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Original poster

Would you report someone for continuously driving around with no car tax or m.o.t?

85 replies

Jubileegems · 28/05/2022 07:22

Without going into loads of details, I’ve got nightmare neighbours who’ve lived near us for almost a year. There’s always something kicking off at their house, and one of the tenants drives his car like an idiot, by racing around, and so obviously has no regard for how his driving could impact others.
Because of the way he drives and parks his car where he likes, even if it’s on the path or over people’s driveways, I checked to see if the car is taxed, only to find out there’s been no tax or m.o.t on it for months.
Considering the car is being used every day, would you report it?

OP posts:
Hawkmother · 28/05/2022 08:05

We had similar & another (nice) neighbour reported because they (the car owners) were nightmare neighbours in many ways.

There appeared to be no action but it turned out that the whole household was about to be raided for running a major drugs outfit and they didn’t want to jeopardise a huge police operation by arresting them for MOT/ tax.

Original poster
Jubileegems · 28/05/2022 08:11

Hawkmother · 28/05/2022 08:05

We had similar & another (nice) neighbour reported because they (the car owners) were nightmare neighbours in many ways.

There appeared to be no action but it turned out that the whole household was about to be raided for running a major drugs outfit and they didn’t want to jeopardise a huge police operation by arresting them for MOT/ tax.

I imagine that those who don’t give a crap about driving illegally probably are involved in other crimes too.

OP posts:
Coughee · 28/05/2022 08:13

I can't answer for the dvla - I think they may well take action as they do run operations where they Clamp untaxed cars.

For the MOT it is the police who are supposed to enforce but I used to work for the organisation that is responsible for mots and frequently took calls from members of the public saying they'd reported a car with no mot to the police and they weren't interested. We had no enforcement powers in that area so couldn't do anything unfortunately.

Still worth trying though - report to dvla and police and hopefully in your area they're more proactive.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Driving & parking
etulosba · 28/05/2022 08:30

Car insurance is only valid with an MOT

This, along with car tax, is a myth. The insurer must honour 3rd party risk.

Maytodecember · 28/05/2022 08:33

Yes, any insurance would be invalid too.
Police might or might not act.

MintJulia · 28/05/2022 08:34

Yea. Check his tyres OP. If they are bald, report that as dangerous. Police really don't like bald tyres.

Maytodecember · 28/05/2022 08:36

Forgot the third party insurance thing —- but chances are there might not be insurance as it might have been refused when no tax/ mot showed up ( mine comes up as valid when I fill in online insurance forms)

ticolac · 28/05/2022 08:37

Yes.
I have reported a car in the past and it was clamped then removed within a few days.

PortiaFimbriata · 28/05/2022 08:47

If someone has car insurance and they cause damage or injury to a third party then the insurer will pay up even if the insurance is void for some reason - they have the right to try and reclaim against the policy holder. If they're not insured at all the the Motor Insurers' Bureau will pay.

Regardless, this guy sounds like a terrible driver who needs to be off the road. If he hit someone and caused terrible injuries then the fact that the victim would get financial compensation does not make it OK.

lljkk · 28/05/2022 09:02

No. I'd only report if I wanted to be nasty to them.

Iamnotamermaid · 28/05/2022 09:06

If he had insurance it is unlikely to be valid with no MOT (www.kwik-fit.com/blog/can-i-tax-and-insure-a-car-without-an-mot). And without a MOT it cannot be tax.

It sounds unlikely he has bothered with insurance and it is only a matter of time before he has an accident.

I would definitely report it. I knew someone who got stopped by the police for just having no MOT (his wife had had a baby and in the all the excitement it got forgotten about). They gave him a warning to get it sorted asap.

Original poster
Jubileegems · 28/05/2022 09:09

lljkk · 28/05/2022 09:02

No. I'd only report if I wanted to be nasty to them.

Ok so basically you condone people driving with no tax or mot then. How would you feel if someone driving a car that probably isn’t road worthy causing an accident to you or yours?

OP posts:
Original poster
Jubileegems · 28/05/2022 09:10

Jubileegems · 28/05/2022 09:09

Ok so basically you condone people driving with no tax or mot then. How would you feel if someone driving a car that probably isn’t road worthy causing an accident to you or yours?

Show quote history

*caused

OP posts:
Original poster
Jubileegems · 28/05/2022 09:12

MintJulia · 28/05/2022 08:34

Yea. Check his tyres OP. If they are bald, report that as dangerous. Police really don't like bald tyres.

Interesting you say that, I’ve checked the mot history and it ran out in OCT 2021 …. and one of the advisories is having a tyre worn close to the legal limit.

OP posts:
Original poster
Jubileegems · 28/05/2022 09:13

Jubileegems · 28/05/2022 09:12

Interesting you say that, I’ve checked the mot history and it ran out in OCT 2021 …. and one of the advisories is having a tyre worn close to the legal limit.

