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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have reported neighbour

310 replies

RinkyDinkyDoo · 01/03/2014 19:16

Tax disc on his second car, they have a main car and a works van, ran out at the end of January.
This car is mainly parked on the road, as is the van and other car, they have room on their drive for one car,but don't use it.
I have now seen him driving the car with out of date tax 4 times now. I reported him on the DVLA website this afternoon.

OP posts:
Joysmum · 02/03/2014 09:20

But she has the moral high ground. We all have to abide by the same rules.

There's no good reason not to report something that's 2 months out of date. The neighbour can't complain if they have consequences to breaking the law.

TiggyCBE · 02/03/2014 09:36

A grass? A grass?!

It's standing up for law and order and what's right. It's making this a better and fairer society for all. It's adhering to the laws created by a democratically elected parliament. We don't get to chose which laws we want to obey. Or can I start killing all the people on my list?

roundtable · 02/03/2014 09:46

What is with the rude comments to the op?

I hate these pile in threads, by all means think the op is unreasonable but is the character assassination on her really necessary?

All this talk of her being a grass reads like a bad prison film. Weird.

If the neighbour hasn't done anything wrong then he's nothing to worry about. If he then he can deal with the consequences.

SirChenjin · 02/03/2014 09:47

"You're a grass, get a life"

Just how old are some people on MN? Hmm It's like being back at school.

roundtable · 02/03/2014 09:48

Cross posts with some other level headed posters. Phew, they are out there.

Bearbehind · 02/03/2014 10:12

It's not 2 months out of date joysmum, as of yesterday it was 1 month and 1 day out of date and, as February is only a short month, it's only 29 days out of date.

The one thing about this that cheers me up is the DVLA don't seem very discreet when it comes to revealing their sources as others who have been reported have said they know it was a neighbour etc, so with a bit of luck the neighbour will find out who did it and then he can decide if UWBU.

Original poster
RinkyDinkyDoo · 02/03/2014 10:16

Bear, I've been accused of being nasty, vindictive etc. I'm afraid you seem to be the one showing these kind of traits with your comments at the mo.
I'll let you know if I get a kicking behind the bike sheds, as you imply that's what I deserve.

OP posts:
Bearbehind · 02/03/2014 10:20

I don't want you to 'get a kicking' (who's being childish now) only to be judged by the person your decision has affected.

If your thread had any other purpose than gloating, I would have had some sympathy but it isn't nice to do what you have done for no real reason and then come on here and brag about it.

roundtable · 02/03/2014 10:21

Should I shout bundle and see what happens? Grin

ElleCloughie · 02/03/2014 10:22

I can honestly say I have never noticed my neighbours tax discs Hmm If they are in the habit of peering at ours, they will have noticed that we spent several weeks driving around with an expired one. However, I assume if they were likely to be doing that, they would also not be above having a peep through the kitchen window, where they would see the new tax disc on the fridge which we both kept forgetting to grab every time we went out to the car.

The actual little piece of paper is meaningless now, as everything is done by computer. Police cars are routinely fitted with cameras that scan number plates automatically, and check that they are taxed and insured.

Original poster
RinkyDinkyDoo · 02/03/2014 10:27

The DVLA site required the cars reg, and a postcode. I think that's pretty anonymous. It's there for the purpose I used it.
Gloaty and braggy- guess what I did to get someone into trouble?Yeah, that'll learn him.
I did state last night why I had put the thread on, a general consensus of opinions. It seems as though its more of a balance now.

OP posts:
CrohnicallyFarting · 02/03/2014 10:32

elle the actual piece of paper might be meaningless, but it is still an offence to fail to display your tax disc.

PS to everyone saying he might have just forgotten to put his tax disc in, the OP did mention that she used the DVLA vehicle checker before reporting. The neighbour does NOT have a tax disc, in the kitchen or otherwise.

nennypops · 02/03/2014 10:33

Someone who can't be arsed to get tax won't give a shit if their neighbour highlights this.

But how does OP know whether it's a case of "can't be arsed" or "hasn't noticed"? If you leave a note and the neighbour ignores it, fine, report it (bearing in mind that it takes up to two weeks to get a new disc). But I can't see how it would hurt OP to leave a note.

