Bollocks I've ballsed up

[HuffleWoof]

I've had so much on recently. I have had cancer and Im finishing treatment this week I've been meaning to pay the car tax bill, it's just completely escaped me with all the crap I've had to keep on top of (not an excuse I know)

DH is driving me home from the marsden on Monday, it's a 5 hour trip and the fucking car tax runs out on Monday. Will he get pulled over? I know it's an offence to not pay for car tax. Tbh he could have sorted it and didn't so it's not all on me:

We're there now and I've just gone to sort it thinking 'oh fuck that needs doing' and it's can't be done without the letter which is on the kitchen table 5 hours away, or the log book also 5 hours away.

If we go through many anpr cameras on Monday (speed limit cameras etc) will we get 10+ fines? This is a nightmare. My mum has a spare key but I don't feel like I can ask her to drive for 45 mins to get me an 11 digit code on a piece of paper 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

So the next record on your history after the one you posted a pic of is MOT PASS showing the same date presumably?

Why dodgy?

if I were to say no don’t fix - they would fail me

"So the next record on your history after the one you posted a pic of is MOT PASS showing the same date presumably?"

Yes, looks like this:

Just renew it as soon as you get home. It'll be fine.

Ah ok.

maybe just different approach at the two garages I have been to.

same result though. If I said no to fix, they would fail

You'll be fine, I accidentally drove for 3
Months with no tax.

I did this and it was over a month late. Do you have your log book in your car? It also accepts it that too. I didn't get any fines and I drove from London to the Highlands before realising (the police told me but just said to pay it no fine or anything)

@HuffleWoof my boss did this (with one of his cars) for 5 months! Travelling on the motorway too

In order to know what needs done they would first have to perform the MOT. If they are not doing that, evidenced by no fail, but simply telling you things needs done, I would be questioning how they know. For most cars that need work done to pass an MOT it will either be known problems that you say upfront 'oh yeah it needs new front pads' etc OR it's something very obvious that they spot before the start the test.

Even a lightbulb out is an MOT fail and they can't change it for a pass, it must be failed, fixed and retested.

Your garage isn't doing you a favour by not recording a fail, they are doing it wrong.

If they are telling you it needs things done that would only be found on the MOT I would consider them to be at it. Don't be fooled by the fact they are a main dealer - lots of dodgy shit goes on. We had a dealer near us go out of business a few years back and it transpired later that they hadn't been using genuine parts, so people who had further issues for no help from the manufacturer at all.

You'll be fine. Systems don't get updated immediately. Just get it done online when you get home.

Info on how to tax without your reference number
www.gov.uk/tax-vehicle-without-v11-reminder

OP, I set up the annual DD. I got a letter telling me they will automatically check it has a valid MOT and renew it for me.

It’s great - nothing for me to do!

Systems don't get updated immediately.

They absolutely do. The tax will expire at 11:59pm on Sunday automatically.

They should be failing regardless of wether you have the work done or not. It makes the history of your car look very different to what it actually is.

Which in turn stops future buyers having the correct info to make an informed choice, they're making cars look like they've sailed through the MOTs when it hasn't and you saying one is a proper Ford garage makes it sound like some sort thing to make fords look like they sail through their MOTs when don't.

If they've done the MOT and know it has failed they should've giving a fail certificate, how can future buyers make an informed choice if someone's car looks like it's sailed through the MOT every year when it could have actually failed every year and be a very unreliable car?

I didn't mean the tax system, sorry. I meant the system that Police etc. use.

Why is your DH not sorting this out?

Good luck on your final treatment. x

@billyt

If it's updated it's updated. Electronic systems with no human input do update automatically.

My sil was caught one day over by being pulled over as part is something spot check drink driving thing. The system very much was up to date.

My brother was clamped outside his house five days over. There police were doing a big awareness thing with a "tax it or we'll clamp it" slogan going on and he had similar reasons to OP for forgetting but they don't care, as shit as his situation was, everyone clamped as part of that campaign had their own reasons too. He came out of house to take kids to school and go do his share of nursing a dying relative and there was a clamp on his car. He was aware of the campaign but didn't think his was due to expire so didn't check.

But then I've known someone be four months past and because they hadn't updated address when they moved didn't get a reminder and she was totally fine. No problem at all.

Luck of the draw it seems.

I forgot for 2 months after my DH died. Driving around untaxed. Though not on any motorways. Nothing happened except I could no longer pay on line - that expired. I had to go and pay at the PO.

Glad your treatment is finished OP.

Just drive home. you'll be fine.

Of course people should worry.

Not having Tax invalidates your insurance so anyone without tax is driving without cover.

It will run out on 31st which is Sunday.

You can quickly set it up as a direct debit (you can even pay for it monthly).

Totally hassle free.

@MsMiaWallace

Can only get prosecuted if 2 months & 2 days out of tax.

I missed this earlier, can you evidence this?