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AIBU?

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Original poster

No MOT help, please.

27 replies

BolNess · 16/01/2021 13:08

Hi all,

I need some advice as Google is giving mixed answers.

My car went for a mot yesterday, failed. Needs a new part. They have me booked in Monday, however my mot runs out today and it's parked on a public road.

I don't know what todo. I have no where else to park it.

It's still parked from yesterday, so I'm not driving it without a mot, but where do I stand? If the police pull up behind it parked. What's the worst? Am I going to get fined and points? Or just a fine? Or nothing at all?

Confused I need to know worse case as I'm a worrier.

OP posts:
Notimeforaname · 16/01/2021 13:10

I think once you have papers to prove you've been for a mot and what you need to get fixed..you won't be botherd. Move it if you need to. Just have all relevant paperwork and proof of the situation.

Inpersuitofhappiness · 16/01/2021 13:12

So uts booked in for Monday.
Can you take it to the garage who is MOTing it on Monday now?
They may allow you to leave it there on their premises until the MOT is done.

Unsure to help with the worst case, but maybe the above will help.

If you get pulled over, you're on your way to take the car to its MOT albeit early because you have nowhere to leave it tbats legal otherwise.

Sparklesocks · 16/01/2021 13:14

It’s very very unlikely that police will see it and run a check in the time before Monday, but if they do then it’s very easily explained. It’s really unlikely that they’d report it but if you did receive any letters from the DVLA then that would be after you’d got the new part and passed, and you can explain it’s now up to date.

Hueandcry · 16/01/2021 13:15

Depends what it failed on. If it was a dangerous fault you're not allowed to drive it until it's repaired so you should have left it at the mot centre

DicklessWonder · 16/01/2021 13:21

Why did you not just leave it at the garage?

KarmaStar · 16/01/2021 13:26

With no mot your insurance will be invalid.
You are allowed to drive it only to the pre booked mot.
I'd find somewhere off road if you can but failing that just hope everything stays safe.
There's snow here and cars skidding all over the roads.

Original poster
BolNess · 16/01/2021 13:28

It failed on a major, not a dangerous.

I did not leave it because, I did not think to ask. Confused

I just took it home and said thank you, see you Monday.

I know it's unlikely to get picked up, I'm just worrying. The garage are closed today. They would be open on Saturday as a rule but covid.

I just don't want the worry of paying a fine or having points. Omg can they tow it? Shock

OP posts:
Cavagirl · 16/01/2021 13:33

OP I'm not sure what you've been googling but it seems extremely clear to me:

Driving back from failing an MOT
www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/after-the-test
Taking it back for a restest
www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/retests
Parking on the road without an MOT
www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot

So strictly speaking you shouldn't be leaving it on the road but you'll probably be fine, the police have better things to do than doing registration checks on parked cars I should imagine.

HerNameIsIncontinentiaButtocks · 16/01/2021 13:34

Since your MOT runs out today, you should drive it down to the garage where it'll be safe, get a taxi back.

ProfessorSlocombe · 16/01/2021 13:36

the police have better things to do than doing registration checks on parked cars I should imagine.

You'd think. Ask Harry the Owl.

DicklessWonder · 16/01/2021 13:36

@KarmaStar

With no mot your insurance will be invalid. You are allowed to drive it only to the pre booked mot. I'd find somewhere off road if you can but failing that just hope everything stays safe. There's snow here and cars skidding all over the roads.
The no mot no insurance thing is a myth.
Original poster
BolNess · 16/01/2021 13:37

I thought my insurance would be fine? Surely they cannot void it? What if I did leave it at the garage and it got damaged by a uninsured driver?

Also does that mean my insurance is void if I have a crash on the way back to the garage? What about when I drove it home? Did I have no insurance then? Or was I ok because my mot was still standing until today?
Shock

I'm panicking now.

OP posts:
DicklessWonder · 16/01/2021 13:38

Some insurers require a valid MoT - generally the low value ones check your docs. Most reputable companies don’t.

