Transport Treasures

On the subject of being fined for being late I just had my child tax credits stopped because I became a single parent. Took the less than 2 weeks to stop the payments and now I owe them. I asked how long it will take to process the reclaim and guess what, there is no time limit, except of course they refuse to send me a form to reclaim on, despite 5 phone calls to the call centre.

Kevin

Bad news that. A mate needs a hernia doing, and was offered the choice of Leek, Macclesfield or getting MRSA (I'll not name names).

There's a simple solultion - compulsory, instant, re-imbursement of lost wages/business *by the Government* (just like they fine us if we are late with anything) - I'll bet a miraculous improvement would be seen overnight ;-)

Richard

My current feud is the the DVLA - there has been a problem with a missing log book, so they sent out the £40 penalty notice, which goes up to £80 if you don't pay in time. However, I had the audacity to appeal (I've recieved no log book, and as they won't accept proof of postage for stuff sent to them, I see no reason why I should take their word that a log book was sent to me). Of course, this takes you over the time limit before they even reply, even if you sent the appeal letter off the same day as you get the fine, thus incuring the full £80 penalty. And, of course, Swansea and the fines place in Edinburgh cannot talk to each other and no one is empowered to make any descisions anyway. I'm sick and tired of the petty minded bueraucrats in the Civil Service who are simply not interested in solving a problem (they *can* solve it, if they choose), yet I strongly suspect they are same people who are the first on the phone ranting if there is problem with

*their* orders from those of us who have to work until 2.00am to do their work for them.

I won't even start on Staffordshire Moorlands Councils utter incompetence over the intoduction of recycling bins.......

That's better - rant over :-)

Richard

I have past his shop a few times and seen the sign but he has always been shut. What sort of times and days is he open. I go past on the way to see my parents.

Kevin

i'm curious about how a missing log book was reason for a fine.

I swapped my car in march and sent the change slip from the reg doc back. I can prove it was received because i sent a tax refund form as well which I got a cheque for. I got a £40 notice because Swansea didn't action the change of owner slip and as tax had expired it was automatic.

I argued with them, ok you have to provide a written statement to them as to why you shouldn't be fined they won't talk on the phone, but the small print does say if you don't receive a confirmation of receipt within 4 weeks it is your responsibilty to chase swansea. And you cannot argue with that. Once the notice is issued the only way of avoiding it is by showing a proof of change receipt letter dated before the penalty notice was issued.

So effectivly we are being fined for Swanseas incompetence.

What really annoyed me is the assumption that everyone is criminally minded.

I can't tax it!

That's my point - all I want is the/a copy of the log book so I can tax it. No change of address or anything, so all they have to do is put it in the post using the data already stored. The trouble is that I have to go to a post office that does car tax to get a form and wait 6 weeks, or I can go to my "local" tax office in Derby - either way I have to shut up shop and lose business (god help us when all the rural post offices close over the next 2 years), and I don't see any reason why I should. They work for us, and so should help us out. I too also resent the implication that I'm a criminal because, for whatever reason, the log book did not arrive, and I also deeply resent them dumping the problem on me - it's not me that requires the vehicle to be taxed, but I'm more than willing to do so - if they will just send a flaming log book! I also hate the "We are never wrong" attitude - they might as well get rid of those answering the phone and lust leave a message - "It's your problem, you sort it out."

Richard

Have you actually tried the door. It has always *looked* shut from the outside. In fact, it looks like the place closed down a few years ago.

MBQ

When I swapped cars I couldn't find my registration cert for the old car and garage wouldn't proceed without it. I rang swansea who said 'no problem give us a debit card number we'll take £19' and 3 days later a new cert rolled up in the post.

you can get the form online

from the DVLA website

DVLA will aim to deliver a new registration certificate to you within four weeks of receiving your application. However, please allow six weeks before contacting DVLA.

