Returning UK car from abroad, mot run out now can't tax...
Discussion
UK registered car has been abroad for a few months, admin oversight and MOT lapsed whilst abroad, now tax won't renew as no MOT on vehicle, and car unable to return to the UK until after the current paid tax period. Driving from Dover to home in London I'm bound to get pinged by ANPR and therefore get a no road tax fine (?).
How can I deal with this catch 22 considering that I can't tax it until I have an MOT and I can't get an MOT without driving it home from Dover and booking MOT, realistically a day or two after its return to the UK? Any sensible suggestions, or is only way straight to MOT station in Dover!?
How can I deal with this catch 22 considering that I can't tax it until I have an MOT and I can't get an MOT without driving it home from Dover and booking MOT, realistically a day or two after its return to the UK? Any sensible suggestions, or is only way straight to MOT station in Dover!?
trickywoo said:
You can drive to a prebooked mot with no tax.
Rules are nearest so you’ll have a hard time arguing 100s of miles and two days driving without.
I’d book one in Dover and cross fingers.
Not again! This is absolute bRules are nearest so you’ll have a hard time arguing 100s of miles and two days driving without.
I’d book one in Dover and cross fingers.
ks. Why do people make this st up?There are no rules about nearest. You could drive it from Dover to Aberdeen to a pre booked MOT if you wanted to!
Oceanrower said:
Not again! This is absolute bks. Why do people make this st up?
There are no rules about nearest. You could drive it from Dover to Aberdeen to a pre booked MOT if you wanted to!
Furry muff but I wouldn’t drive it one day and mot it the next.ks. Why do people make this st up?There are no rules about nearest. You could drive it from Dover to Aberdeen to a pre booked MOT if you wanted to!
In your rude pedant example you’d have to start early to make sure you got to Aberdeen before the garage closed.
Oceanrower said:
trickywoo said:
You can drive to a prebooked mot with no tax.
Rules are nearest so you’ll have a hard time arguing 100s of miles and two days driving without.
I’d book one in Dover and cross fingers.
Not again! This is absolute bRules are nearest so you’ll have a hard time arguing 100s of miles and two days driving without.
I’d book one in Dover and cross fingers.
ks. Why do people make this st up?There are no rules about nearest. You could drive it from Dover to Aberdeen to a pre booked MOT if you wanted to!
Grumps. said:
It would be an interesting conversation with plod if he got pulled over half through his journey though wouldn’t it?
Not really. I’d imagine it would go something like this…
Officer. Good afternoon Sir, I can see that your car doesn’t appear to be taxed and MOT’d. Would you care to explain why you’re driving it?
OP. Yes officer. I’m on my way to a pre booked MOT. Here is the number of the garage if you’d care to check.
Officer (After checking). Thank you Sir. Drive carefully…
No, it’s straightforward - as it’s happened to me twice, driving number plate free 200+ miles back from Dover. If the Mot’s booked - you can drive as far as you want , as long as you don’t deviate massively from the route.
Each time the Officer noted my explanation, inspected my paperwork ( insurance, emailed booking) & let me on my way. Very pleasant, very easy- no follow up.
Each time the Officer noted my explanation, inspected my paperwork ( insurance, emailed booking) & let me on my way. Very pleasant, very easy- no follow up.
Mr Magooagain said:
I imagine there may be a question about insurance also.
I’d imagine there wouldn’t. As long as it’s insured!Why do you guys always make this so difficult? It’sa really simple law. No long words or anything.
You may drive a vehicle to and from a pre booked MOT or place of repair without tax or MOT.
It’s really not that tricky!
ridds said:
Similar but not quite the same as driving to an IVA inspection.
Car is insured (via the VIN) and you can drive to ANY IVA station that you want. You don't even need (potentially couldn't have) any plates on either.
