I saw a car yesterday with a wheel clamp on and a big yellow sticker on the windscreen saying ‘untaxed vehicle’, so maybe this is what they do in some areas.

That is what they did to my old BMW when the garage that did its MOT left it parked on a public street despite having plenty of room on their forecourt and I told them when booking it in that it was SORNed. They claimed I should have reminded them….how can you MOT and not notice the lack of tax disc and it should have been written down next to my name and phone number on the diary. Despite me sending the Police the MOT (with time and date) and the receipt of when I paid and picked up the car they couldn’t be bothered and insisted I paid the fine and I still faced an even larger fine from the DVLA who eventually (when I went up to their local office with all the evidence) accepted I wasn’t to blame.

As for that car – sounds like it is dumped but give it a week or two if it’s not in the way and then you might be best reporting it as it may be stolen. One of the busy bodies round where we live now stuck an bright yellow A4 adhesive backed paper “Police Aware” sticker on the OHs car window as it hadn’t moved for a few weeks. The car was parked legally and safely but she was using her bike as it was summer and people generally don’t abandon cars with expensive Thule roof rack with 3 bike racks on top. Took me ages to get the damn thing off the window and when I called the Police to ask if it was them or a council thing they said they don’t have any such stickers and it must have been a neighbour and did I want them to chase it up as vandalism – the Police round her are much better as I have found in a few cases but then I guess it’s busier with a lot more crime in the city.

With regards to checking the car details. You can put the Reg into the DVLA tax disc site and check if it is currently SORNed and what date it needs renewing but you shouldn’t check the AskMID site unless you have a legitimate reason – ie you own the car or have been in an accident involving it.

actually you could always give it a few days and call the Police and say it looks like it has been dumped and has it been reported as stolen. Although they may come out and see the lack of tax disc.

Report its location to DVLA (https://www.gov.uk/report-untaxed-vehicle) DVLA may know it is not taxed but won’t know where the vehicle actually it. They will clamp it and the owner has to pay the clamp fee plus get tax to release it (and to get tax he needs to prove insurance). If its on the road and sorned DVLA will also act.

Why should you and I have to pay tax but he not?

There are probably more efficient ways to raise tax than VED, but one of the attractions of the approach is it forces a check that you have an MOT and Insurance. Excise Duty evaders are often breaking these other laws that exist for public safety.

Not taxing your car is quite difficult these days

No its not, its really easy.

You move house and forget to update your address with the DVLA. Then you forget to buy your new tax disk as normally just do it online when the reminder arrives.
(At least that’s what happened to me anyway)

and you’ve only got 2 weeks leeway before you get fined.

I must be brilliant at getting away with stuff then 🙂

I rang the DVLA when I realised my tax had run out 10 weeks earlier, explained the reason and they said to buy a new Tax disk ASAP, and they sent me a letter with a bill for the two previous months tax (at the normal rate for my vehicle) plus a £10 handling fee.

Result.

If its not taxed for more than that its either registered at a false address and has no insurance/mot or its declared sorn and they’ve somehow managed to avoid the anpr checks (or they just aren’t displaying the disc)

Not really, see above.

i had 5 cars appear in the car park for the flats where i used to live, there was 1 space allocated per flat, so when 5 appeared over night it was a little vexing, after a week of them not moving i had a closer look and found them all to be out of tax, so rung the DVLA and told them… they were gone within 24hrs

i’m a snitch, meh, don’t nick my f**king parking space and we’re cool bro 👿

Definitely report it straight away. By ignoring it you are contributing to the apathetic “don’t care” culture that allows so many to get away with not paying taxes, not insuring their vehicles, not obeying the normal rules and conventions that most of us follow in the interest of a harmonious life.

We have a residents’ action group that is campaigning to get traffic calming in our street (no hope of that now) and it drives me mad when residents refuse to used the well-practiced system for reporting speeders and short-cutters; they moan and whinge but when you challenge them to do something they just whine “Oh I don’t want to get involved.” Frickin’ muppets. Do you want to grow older and become part of the apathetic spoon-fed mediocrity? No you don’t.

I saw a car yesterday with a wheel clamp on and a big yellow sticker on the windscreen saying ‘untaxed vehicle’, so maybe this is what they do in some areas.