As they same 'within 4 weeks'. In my dealings they are usually much faster than the maximum time stated above, if you ring them they will tell you when stuff was sent.

or I can go to my "local" tax office in Derby - either

Couldn't you renew on 'notice to renew tax' form (v11?), why did you need reg cert to tax? You could even renew tax over the internet from the renewal form. The tax disc arrives about 3 days later.

the curious thing about my case was the people who fined me originally asked for £19+ as back tax but when I argued they dropped that but wouldn't drop the fine itself.

I think that must have changed - that is not one of the options offered.

But that's potenially 6 weeks the vehicle cannot be used on the road. For a revenue earning vehicle that's unacceptable. What is someone who only has one car, and can only get to work using it, supposed to do - "Sorry boss, I can't come in for x weeks until Swansea do their bit" is not going to go down too well. There's no reason a log book could not be put in the post upon request (filling a form in is no more of a defence against fraud that just sending it to the registered address anyway), why can't they simply do that?

No - you have to have the log book. Swansea say you can use any domestic bill with the renewal form , but the PO won't hear of it (tried it!) - and anyway this particular vehicle is a company one.

You have to have your log book to tax on-line as it has a unique number on it. As I've never had the log book, I don't have that number. (And there is a huge flaw in their "fraud" argument. You only need the number, not the document - it wouldn't be difficult to get one, without the legit owner even knowing as they still have the log book).

That's nice of them. But as the non-arrival of the log book is not my fault, and the vehicle has not been used on the road since the tax expired, they shouldn't be charging anything - in fact they should be appologising and offering to sort it out. It's what every other business has to do when things go wrong, why should they be different, particularly as they are now an agency and charge for everything?

Richard

Ah! You didn't say it was a commercial vehicle. Rules must be different for private vehicles, I never saw my reg cert again in the 3 years I had the car after receiving it. Never needed it until I came to swap

The rules are formulated very carefully to avoid get outs.

You either declare a SORN and get it acknowledged, get Swansea to acknowledge transfer or have a tax disc and it is your responsibility to ensure this..

No grey area of whose fault it is, whether the vehicle is used on the road or kept in a garage, not lent/transferred ownership or anything else. Given the number of unlicensed/uninsured/not mot'd vehicles on the road they have to be explicit. This is the caring/cost recovery/ low tax goverment for you but like so much other legislation it criminalises the average law abiding joe public with no allowance for mistakes.

You could complain to swansea and ultimately get your MP to to take it up with the goverment ombudsman or employ a lawyer to argue your case. I'd be interested to know if you get anywhere but for myself I decided life was too short to argue, just paid the penalty and got on with my life. As a commercial venture you have to decide if you want to spend time arguing or pay up, learn from the experience and get on to more profitable ways of spending your time.

It's a comercial vehicle per se, just a Land Rover company "run about", but certainly it wasn't bought to sit and rot in corner.

That may be so, but a copy of the log book posted to the registered address??? There's no "security" problem there.

Until they give me access to their database, I cannot do that. I only know ownership was actually transferred because I got the tax reminder, for all I knew until that arrived it could have been a ringer - hardly a robust system.

Well it shouldn't be so.....

.... and that's the crux. We, the public are so spineless and let them do it to us - in most cases not even complaining. We get what we deserve. I, and everyone else this happens to, should fight, but the government know we can't afford it. At least by making a fuss it will be rigistered somewhere....... though I don't expect "bad news" is actually analised (it might make a manager look bad).

I just hope everyone feels the same when ID cards come in. Losing one of them is going to be really good fun.

Richard

Did you mean analysed or were you suggesting where they should stick it ;o)

Sorry for following up my own post, but this couldn't have timed much better.....

which just goes to show that "analised" was very accurate typo!

Richard

In message , beamendsltd writes

Whoops! Quite right, I'm afraid. To renew the tax disc at a PO, you need either the reminder form, or the log book. Just the little green 'new owner' part of the log book is OK, as long as the vehicle was purchased within the last two months. Few POs will dare break DVLA rules - the tax disc business is about all we have left!