Car has been clamped

[Cocksandrubbers]

I bought a car last night which my friend bought round for me, I've got up this morning to tax it so I can drive it as I've looked out the window it is being clamped for being untaxed. I ran out of the house to find out what was happening and told them I had just bought it and am taxing it I have proof of purchase plus email from dvla to show it's taxed but they are refusing to remove the clamp unless I pay £100 for it only being on 11 mins.
Is there anything I can do? I've had to get my mum to take dcs to school and there's no way I can get to work

It's a private company not the dvla who have clamped it.
They are now refusing to remove the clamp unless I pay them the money.
I have done everything the correct and legal way.

Sorry if I've missed this bit - was it taxed before they put the clamp on? If so, you will be able to prove it and get your money back. Annoying though it is i imagine you'll have to pay it and then claim it back

It comes down to who owned the car overnight.

I'm surprised that it would have happened so fast though, unless someone reported the car, had it been left in a place that was blocking someone / parked illegally? A friend of mine lived at home and a while back she said they were getting letters from the DVLA saying her brothers cars tax had expired. He was in prison and they didn't open his post right away so by the time they realised they had had 2 warnings and then a letter charging them. They stored it on the drive so not clamped but they wrote to.the DVLA and appealed due to.the circumstances and they said the charge was removed.
So unless there was another reason for the clamping it seems a bit quick.

Sorry x post just seen your update, I'm not sure about private company clamping, was it parked on their property?

Yes! they was clamping it the same time I was taxing it I only knew they was outside when I'd opens the curtains and happens to see them.

A private company won't clamp your car for no tax

A bailiff can clamp the car if the owner of the vehicle has been taken to court for no tax and a warrant has been issued, but I would imagine if you have proof that you now own it then they would have removed the clamp.

Which company is it?

Surely there must be a timescale which would enable a private clamping company to be informed? I'm confused as to how they know you are the new owner? I've just looked at dvla website and you can only change ownership online between 7am and 7pm so it's either been transferred early hence the gap between new owner and car being taxed or it wasn't taxed before. (Unless I'm missing something else - just confusing cos it's all happened so quickly!)

I did not think you can buy tax online for a newly acquired vehicle. If you taxed it online now it may only start from February. If the record was incomplete ie. She hadn't previously renewed or had sorn in which case it wasn't taxed when sold to you and therefore could not be parked on a public road. You need to speak to your "friend". Even if she had cancelled yesterday it would have been covered for January as you only get complete months reimbursed.

When you tax online if you are the new owner using the free slip and you are legally allowed to drive it even if the first direct debit hasn't been taken.

A private company travelling around the streets looking for untaxed cars to clamp sounds odd. A private company being sent by the DVLA to a car which has been untaxed for only around 12 hours sounds odd. Have you confirmed with the DVLA that the clamping firm is legitimate?

You've said you taxed and insured it this morning before you drove the car, yet it's been clamped so you can't drive it? I don't understand.

So I'm lying then? tantrums

A quick Google search shows the below. There must be something you are not.telling us. Was the car parked in private property?

It is a criminal offence to clamp/block/tow away a vehicle on private land without lawful authority. Lawful authority to Clamping of a vehicle on a public highway can only be done by public bodies, namely; a local authority, the police or the DVLA. Normally vehicles are only clamped on a public highway if the vehicle has no excise licence, parked in no waiting or other restricted area (eg permit holders only). We would suggest owners of private land seek legal advice either from a solicitor or the CAB with regard to the provisions they can take

DVLA are making a LOT more money since the change to the car tax system. An increase from 5000 to 8000 a month

www.theguardian.com/money/blog/2015/apr/11/dvla-clamping-clanger-car-tax-motorists

There have been patrols in my area and in the next city (different LA, if that makes a difference) clamping untaxed cars. I don't know if they target particular streets, but I'm pretty certain they don't target particular vehicles (or at least if they do, then they also check other vehicles while they're at it).

From what I can see, they go round and check the tax status of vehicles they see that happen to be on their route that day. I imagine they start early in the morning to catch people before they leave for work.

My understanding is that a vehicle has to have been untaxed/un-SORNed for 90 days before it's clamped.

It's parked outside my house. What sounds odd about a private company driving past and it registering an untaxed car? Would you like to see pictures of the email from dvla confirming my story?

I shouldn't have posted here as o was only asking for advice and wether there was anyone other than the dvla I could contact for help.

Wow, you're clearly very pissed off but I'm unsure attacking strangers on the internet who just tried to answer honestly and help is the answer.

There's no need to get arsey. I was actually questioning the legitimacy of the clampers on your behalf, not questioning you. That's why I suggested that you confirm they are legitimate before you pay them money. I would have made a few more supportive comments and suggestions but I'm not going to bother now.

(((((((((((Hugs)))))))))) OP. Please dont take 'bait' from sledgers

It is illegal for a private company to clamp your car.

Op we are just trying to establish the facts you need to stop being so defensive. You wanted to know if there is anything you can do and we don't know that unless we established what has happened, the surrounding facts and the timescales. That's the only way we can help you find out if it has been legally clamped or not. It is odd that a private company wpuld clamp a vehicle for not being taxed (see my previous post) especially as the DVLA themselves would give you warnings and notice. Try calling the CAB.

Call the DVLA, if the clamping is legit via them, pay the fine.

The end.

hugger it's not bait, people are genuinely trying to help but just trying to get to the bottom of things.