Ch3rish · 16/01/2021 13:38

@HerNameIsIncontinentiaButtocks

Since your MOT runs out today, you should drive it down to the garage where it'll be safe, get a taxi back.
I'm not 100% sure but I think once the car had failed that's it, if you've gone early I don't think you still get the remaining days. Which obviously makes senses, if it's not safe to be on the road it's not safe regardless of the fact that your existing MOT cert hasn't run out

I thinks it's supremely unlikely that the police are going round the streets checking for cars without MOT tests, they don't do that in normal times never mind now.

DynamoKev · 16/01/2021 13:45

Ha ha ha A kid up the road has been regularly using his car with no tax and MOT since November.
It took five reports to the Police/DVLA and a letter to my MP to get them to do anything - you have nothing to worry about.

Angeldust747 · 16/01/2021 13:45

Came here to say this, as soon as you fail your MOT is no long valid, even if you have weeks left on it. It changed in the past couple of years.
As PP have said, fingers crossed it doesn't get checked while it's parked this weekend 🤞

Original poster
BolNess · 16/01/2021 13:53

I know it's unlikely to be picked up, I'm just worrying and knowing the worst case helps for some reason.

@Cavagirl Thank you. I did Google it and find out it should not be parked but I wanted to know what would happen. As in would I be fined or points? I did see it say if you drive on a dangerous failed mot, you get 2.5k fine, 3 points and a driving ban but I don't plan on driving it anywhere. Also it failed on a major not a dangerous.

I did not know the current mot was void now, it still shows as moted today on the check gov site. Very misleading that site is! I can see the failed mot on there, but on the status, it shows mot runs out today.

OP posts:
Original poster
BolNess · 16/01/2021 13:54

Also can you please confirm if my insurance is void? Confused

OP posts:
Ch3rish · 16/01/2021 14:08

@BolNess

Also can you please confirm if my insurance is void? Confused
Ask your insurer, you can see from the answers already that posters post stuff that isn't right, don't rely on information from people you know nothing about.
HoboSexualOnslow · 16/01/2021 14:12

Please stop panicking, you've had it checked and booked in for the repair. My garage won't let you leave a car overnight unless absolutely necessary as they don't have the room. I'm sure the police have better things to do.

mrlevelheaded · 16/01/2021 14:13

Your insurance will not be void for no MOT, the company have a legal obligation to pay out the 3rd party claim but may reduce or contest payment for your own injuries or damage

Elai1978 · 16/01/2021 14:55

Came here to say this, as soon as you fail your MOT is no long valid, even if you have weeks left on it. It changed in the past couple of years.

Completely untrue. The MOT remains valid until its expiry date. Normal laws apply regarding road worthiness though but say you failed on a tyre then popped the spare on you can drive completely legally. There is one exception to this and that is MOTs that were extended by 6 months due to Covid, if it fails that’s it, instantly invalid.

Pikoty · 16/01/2021 15:13

Your insurance will remain valid, however, if you were to have your car written off, the payout would be a lot less than if it was a car with a mot

Whattodo121 · 16/01/2021 15:13

Well. About 3 years ago whilst on holiday in Greece I idly mentioned to DH that we needed to book his MOT for the day we got back as we returned on the 31st which was the day his tax ran out. So I checked online to see what date his MOT was actually due.

It had expired 5 MONTHS PREVIOUSLY

Was our fault, we’d bought the car when it was a year old, and got our dates muddled up, thinking first MOT was due 2 years exactly after we’d bought it rather than 3 years after registration.

DH drives into London regularly through probably a million ANPR cameras. We never got stopped, it never got flagged, we never got a fine.

So we had a quandary - had our car been at home we’d have rung FIL or my Dad and got them to take it ASAP. But our car was trapped in a massive Gatwick car park with no way of retrieving it. And our flight home returned at 2am. So we drove home via A roads instead of the M25 and had it booked in for an MOT at 8am.

In your case I would be extremely surprised if the police noticed between today and Monday morning! I was beside myself on that journey home-convinced we’d be arrested on the way home and all sorts!

IveNameChangedAgain2020 · 16/01/2021 15:20

Hi Op. my mot ran out in may. I thought that we had an extension because of COVID. I've only just got the MOT done and all okay. It does help I'm sure that my car is fairly new. I would print out the booking form for the car and leave on dashboard until you drop on Monday. Technically you can be fined but unlike if your car looks roadworthy and isn't causing a nuisance.

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