I’ve always wondered what I’d do if my car was clamped. Considering the things I’ve done previously etc 😆

residents refuse to used the well-practiced system for reporting speeders and short-cutters

Surely it’s not an offense to short cut though?

I’ve been on the receiving end of something similar – our rather scruffy 12 year old car was left on a back street round here, cos I came home late and it was the only space. I didn’t use it for a couple of days (weekend car really). Someone called the police because they wanted to get a wide vehicle down there, and they didn’t know who’s car it was. Police came round, said to my wife that someone was moaning about our car, and was there any chance we could move it, and actually because she can’t drive, they took the keys and parked it up on our road for us. No problems.

If you’re up to date on things car related (insurance, mot etc), it really is no hassle having this kind of report against your car. If not, you blooming well should be, and you deserve everything you get – cars are dangerous buggers, and there are good reasons for all the regulation around them.

The one outside my place now has a nice big form attached to it (although right in the drivers eye line which isnt very helpful) saying if its still there in 7 days its £150 removal fee, £20 per day storage and then a £75 disposal fee if not collected or its scrapped.

If it was outside my house rotting in the street, or parked across my driveway, yes.

Otherwise leave well alone, its not my problem, I’ve enough of my own to worry about.

Definitely report it straight away. By ignoring it you are contributing to the apathetic “don’t care” culture that allows so many to get away with not paying taxes, not insuring their vehicles, not obeying the normal rules and conventions that most of us follow in the interest of a harmonious life.

We have a residents’ action group that is campaigning to get traffic calming in our street (no hope of that now) and it drives me mad when residents refuse to used the well-practiced system for reporting speeders and short-cutters; they moan and whinge but when you challenge them to do something they just whine “Oh I don’t want to get involved.” Frickin’ muppets. Do you want to grow older and become part of the apathetic spoon-fed mediocrity? No you don’t.

Obviously a busy-body with too much time on your hands. I’d like to see how you feel when someone takes objection to you poking your nose in and starts making your life a misery.

Live and let live maybe.

I reported one once. It was opposite my drive, making it difficult to turn in. It was a knackered old Porsche 944. It was so easy to report online, I couldn’t see why not – quicker than posting this!
Turns out it was a bloke 2 doors down – usually keeps it in his double garage with his Ferrari! Having work done on his kitchen so moved it for a couple of days. I don’t think he got fined though, but it was moved the same day 🙂 He keeps his A5 on the drive. Bloody stupid to have so many cars when you live on your own anyway.

I’ve always wondered what I’d do if my car was clamped. Considering the things I’ve done previously etc

Stamp up and down? Cry? What else can you do?

I would, it’s also not insured, so when the driver smashes into your lovely shiney vehicle it’ll be your insurance that pays hence bumping up your policy.

I can’t be bothered reading any of the preceding posts, but re. the OP – Yes, report the vehicle, hopefully it’ll be towed away and crushed to the size of a satsuma. Serve them right. Zero tolerance is the way forward with motorists.

Obviously a busy-body with too much time on your hands. I’d like to see how you feel when someone takes objection to you poking your nose in and starts making your life a misery.

Live and let live maybe.

Not when our street is blighted by short-cutters speeding through to beat the traffic lights on the main road, despite the statutory access restrictions at each end. Lancashire CC have set up a Smiley SID, which has recorded drivers doing 70 mph late at night. We have the lowest number of accidents in Lancashire’s league table of streets deserving traffic calming because we train our kids to stay off the road so our chances of funding are zero and even lower now that there’s no cash. So Lancashire Constabulary encourages residents to use the non-emergency number to report speeders and short-cutters, reports are logged on the PNC and drivers get stopped for a chat and a producer next time they are seen by a car equipped with ANPR. It works and we’ve dealt with several habitual speeders by using the system.

Yes and I have. A car was left outside my house for a few weeks then I noticed the tax had run out. Reported it using the dvla website and next day it had gone.

I would, it’s also not insured,

How do you know that?

i asked this a few years back, and the overwhelming stw view was yes.

my view is that if its not taxed its possibly/probably not insured and/or mot. if it hits me i’m the one whos going to have hassle and i’m the one paying ridiculous insurance to cover idiots like that.