If I park the car in the drive and leave it there, does it HAVE TO be insured? Never used to but I dimly recall they were trying to change it

It has tax and MOT

Iirc, yes unless its declared SORN.

Here you go:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/Motorinsurance/DG_186696?CID=Continuous_Insurance&PLA=DM&CRE=Furl

IIRC you won’t be able to tax it next time around without insurance. Then you’ll need to mark it as SORN or get insurnace, MOT and tax.

As Sam says.

As above

OK. Fair enough. We just might sell it soon though, and I didn’t want to insure it for a week then sell it. That’s money down the drain

So I assume you can SORN a car whilst it’s still taxed then?

Yep, and I think you get back a proportion of your tax if it’s significant.

another great british RipOff Eh :/

another great british RipOff Eh :/

Don’t really see why it’s a ripp-off. More an attempt to stop people driving without insurance – don’t really see the issue with SORNing a vehicle if you’re not using it. If it’s taxed you can claim it back. If it’s not insured and you’re trying to sell it, no one can take it for a test drive anyway (even if the test driver is insured to drive all vehicles) – so what’s the difference.

Don’t really see why it’s a ripp-off. More an attempt to stop people driving without insurance – don’t really see the issue with SORNing a vehicle if you’re not using it. If it’s taxed you can claim it back. If it’s not insured and you’re trying to sell it, no one can take it for a test drive anyway (even if the test driver is insured to drive all vehicles) – so what’s the difference.

Except it only really targets people who are honest and, normally tax, test and insure their car.

Mr Scrote who buys a car but fails to send off for a logbook, pay insurance or tax can ride around with little cause to worry as there are so few Police around there’s only an outside chance of getting caught.

Or so it seems to me.

Of course, I agree it’s not going to get everyone, and I agree there should be more police around, But there are plenty of people who are taxed and registered who don’t have insurance, and use the excuse that the car isn’t used and off the road – now, unless it’s SORN, it need to be fully compliant – No insurance, you shouldn’t be on a public road, so why not SORN it?

No insurance, you shouldn’t be on a public road, so why not SORN it?

2 reasons, apart from the faff,

1) if I have 3 months and 21 days tax left, I VERY MUCH doubt I’ll get a full refund on it.

2) if I insure it for 3 weeks then cancel, I’ll be massively ripped off by the insurance company

I used to do it pretty much every year with my motorbikes. I bought my first one in October but always left renewal until a couple of days before I was going to need it again, maybe 2-6 weeks delay every year. Now my renewal time is in the late spring, which is more convenient.

As above, all this system does is piss off honest people like me. This could be a real effing pain in the arse.
I can see why people don’t bother with tax and insurance, to be honest. £300 car, small fine if caught? Seems like a good idea to me.

PeterPoddy – 1) if I have 3 months and 21 days tax left, I VERY MUCH doubt I’ll get a full refund on it.

No, but you’ll get 3 months worth. 🙄

No, but you’ll get 3 months worth

So I loose out, as I said.

I’ts going to be easier to sell with Tax.

The cost of Insurance could well be more than the fine for not having it insured.

If you do sell it pretty quick-smart chances are that you won’t get picked up for the insurance gap.

I’d get polishing and get pics on autotrader quick.

The cost of Insurance could well be more than the fine for not having it insured.

Indeed, but more than we’d loose for a SORN on the tax

I’d get polishing and get pics on autotrader quick.

Well, we need to get the bodywork sorted first as some ****ing ****ker drove into it in a nicked car a couple of weeks ago. 🙁

Indeed, but more than we’d loose for a SORN on the tax

What I’m saying is, don’t SORN it and take the risk. Don’t go ruuning anyone down in the meantime. Oh and don’t get it stolen either.

If you have just bought its replacement, some insurance companies will cover both cars for a couple of weeks to allow you to sell it. Ours did…we had them both parked out on the street for a while.

It certainly gives you a bit of incentive to get it sold 🙂

Don’t really see why it’s a ripp-off. More an attempt to stop people driving without insurance – don’t really see the issue with SORNing a vehicle if you’re not using it

It’s a nightmare,

I have 6 or 7 motorbikes in various states of repair
Even just having a bare frame seems to fall foul of the regs

I can see insurance for SORN’ed vehicles being a big seller in future.

So I loose out, as I said

Not if you send it off in 20 days.

Not if you send it off in 20 days

Then I’ve wasted 20 days tax I didn’t use!

Insure and cancel before 14 days?

It exists already oliver

Then I’ve wasted 20 days tax I didn’t use!

Can you ‘use’ tax?

Yes.

Then I’ve wasted 20 days tax I didn’t use!

Should have though about it on the 30th of June – there’s always a queue of motor traders at the post office n the last of the month…

It exists already oliver

I guessed that, I just said it would sell more. Hope it’s good and cheap.