Show quote history

And that advisory was dated in 2020 at the previous mot. Ffs

OP posts:
Original poster
Jubileegems · 28/05/2022 09:14

PortiaFimbriata · 28/05/2022 08:47

If someone has car insurance and they cause damage or injury to a third party then the insurer will pay up even if the insurance is void for some reason - they have the right to try and reclaim against the policy holder. If they're not insured at all the the Motor Insurers' Bureau will pay.

Regardless, this guy sounds like a terrible driver who needs to be off the road. If he hit someone and caused terrible injuries then the fact that the victim would get financial compensation does not make it OK.

I agree

OP posts:
thekaratekid · 28/05/2022 09:21

I reported a twatty neighbours untaxed giant pick up truck which was always parked in inappropriate places. It had been untaxed for atleast 3 months, so not an oversight. About 2 weeks later a man in a hi-vis turned up and started clamping it. Neighbour went running out to pay the fine. Served him right.

RumJerrySailorRum · 28/05/2022 09:36

I wouldn't report an untaxed car, I genuinely can not get worked up about that.

But I'd report a car that wasn't MOT'd......for me to find that out in the first place they would have had to piss me off in some way so the follow up to that would be to report it.

As an aside, even if a car does have an MOT, doesn't mean it's actually valid and been tested. There are loads of places that give out certificates for a fee!

thereisonlyoneofme · 28/05/2022 10:06

Yes report because of the insurance issue. I did the same once and the car did get towed away.

EdithStourton · 28/05/2022 10:12

Yes, without a doubt.

Original poster
Jubileegems · 28/05/2022 10:50

thekaratekid · 28/05/2022 09:21

I reported a twatty neighbours untaxed giant pick up truck which was always parked in inappropriate places. It had been untaxed for atleast 3 months, so not an oversight. About 2 weeks later a man in a hi-vis turned up and started clamping it. Neighbour went running out to pay the fine. Served him right.

Did you need to report it only once? Or did it take a few attempts before they took action?

OP posts:
lljkk · 28/05/2022 11:24

Jubileegems · 28/05/2022 09:09

Ok so basically you condone people driving with no tax or mot then. How would you feel if someone driving a car that probably isn’t road worthy causing an accident to you or yours?

Show quote history

Gee, that's nice. I guess it goes perfectly with my suspicion that reporting is a nasty thing to do!

I'd feel sad if anyone negligently (much worse if deliberately) causes harm to others regardless of whether they have a tax disc or mot on their car.

There's a huge space between complacent condoning & knowing there could be backlash & it's not going to achieve anything good to report them. Literally the only thing I could be sure of in reporting them would be some kind of self-satisfaction which might make sense if I hated their guts. Also, I know MNers are all perfect and never do anything wrong, they would never do anything that went over the threshold of what others think is acceptable, never push the rules or even slightly break the law themselves. Never ever in any realm of life. No hypocrites here. Simply couldn't happen...

PortiaFimbriata · 28/05/2022 11:33

The point is, lljkk, that according to the OP this guy is a risky driver, parks like a cock, and is an all round terrible neighbour.

In that situation I reckon she's both morally justified in trying to take him off the road, and understandable in her desire to have bad things happen to him.

balalake · 28/05/2022 13:04

100% yes, even if they were involved in no other crimes. I don't want them or anyone else to die or be seriously injured in a car crash because of an unfit vehicle.

Original poster
Jubileegems · 28/05/2022 17:15

lljkk · 28/05/2022 11:24

Gee, that's nice. I guess it goes perfectly with my suspicion that reporting is a nasty thing to do!

I'd feel sad if anyone negligently (much worse if deliberately) causes harm to others regardless of whether they have a tax disc or mot on their car.

There's a huge space between complacent condoning & knowing there could be backlash & it's not going to achieve anything good to report them. Literally the only thing I could be sure of in reporting them would be some kind of self-satisfaction which might make sense if I hated their guts. Also, I know MNers are all perfect and never do anything wrong, they would never do anything that went over the threshold of what others think is acceptable, never push the rules or even slightly break the law themselves. Never ever in any realm of life. No hypocrites here. Simply couldn't happen...

Show quote history

Just listen to yourself, you are condoning people like this 😡

It’s not being ‘negligent’ if someone drives a car without valid mot, as the car may not be fit to be on the road (and I know that you could say any car may not be fit just after it’s mot) but there’s more chance of his car being unroadworthy than someone’s who has their car mot’d every year.
Oh and most people don’t break the law, especially laws that could cost lives by driving a possibly unfit vehicle.
I would GUARANTEE that if the twat I’m talking about drove like a nutter near to your home, you’d not be pleased that he’s driving illegally.

OP posts: