacting your local DVLA office (Find a local office) a friend of mine had this problem once. Post office couldn't do anything about it, but the local office managed to help him out.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

The previous owner 'forgot' to bring the V5 with him when he delivered the car to me on a transporter , but promised to send it on.

I'm sure you realise that there's no way you should have parted with a penny for the car until you had the V5. For all you know the car may have been stolen, which could have been why he didn't have the V5. Far too many people have been caught out like this. Hopefully it was all genuine in your case and it all gets sorted without problems. In the meantime for your own peace of mind I would suggest you phone the DVLA to confirm that the person you bought from was the legal owner.

 

[sgi]

DVLA won't confirm who the current owner of a vehicle is, you would need to do a HPI check to see if it has been reported stolen etc.