Awaiting a few bits to fix it. Its parked outside my house and mot expired last week. Next time it’ll be driven is to get its mot cert, which i know is ok to do.

Legal?

On a public road it must be mot’d taxed and insured.

On private land – eg your drive it needs to be declared sorn only.

If you opt not to mot it and someone drives into it plod will be asking questions…..”ive not been driving it” wont help your defence.

My understanding is that you can’t get tax without insurance and an MOT. You have to SORN your vehicle and take it off the road or have it taxed. Failure to either tax or SORN will result in a fine.

However, if you’re taxed while the MOT is run out I think the tax will still be valid, and you can keep it on the road but not drive. You’re allowed to drive a car without an MOT to get an MOT, but no other time.

Not sure how the insurance stands with a run out MOT, but I imagine it would invalidate it.

Again, this is my understanding and may be entirely incorrect.

robware – Member

You’re allowed to drive a car without an MOT to get an MOT, but no other time.

Regarding this – make sure when you do get round to having it MOT’d that you book an appointment and drive it there, so there is some proof that you are indeed taking it for it’s MOT and not just driving it around.

Not sure how the insurance stands with a run out MOT, but I imagine it would invalidate it.

Not true. One of those popular internet myths. It might impact the value if the car is written off and it could effect a claim in some circumstances, e.g. if you drive into someone in a car that failed it’s mot on dodgy brakes.

Pumbien v Vines

Also invalidated insurance is a strong word.

What it does mean is . Insurance cannot get out of paying for the third partys costs , they will pay that .

They do not pay for your car.

They can also seek to reclaim the value of their claim to the third party from your personal finances.

It’s one of those things that, by the book, you shouldn’t do, but in the real world, you aren’t likely to come a cropper with. The police do not generally go round checking the MOT status of parked cars. If it really is just a couple of days and you aren’t driving it then I think you’re chances of bringing any major grief upon yourself are pretty low.

Insurance ombudsman website is great for this stuff now

13. roadworthiness

Most motor policies contain a specific requirement that the vehicle must be maintained in a roadworthy state. When deciding whether it was reasonable for an insurer to reject a consumer’s claim, we will look for evidence that the loss or damage was mostly likely caused – or was significantly contributed to – because the vehicle was not roadworthy.

An insurer can also reduce a payout on the basis that the vehicle was not in good condition. In these cases, we will look for evidence that the condition of the condition of the vehicle – or parts of it – were poor to decide whether this deduction is fair.

If the vehicle did not have a current MOT certificate, we will consider how likely it was that the vehicle would have passed an MOT test. If we decide – on the balance of probabilities – that the vehicle would have failed the test, we are likely to say that a deduction of up to 10% is reasonable.

On a public road it must be mot’d taxed and insured.

On private land – eg your drive it needs to be declared sorn only.

If you opt not to mot it and someone drives into it plod will be asking questions…..”ive not been driving it” wont help your defence.

^^ This ^^

Got anywhere off-road you can keep under SORN?

Otherwise it’s going to need an MOT…

Not sure you have to SORN it just for expired MOT, assuming the tax hasn’t expired?

Thought it was TAX or SORN or A BIG FINE now?

It’s one of those things that, by the book, you shouldn’t do, but in the real world, you aren’t likely to come a cropper with. The police do not generally go round checking the MOT status of parked cars. If it really is just a couple of days and you aren’t driving it then I think you’re chances of bringing any major grief upon yourself are pretty low.

Yes, except it’s all computerised these days – so a simple fine in an envelope may/will probably occur.

Last week I discovered one of my cars MOT ran out in Oct – got it sorted and was feeling bad about it.

Was telling the story to my neighbor and he said he better check his daughters car. Had a look and hers had ran out last May… much panic and trip to local garage followed very quickly.

So for a few days whilst you fix it I can’t see an issue.

Certainly it is all computerised, you’re quite right. Although I don’t see how the computer would know his car was parked on the road and not a driveway. A passing ANPR car, I suppose, but I still reckon the odds are very low.

With ANPR all its takes is a traffic car to drive past and it’ll flag up straight away on their system as having no MOT.

I have a friend who only Mot’s his cars every 18 months, has been doing it for over 20 years too, he gets an MOT, then pays for 6 months tax, when that’s up he pays for 12 months, when that finishes, he Mot’s the car and starts again….

With ANPR all its takes is a traffic car to drive past and it’ll flag up straight away on their system as having no MOT.

Could always take the plates off… It’s a pretty strong declaration that you’re not intending on driving it anywhere..

ANPR doesn’t currently detect no MOT only tax and insurance. MOT tied into tax so they needn’t bother checking MOT status.

MOTs a funny thing anyway…….means cars in a roadworthy condition when the blokes poking it …

a week later once a few bulbs have blown and you’ve worn the brakes to the metal alls fine though cos you’ve got a valid mot….

Doesn’t the new system mean that when the MOT expires the tax disc does as well. Think this happens with the direct debit version anyway.

I have a friend who only Mot’s his cars every 18 months, has been doing it for over 20 years too, he gets an MOT, then pays for 6 months tax, when that’s up he pays for 12 months, when that finishes, he Mot’s the car and starts again….

Best warn your mate anyone could check it now and report him now: All you need to know is the Reg and vehicle Make…

I thought half the point of the DVLA updating their systems and sorting monthly VED Direct debit payments was to reduce excuses for people not having MOT/VED and to allow them to flag and pursue any evaders like your mate…