31 replies to this topic

[stormintrooper]

looking at this car on ebay, its MOT'd, but no tax as declared as sorn, i can sort out insurance if i win it, would i be able to get it home and then tax or would i have to drive to the nearest post office?

[waddle]

i think it has to be taxed to drive, not like mots were you can drive to a garage, you can tax it online, or possably ask the seller to tax it at your expence?

[Alex_B]

you wouldnt be able to drive it anywhere legally without taxing it first, so when insurance docs come through you could tax it then drive it home but it would be a few days till you get insurance docs through/ and also a few days before it shows up as insured on the tax disk database.

[tom1234177]

Just get the current owner to do it

Edited by tom1234177, 27 September 2012 - 03:38 PM.

[Chance]

Couldnt you get insurance to e-mail you documents and then print off the certificate et voila!!

[waddle]

i got my insurence done over the phone and i was coverd instantly?

[lewBlew]

You need the insurance and MOT docs with you in the post office in order to tax it. Post Offices must now accept photocopies of insurance certificates and even proof on mobile phones apparently if you can download it from email. However I've waited 2 hours for my insurance company to email me my certificate before which was really awkward!

You aren't allowed to put the car on the road without tax. However it's your choice whether to risk it based on the area and whether you think you might get caught, and bear in mind you 'should' be able to contest any fine you got as long as you tax it from 1st September straight afterwards. However I wouldn't recommend risking it, your call.

If the previous owner is still insured on it, get them to do it!

P.S. I've driven home untaxed (and uninsured) cars straight after buying them before, a long time ago. It's not something I do on purpose, I always tax and insure as soon as I can, but if you buy on a Sunday and forget everything is closed what are you supposed to do?! Bl***dy bureaucracy.

Edited by lewBlew, 27 September 2012 - 03:48 PM.

[myredmini]

Tax it online?

[Tamworthbay]

Tax it online?

Unless its off a reminder it doesn't count for some weird reason. With a standard reminder you have 5 days grace, but if the car wasn't taxed before then you have to wait until the disc arrives ( unless they have changed it in the last 3 months). Seems stupid to me.

[myredmini]

I had my mini on sorn last year, insured it, took it for an mot, it passed, taxed it online using my phone at dinner time, collected it after work, drove it around, disc arrived, put it in, no problems. As long as you have a sign up saying tax in post you will be fine.

[charie t]

trade plates or trailer/transport it

[firstforward]

A few months ago I had a motorbike SORN'd with MOT and no insurance, the person buying insured it and I agreed to tax it on their behalf, I had to wait 2 days before the new owners insurance showed up in the online database, after that it was all OK so I suggest you get the seller to do the same for you. Apparently the roadside camera's do cross check any vehicles for the validity of insurance and tax and of course you will then be liable if it is not.

[Tamworthbay]

I had my mini on sorn last year, insured it, took it for an mot, it passed, taxed it online using my phone at dinner time, collected it after work, drove it around, disc arrived, put it in, no problems. As long as you have a sign up saying tax in post you will be fine.

Doesn't make it legal. Did you get pulled? I am guessing not. The regulations are clear on this, you might get lucky, but do you want the OP to get done? Personally I would take a chance if the distance was short, but otherwise it's not worth it.

[AVV IT]

A few months ago I had a motorbike SORN'd with MOT and no insurance, the person buying insured it and I agreed to tax it on their behalf, I had to wait 2 days before the new owners insurance showed up in the online database, after that it was all OK so I suggest you get the seller to do the same for you. Apparently the roadside camera's do cross check any vehicles for the validity of insurance and tax and of course you will then be liable if it is not.

But it doesn't really matter if the tax or insurance appears on the DVLA database or not, so long as it is actually taxed and insured. If the car gets picked up on an ANPR camera before the tax/insurance appear on the database, then you will just be asked to produce your documents to verify that the car was actually insured /taxed at the time.

As others have said the easiest thing to do would be to get the seller to tax it for you and add it on to the sale price. But failing that and if you want to keep it all legal, then assuming that someone will be giving you a lift to pick the car up, I'd go there, do the deal, get the keys, MOT, green slip (new keeper supplement) from the V5c and then get whoever dropped you off to give you a lift to the nearest post office to get it taxed, before going back and collecting the car.

[myredmini]

Thats what Im saying, you can drive around legally, the only reason you may get questioned is if your car is seen not displaying, but I have never had an issue with the "tax in post" because the database shows as taxed your usually ok. I ave always been ok. Weather the OP does this or not is their choice but its usually perfectly ok.

And no, I do not want him to get pulled, I am only giving my previous experience so he can make his own decision

Edited by myredmini, 27 September 2012 - 07:00 PM.