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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Would you report no MOT

154 replies

thethreemuskateers · 20/07/2023 18:23

My ex has been driving around with an expired mot since April, according to friends he’s aware it’s expired but can’t afford to get it sorted.

He’s just returned from a golfing weekend, has gym memberships, golf and season tickets. Pays 100 maintenance a month for 2 child due to working cash in hand.

He picks up our son from school a few nights a week. I’m I being unreasonable to think I should report him?

OP posts:
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User894532765 · 20/07/2023 19:07

Any car less than three years old hasn't had an MOT, all sort of dangers could lurk below, I had to have a broken spring mended on my MOT, that could have happened 11 months previously. A car is not definitely safe because it has an MOT.

Datafan55 · 20/07/2023 19:09

Nat6999 · 20/07/2023 18:48

Don't you have to have an MOT & insurance to tax your car? If he hasn't got an MOT, the chances are his car isn't taxed, can you check online if his car is taxed? The DVLA are going round clamping cars that aren't taxed, sooner or later he will get caught, thinking about it he probably has no insurance as well.

He would have had a valid MOT when he last took out his car tax (assuming his car tax date was more than the three months ago).
Don't know if it invalidates your insurance though.

I'd would report it. Or can you say 'you'll have to pick our son up in a taxi' until it's MOTed?

Yes it is only safe on the day of the MOT test, but safer to have it every 12months than 15 and counting...

User894532765 · 20/07/2023 19:09

Obviously I have my MOT when due but I don't just assume my car is safe because of this

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 20/07/2023 19:10

User894532765 · 20/07/2023 19:07

Any car less than three years old hasn't had an MOT, all sort of dangers could lurk below, I had to have a broken spring mended on my MOT, that could have happened 11 months previously. A car is not definitely safe because it has an MOT.

A car less than three years old doesn't need an MOT because a brand new car is (rightly or wrongly) considered "safe".

Of course things could go wrong the day after an MOT but that doesn't mean that you should just not bother getting the MOT in the first place Hmm

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 20/07/2023 19:11

User894532765 · 20/07/2023 19:09

Obviously I have my MOT when due but I don't just assume my car is safe because of this

I don't think anyone is saying "A car that's had it's MOT is definitely safe", but I wouldn't want to get into a car with someone who can't be even be bothered doing the bare minimum to keep it roadworthy and legal.

I certainly wouldn't put my kids in a car like that either.

BlueThursday · 20/07/2023 19:13

User894532765 · 20/07/2023 18:57

The car is only 'safe' the day you have the MOT, it can become unsafe anytime after then, not just after the 12 month anniversary.

Agreed but the kind of person who doesn’t get an MOT will be the kind that doesn’t do other things correctly too eg getting those brakes fixed that were in the last advisory

id definitely not let my child in a car that I knew had no MOT as it’s likely uninsured

RaininSummer · 20/07/2023 19:15

Not sure what will happen if you report it but I definitely would be telling ex that he will not be taking the boy in the car anymore. And 'snitch' for goodness sake? Grow up. No wonder thus country is getting increasing lawless with feral idiots everywhere

KarmaStar · 20/07/2023 19:16

Report..no mot ...no insurance....Do it.

User894532765 · 20/07/2023 19:16

It's just there are a lot of assumptions on this thread that a car with an MOT is safe and when it runs out it's not, Government were on about changing it to two years because of Col but that seems to have gone quiet. I always have a full service with my MOT anyway and would still have that each year. Obviously this person needs reporting if his car hasn't got MOT, tax etc.

drpet49 · 20/07/2023 19:16

Fidgety31 · 20/07/2023 18:32

No because I’m not a snitch

@Fidgety31 yeah you just go and turn a blind eye to a potential death trap on wheels cos you ain’t a snitch 🙄. Grow up luv.

MMAMPWGHAP · 20/07/2023 19:16

An MOT is relatively cheap. The reason he doesn’t have one is probably because he knows there’s something wrong with the car that’s expensive to fix.

User894532765 · 20/07/2023 19:20

If you have it with a service it is usually a bit cheaper, I think I pay about £35 or £40

HarrietStyles · 20/07/2023 19:21

I probably wouldn’t report him but I would tell ex directly that I wouldn’t let him collect our children for visitation unless I’ve seen evidence of tax, MOT and insurance. Not a chance in hell I’d let my child ride in a car that doesn’t have up to date MOT.

LunaLula83 · 20/07/2023 19:36

Nah. His mess

ScarlettSunset · 20/07/2023 20:24

User894532765 · 20/07/2023 19:16

It's just there are a lot of assumptions on this thread that a car with an MOT is safe and when it runs out it's not, Government were on about changing it to two years because of Col but that seems to have gone quiet. I always have a full service with my MOT anyway and would still have that each year. Obviously this person needs reporting if his car hasn't got MOT, tax etc.

I don't think people are assuming a car is safe with an MOT and not safe when it runs out. For the car I tried to report it WAS unsafe - I kept a watch on it and it did eventually have an MOT, which it failed as it had a lot of serious issues.
I do think that people who are willing to let their MOT expire by months are probably not people like you (or me) who regularly have their car serviced either.

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 20/07/2023 20:34

User894532765 · 20/07/2023 19:20

If you have it with a service it is usually a bit cheaper, I think I pay about £35 or £40

I mean, if they're skipping MOT's they're hardly likely to be paying several hundred for a service either Grin

HappiestSleeping · 20/07/2023 20:36

There are so many cameras around these days, it is likely he's already been caught so I wouldn't bother.

Sweetsweetlike1 · 20/07/2023 22:12

MMAMPWGHAP · 20/07/2023 19:16

An MOT is relatively cheap. The reason he doesn’t have one is probably because he knows there’s something wrong with the car that’s expensive to fix.

This

Hufflemuff · 20/07/2023 22:17

Yes report. I reported a SORN and no MOT car that old neighbours drove around regularly in. I had to put in the form to and where they went and at what times (if you can provide routine info) I listed the school run times as they did all their school runs in this piece of junk. I provided a photo too as evidence it was on the road. Call me a snitch if you want, these neighbour's were HORRIBLE, lived in filth and tried to turn our streets communal car park into a garage with car parts all over the place. Lots of other illegal activity too until they moved. They got what came to them if they were caught (2 weeks later they got rid of the car and did all their school runs on foot, so presume action was taken).

AuntyMabelandPippin · 20/07/2023 22:20

We had to wait a week to get our MOT done, as it was the first one it needed and we'd not realised.

We left it on the drive for the whole week, till the day it was booked for the test.

Report him.

HundredMilesAnHour · 20/07/2023 22:26

And if it's not taxed, you report it online here:

GOV.UK - Vehicle details

https://contact.dvla.gov.uk/report-untaxed-vehicle?locale=en

User894532765 · 21/07/2023 09:09

They are more likely to do something about an untaxed car than one with no MOT, I have seen a couple recently that have been clamped around our way

Thedogscollar · 21/07/2023 09:14

Report? in a heartbeat. Your son is at risk if the car is not roadworthy. It's idiots like your ex that are partly responsible for insurance premiums increasing.
If he can afford weekends away and golfing trips etc then he can afford an MOT at around £50. He sounds like an arrogant arse.

Aposterhasnoname · 21/07/2023 09:17

Is it taxed? If not that’s really easy to report and they definitely do act.

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