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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be so angry with him? What happens now?

84 replies

rhubarbandvanilla · 13/04/2019 15:51

My partner got pulled over today from driving without insurance. He claims he thought it had renewed automatically last April and was due at the end of this month... but it hadn't and he's been uninsured for a year.

The police then checked his tax and MOT, and he hasn't done either of those for THREE years!

The car has been taken and he needs to provide evidence of insurance, his logbook and license to get the car back. He also has to wait for further info about being called to a hearing. There's a fine for no MOT.

What on earth happens now? How can he get his car back when there's no tax or MOT? Will he lose his license? He has no other points.

OP posts:

BumbleBeee69 · 13/04/2019 16:25

He moved just over three years ago and didn't change his address on the logbook- so tax and MOT reminders haven't actually reached him

you're not buying this are you ??

Original poster

rhubarbandvanilla · 13/04/2019 16:25

Thanks everyone, you're seriously making me consider if I want anything to do with him any more.

The car is only 6 years old, so the year he moved was the year his first MOT was due. And yes, he changed his license address, just not the V5.

He's not lacking money, no debts, pays his way. It's made me see him in a very different light.

OP posts:

Vegasprincess89 · 13/04/2019 16:26

Im seriously surprised he's not been pulled before now. 3 years is deliberate. I'd want to know what he's been spending the tax/insurance/mot money on instead!!
Very much doubt you'll get the car back, sorry hon

RomanyQueen1 · 13/04/2019 16:26

I hope he loses his license tbh, all of that is no mistake, he's a fraud.
Makes you wonder what other underhand behaviour he's capable of. I'd run a mile

havingtochangeusernameagain · 13/04/2019 16:27

The insurance is an odd one because it should renew automatically. thought that was general policy now to stop this sort of thing happening - ie you have to specifically opt out. But even without an automatic renewal there should have been a reminder letter. PP said you get several emails, I don't get emails from mine. I insured our older car in one go a couple of years ago (used to pay monthly) and had one reminder letter. That made me set it up as an automatic payment the following year as I decided it was too easy to forget.

Car tax you get a reminder, although it was better when you had a disk on your car the whole time telling you the date it was due.

MOT - easy to forget unless the garage sends you a reminder which they don't all do.

MOTs are also not needed for the first three years, not only for brand new cars.

I missed a car tax reminder a few years ago (they looked and still look like junk mail so I am not surprised I missed it but now I look out for it each year and it's paid by DD anyway). Fortunately I had another reminder so only went overdue by a few days.

He's an idiot but I think some of the responses above are overly harsh, and not accurate, either.

havingtochangeusernameagain · 13/04/2019 16:28

If he's got plenty of money I see no reason why he would do this deliberately. He's just a disorganised idiot - and now he's going to have an expensive lesson.

havingtochangeusernameagain · 13/04/2019 16:29

In fact I am off to check my tax disks now! I think they're ok though :)

GiveMyHeadPeaceffs · 13/04/2019 16:30

He didn't forget to do anything, he deliberately and knowingly broke the law and put other people in danger. In all honesty, I wouldn't allow someone like that in my life. Let him worry about it and you concentrate on getting rid.

Talkingfrog · 13/04/2019 16:36

So if he didn't change the address on the log book, and he isn't responsible when it comes to safety, (no mot) there could also be additional offences if he has been caught speeding at any time. The notices would have gone to the old address, but will catch up with him now.
However, unless you were also supposed to be on the insurance, and have also driven the car uninsured, none of this is your responsibility.

You may need to make a list of all things he was responsible for sorting out, and make sure they have been done :house or contents insurance etc. Good luck.

EnjoyItAll · 13/04/2019 16:36

3 years is not an accident and he may as well have been uninsured for that time as it would invalidate it not having an mot if required. Has he actually had his breaks checked or tyres in that time?! I’d be running a mile especially if there are children that have been in this idiots car

winbinin · 13/04/2019 16:38

I took my car in for an MOT this week and was shocked to discover my tax had run out on April 1st - apparently they no longer send out reminders. I taxed it online within about 2 hours.mand have set up phone reminders for the future - just like I already had for the MOT.

I can be a bit vague about such things but I couldn’t forget for three years solid. It sounds like he tried to slip through the net and got caught so he’ll have to take what’s coming - just like I would if I had been stopped on my way to the MOT centre.

redzebra10 · 13/04/2019 16:40

i'm sure your car as to have m o t, to get it taxed, so how is he going to get it mot if its in the compound hence he won't be able to tax it

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 13/04/2019 16:44

As @GiveMyHeadPeaceffs said. He deliberately and knowingly broke the law. I'd go further and say that he didn't think it would really apply to him and that he could "get away" with paying money for boring things he couldn't see a tangible result for. And that he thought he'd plead change of address if anyone caught him and they would let him off.

Any driver knows that their car must be regularly MOT'd and insured and taxed (tax is online now anyway)
It shows he has the kind of character that thinks he can "get away" with things and get left off with a fairly pathetic excuse.
Insurance does seem a bit worthless - until you actually need it. I've had 3 friends who have had to claim for house fires, one for serious injury abroad, and know several people first hand who have had to claim on their motor insurance for serious accidents, either by them or by another party.
This would make me seriously wonder what else he thinks he can get away with..drinking and driving ("I only had a few pints, i can handle it") not insuring his/your home ("its not like we've got anything worth stealing" ? No holiday insurance? Making you pay for all the boring stuff in future? It seems both childish and deceitful.

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 13/04/2019 16:44

*not paying

Condamine · 13/04/2019 16:44

You can't renew your tax online if there is no valid MOT.

redzebra10 · 13/04/2019 16:45

sorry just re read and he hasn't got to mot/tax it

caughtinanet · 13/04/2019 16:46

Difficult to understand how someone would simply forget for 3 years. Have you never in that time ever had a conversation about car costs or anything to trigger him to realise he hadn't done it?

BlueEyedBengal · 13/04/2019 16:46

No tax no mot for 3 your and no insurance for that time?and that I can't be sure but it is a major criminal offence to not inform of change of address . I think he will be forced off the road car might be crushed and jail time maybe? It's idiots like your fella that kill people and cause the cost of insurance to be sky high anything they chuck at him he deserves. Just be glad he never crashed into some innocent driver.

Kel801 · 13/04/2019 16:46

Love how many people know for sure he deliberately broke the law. You have no way of knowing his intentions

Cafeculture · 13/04/2019 16:46

If he's got plenty of money I see no reason why he would do this deliberately.

That doesn't follow at all.
Plenty of people with money try to avoid paying out for many things including income tax.

MaybeitsMaybelline · 13/04/2019 16:49

They do still send out tax reminders, DH has just got one for his tax that runs out on 30th April @winbinin perhaps yours was lost in the post?

BlueEyedBengal · 13/04/2019 16:49

You have to be a total ignorant to think driving is free don't you?

GillianUsedToLiveHere · 13/04/2019 16:49

Does he not have the MOT/service in a calendar either handwritten on an app? I do.

I have it in my calendar on my phone so it alerts me ahead of time. Best thing about buying a brand new car was knowing what month I would need it serviced.

The garage come and collect it, chap who lives locally and works for the garage, drives to mine, leaves his car here and takes mine to the garage, returns it after the MOT/service.

Even though a brand new car doesn't need the MOT part for 3 years it still needs the yearly service.

Sarahjconnor · 13/04/2019 16:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

katseyes7 · 13/04/2019 16:52

Previous posters are correct, they do send out car tax renewal reminders in the post - l renewed mine last month.

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