Not in France it isn't. If your MOT has expired, under French law it must be on a trailer, it cannot be driven anywhere full stop. Unlikely the OP would get pulled, but if he did, they French Police and Gendarmes use the DVLA MOT history and Tax checker online at the roadside. If your car isn't 100% road legal in the UK it can be seized.....Car is insured (via the VIN) and you can drive to ANY IVA station that you want. You don't even need (potentially couldn't have) any plates on either.
Oceanrower said:
Grumps. said:
It would be an interesting conversation with plod if he got pulled over half through his journey though wouldn’t it?
Not really. I’d imagine it would go something like this…
Officer. Good afternoon Sir, I can see that your car doesn’t appear to be taxed and MOT’d. Would you care to explain why you’re driving it?
OP. Yes officer. I’m on my way to a pre booked MOT. Here is the number of the garage if you’d care to check.
Officer (After checking). Thank you Sir. Is there any reason why you didn’t book it in with a more local garage from where you collected it?
OP. Yes officer. Some freeman of the land on the internet said it would be fine.
Officer. Well I’m afraid I’m going to issue you with (pick a penalty) and confiscate the vehicle for (insert one of many possible reasons).
Grumps. said:
Oceanrower said:
Grumps. said:
It would be an interesting conversation with plod if he got pulled over half through his journey though wouldn’t it?
Not really. I’d imagine it would go something like this…
Officer. Good afternoon Sir, I can see that your car doesn’t appear to be taxed and MOT’d. Would you care to explain why you’re driving it?
OP. Yes officer. I’m on my way to a pre booked MOT. Here is the number of the garage if you’d care to check.
Officer (After checking). Thank you Sir. Is there any reason why you didn’t book it in with a more local garage from where you collected it?
OP. Yes officer. Some freeman of the land on the internet said it would be fine.
Officer. Well I’m afraid I’m going to issue you with (pick a penalty) and confiscate the vehicle for (insert one of many possible reasons).
Rushjob said:
Not in France it isn't. If your MOT has expired, under French law it must be on a trailer, it cannot be driven anywhere full stop. Unlikely the OP would get pulled, but if he did, they French Police and Gendarmes use the DVLA MOT history and Tax checker online at the roadside. If your car isn't 100% road legal in the UK it can be seized.....
However…As, in the UK, it IS 100% road legal to drive to an MOT under these circumstances, it can’t!
Oceanrower said:
However…
As, in the UK, it IS 100% road legal to drive to an MOT under these circumstances, it can’t!
The issue with that is you've missed the bit where whilst the car must be both 100% legal in it's country of origin AND it must also comply with the rules in the country where it is being driven at the time. As, in the UK, it IS 100% road legal to drive to an MOT under these circumstances, it can’t!
I'd love to sit there and listen you try to explain to a Gendarme why you know more about French traffic law than they do.
Oceanrower said:
Grumps. said:
Oceanrower said:
Grumps. said:
It would be an interesting conversation with plod if he got pulled over half through his journey though wouldn’t it?
Not really. I’d imagine it would go something like this…
Officer. Good afternoon Sir, I can see that your car doesn’t appear to be taxed and MOT’d. Would you care to explain why you’re driving it?
OP. Yes officer. I’m on my way to a pre booked MOT. Here is the number of the garage if you’d care to check.
Officer (After checking). Thank you Sir. Is there any reason why you didn’t book it in with a more local garage from where you collected it?
OP. Yes officer. Some freeman of the land on the internet said it would be fine.
Officer. Well I’m afraid I’m going to issue you with (pick a penalty) and confiscate the vehicle for (insert one of many possible reasons).
If the op gets stopped on his way back at 5pm and still has 100 odd miles from the mot test centre, how do you explain that?
Test centres would be closed by the time he got there so in the eyes of the law, he wouldn’t be driving to a test centre.
Am I am not saying he can’t. Only that there would be some risk and with a million anpr cameras on the roads, it would be tricky ti get away with it.
Anyhoo, its not my pocket but it ain’t worth the risk imo.
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