It could be, of course, that the neighbour had paid his tax, albeit slightly late, and was waiting for the disc. In which case OP has simply wasted her time both in reporting it and posting on here.

Bearbehind · 02/03/2014 10:36

Gloaty and braggy- guess what I did to get someone into trouble?Yeah, that'll learn him.

It's this kind of comment that displays your true colours really. You aren't bothered about anyone else's opinion on what you did which proves your motive for start this thread was just nasty.

Those who agree with what you did have taken a very hard 'it's wrong so report it' line but I suspect, in the same situation, many would weigh up the alternatives before reporting someone and certainly wouldn't ask if it was the right thing to do after it's been reported.

BoiledPiss · 02/03/2014 10:40

If it ran out at the end of jan, he feasibly could still be ok, you have until the last day of the following month, so the 28th feb (obviously he will pay for feb even though it has passed) so say he taxed it online on the 28th it will still be in the post.
A PP said she had taxed hers online a few days ago and dvla still says her vehicle is untaxed. So this could all be a big fat waste of everyone's time.

I think YABU OP

Original poster
RinkyDinkyDoo · 02/03/2014 10:41

No bear, that would be an example of someone being gloaty and braggy.
I concede, that I could have put a note on his window screen and then report if no action was taken.
If I wasn't bothered about others opinions, then why post in AIU. There are other forums where I could have posted, here you get opinions, either in agreement or not.
If he didn't drive round in it or it was up his drive, then yes, I wouldn't have checked.
I do think you are now making this personal, for what reason, I'm nt sure.

OP posts:
CrohnicallyFarting · 02/03/2014 10:47

boiledpiss that is not quite right. You won't get a fine if you tax your car late, but within the month, but you are not allowed to drive your car/use it on the public highway in the meantime. If you have taxed your car on time, but not yet received the disc you have 14 days grace. If you have failed to tax on time (which he definitely has, the system doesn't take a month to update) then you don't get a grace period and are committing several offences if you use your car.

Bearbehind · 02/03/2014 10:49

I'm not making it personal, but I'm just making the point that if you genuinely wondered if you were doing the right thing you'd have asked before you did it or at least phrased your opening and subsequent posts in a way that showed you were questioning what you have done.

You didn't because you seemed proud of what you have done.

It's not my fault if some comments on here have touched a nerve and made you wonder if you should have done something else and should have asked for opinions before you reported him, if you genuinely wanted to hear others views.

Original poster
RinkyDinkyDoo · 02/03/2014 10:56

I still stand by what I did, I realise that there are others who would do the same and quite a lot who wouldn't and others who have suggested alternative actions. That is what I came on to see.
You are making it personal in presuming and telling me what my motives were/are for posting. And also for saying that you will be glad to hear if neighbour finds out it was me.

OP posts:
BoiledPiss · 02/03/2014 10:59

We forgot about our car tax which ran out dec13 paid online on 30th jan for jan 14 - jan 15 (so paying retrospectively for jan) genuine mistake just totally forgot.
Were we just lucky we didnt get caught in jan then?

Bearbehind · 02/03/2014 11:02

Hmm comments on AIBU are, by nature, personal, they are about the specific situation which is personal to you.

I have expressed my opinions, you disagree- that's what AIBU is about.

What does make this situation different to a lot of AIBU's is that it doesn't matter what anyone says- it doesn't change what you've already done.

CrohnicallyFarting · 02/03/2014 11:05

If you used your car in jan then yes, you were lucky.

www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/app/home/commonquestions#question9
Look at "I have not yet received the tax disc, can I continue to use my car?' It clearly says the 14 days grace only applies if you bought your tax before the old one expires.

CrohnicallyFarting · 02/03/2014 11:11

www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@motor/documents/digitalasset/dg_171976.pdf

This one's better- look at p2.
Note- if you don't renew on time, you are not committing an offence if you reapply within 14 days (not a month) and keep the car off the road till it is taxed.

BoiledPiss · 02/03/2014 11:14

Thanks Chronic, i stand corrected and lucky! Shock

Fullpleatherjacket · 02/03/2014 11:19

If the guy wasn't going round being an arse to the neighbours around him maybe he'd have got a gentle heads up rather than being reported.

You reap what you sow.