Registration and Tax question

[CMee]

Hi - My very first post!

My Traveller has been off the road since 1995. With the arrival of retirement, thoughts are finally turning to returning it to the road and I have two questions.

Prompted by another thread, I am slightly concerned that, when I try to tax (SORN) it and register a change of ownership from my wife to myself, the DVLA might say that I might not be able to retain the original registration number. On the plus side, the Gov.UK Car Tax Check site knows that its tax expired in 1995 and it doesn't have an MOT, so I hope that means I'll be OK on that point - unless someone here knows otherwise.

After a week's searching, I have finally found the folders containing its history, including the original hand-written receipt for £230 from 1976. The Traveller's V5 is one of the old blue ones (plus two buff ones!). As SORN didn't exist in 1995, it has never been 'taxed' as such, it has also not been insured.

Have I (well, strictly my wife I suppose as it's registered in her name, but I know who'll get the blame) committed an offence in DVLA's eyes, and am I likely to get hit with a fine and claim for unpaid tax when I put my head over the parapet?

If I should get hit with a fine, do you have any idea how much it would be? If it is for unpaid tax, when did exemption for historic status come into play?

Thanks in anticipation
Colin
M/N 6122

[philthehill]

Have a look at this:-

https://www.gov.uk/historic-vehicles

I would not worry to much about this just do the process.

I would suggest that you retain the ownership (as per the log book (V5)), get the Minor back on the road and think about getting the ownership issue resolved as a later task.

[philipkearney]

Hi Colin

I don't think you have anything to worry about it here. No offence has been committed as far as I can see. At the time you took the car off the road, continuous licencing (SORN) did not exist - I think it came in around 1997. Before then, you simply stopped taxing a vehicle and it would be recorded as untaxed. After SORN came in, when your tax expired, you were obliged to either re-tax or declare the vehicle off the road. There wasn't a requirement to do this retrospectively, so anything off road prior to that was fine,

Now, when you transfer ownership from your wife to yourself, you will have to declare SORN on the vehicle. Unlike the early days, you don't have to renew this annually. This will be current until you either tax the vehicle or transfer ownership (tax or SORN does not transfer with ownership)

Good luck with it all !

Philip

[Murrayminor]

register the vehicle in your name and place it on SORN, the registration will stay with the vehicle and the DVLA will simply update their records to show a new keeper.

If you have the old V5 you could try changing the registered keeper online, it may work but if it doesn't then send the log book off to the DVLA.

https://www.gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle

[simmitc]

Just a technicality: The V5 or any variant thereof, does not record the owner, it shows the registered keeper. Ownership or title to the vehicle is a completely separate matter. In your case it won't make any difference but in some cases it can be a significant distinction.

Simply complete the change of keeper section on the V5 and send it off, and you should then receive a new document in your name. If your version of the document does not have a detachable slip, then make sure that you keep a complete copy of the document before sending it off, just in case it gets lost in the post.

If you want to keep the old V5 intact, then you could apply for a new V5 using a form V62 on the basis that you are the new keeper and the previous keeper did not give yo the V5, but there would be a charge of £25 for that.

[MCYorks]

Hi Colin,

Welcome to the message board. It sounds like you have a lot of history for your vehicle and it's always great when owners have original documentation. I agree with Murrayminor that you're best trying to change the registered keeper online and keeping hold of the old style V5 for your records. Note: the online service to do this is only available 7am to 7pm.

If you do have to send off the old style V5 to the DVLA then definitely take a copy for your records. Previously you could request they stamped the old style V5 'cancelled' and returned it to you with a new style V5c. With the current issue around GDPR and previous keepers I'm not sure DVLA would be so accommodating today.

Best wishes

[Andyhereford]

Colin
It has just taken me 6 months to receive my new registration document. Apparently because of COVID, Lockdown and “ working from home” the DVLA have become “ overwhelmed with paper applications. My first , initial application appears to have got “ lost in the post “. I then sent a second application by recorded delivery, to which I eventually got a reply. However it was only when I managed to get an e mail address to an individual in the DVLA that anything seemed to happen and as I say, after 6+ months I eventually got the registration document. So good luck with your application I don’t think that they will accept a photocopy of your original so you might run the risk of losing it if you send it in.

[CMee]

Thank you for all the advice, gents, you have been very helpful and reassuring.

I'll be able to set the ball rolling in a more relaxed frame of mind. I'll give the online approach a try first, seeing as I have the buff log books it would be good to keep hold of the blue V5 if I can.

Andy, there's no great rush as I haven't even started work on the Traveller yet and the welding is going to take a while, so six months won't be a problem. It was a post elsewhere that got me worried about possibly losing the registration that made me kick this off.

Phil, that looks remarkably like Prescott in your profile picture. Do you ever compete at my local track, Loton Park? I have a Sprite that I use in club events there and I marshal when I'm not competing.

Thanks again.

Colin

[philthehill]

Colin
Yes that is me on the start line at Prescott. First competed at Prescott in the same Minor in 1972.
I have never competed at Loton Park unfortunately.
Regards
Phil

[Matt]

Just to add to this - the online process to change ownership will work provided that its the last V5 issued.

2 years or so ago I did an online change of ownership, from one of the early cream coloured V5s. Off the top of my head that particular doc was issued in 1983.

Given the covid situation, I would definitely try for an online change of ownership - then the new V5c should arrive in a week and you will be able to keep the old one