To not know that an off road car must be insured?

[Strawpollplease]

I took my car off the road last October because it failed its MOT. It has been sat in my driveway since, I didn’t declare it SORN because the road tax is only £30 and I wouldn’t have got a refund. I’ve just been fined £100 because it is an offence to own a vehicle that’s not insured, if you haven’t registered it off-road with DVLA. Did everyone else know this? I’m now feeling a bit foolish and a bit cross!

You have to declare SORN. Otherwise how does anyone know you aren't driving it?

It's an offence to have a vehicle without a SORN uninsured. Pretty sure it says this on the road tax letter somewhere.

If its off road and not insured it needs to be sorn'd, its been like that for years now. I thought they sent a letter first but obviously not

Everyone knows that.

I knew this I actually did this for a few months and left it on the drive as it wasn’t used.

Yes I knew that, that's why it's meant to be registered as SORN. Even when cars are SORN some people still have them insured against fire and theft especially if it's just on your drive.

Had you bothered to declare it off road
You would not have needed insurance

It is really very simple when you think about it

Yes I knew this.

I can’t believe anyone wouldn’t know that

I thought everyone knew that 😬

Ooops!

Sorry you got caught out OP.

But yes I did know / assume that.

You title is misleading. It’s not that an off road car has to be insured. You only need to insure it if you haven’t declared it to be off road.

This is making me laugh. You are all right of course, it was very stupid of me! Does it make it worse that I’m a lawyer 😬.

Kinda

I had a SORN when I had an injury and changed the car insurance to fire and theft.

I did look up what to do, wasn't sure. Sorry you got a fine.

Yes, sorry, agreed.

I've never owned a car ever,but when DF died I knew that I had to get SORNs for both his cars until we could sort out what to do with them.

I suppose I just assumed that if I wasn’t driving it it was up to me whether it was insured. But I know what a problem uninsured drivers are so this clearly makes sense.

In the nicest way possible, yes it does. But we can all have a brain fart occasionally.

I had exactly the same a while ago so not just you OP.

But how would anyone know you weren't driving it?

Well, clearly not.

yes @Strawpollplease I did know that, but I'm in my 50's & you accumulate a lot of shite in your head! I'm sure that's why you forget stuff you need to remember, there's just no space left!

you could try to get off it?!

but think about it logically, how were they to know you're not driving it? Which is why you have to sorn it. 🥹. It's not there to save you money, 🥹

but nothing to lose by sending an appeal.

Yes 🤣

in what field?

(just so, you know, I can be super careful who not to choose🤣🤣)

and you should be able to write a good appeal!!

Wasn’t that the purpose of SORN in the first place so to let the DVLA know that it was off the road and not being driven? Otherwise your car was just parked on your driveway - how would anyone know if it was or was not being driven?

Really? Id be very surprised if they did, I know because I've done it in the past but surely most people don't know about SORN rules, I didn't before I had to do it