# UK Registered Cars !!!



## Wellington10 (Jan 12, 2013)

Ok.. this is my biggest bugbear here in Spain !!

Why do people seem to think it is ok to drive an untaxed, uninsured & unMOTed car here in Spain !!!

There are loads were I live and it is becoming quite annoying, one car being driven daily has not had tax since October 2010 !!! so not doubt not MOT or insurance !!

We have a UK reg motorhome which we brought last year now reg SORN with the DVLA on the drive and next week we start the process of putting it on Spanish plated.. cost 3,000 euros !!! Do not want to be driving an illegal vehicle

Just interested to know how they think they get away with it !!

Legally how would you stand if one of these morons caused an accident !!!

Also saw a large 4x4 yesterday on UK plates and there back plate was white not yellow.... answer was 'Oh if it white the police think it is a Spanish car and will not stop me !!!!' 

god give me strenght !!!


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Around here many UK plated cars are stopped on a regular basis and if they cannot prove MoT, tax and insurance and that they haven't been here for more than 6 (3 in some places) months they are impounded with practically no chance of recovery.


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Wellington10 said:


> ...
> 
> We have a UK reg motorhome which we brought last year now reg SORN with the DVLA on the drive and next week we start the process of putting it on Spanish plated.. cost 3,000 euros !!! Do not want to be driving an illegal vehicle
> 
> ...


Whilst I agree with you 100%, you do realize that your motorhome (if in Spain) is here illegally!

From gov.uk - "Your vehicle must be in and remain in Great Britain to make a SORN."

What I think you should have done is to contact DVLA and told them that you were exporting it. I guess if it's SORNed, then it has no insurance either.


----------



## tarot650 (Sep 30, 2007)

Wellington10 said:


> Ok.. this is my biggest bugbear here in Spain !!
> 
> Why do people seem to think it is ok to drive an untaxed, uninsured & unMOTed car here in Spain !!!
> 
> ...


Sadly this is nothing new but it's nowhere near as bad as when we came to live here nearly 19years ago but then the problem was transit vans,ex post office vans used by the jack of all trades builders..Sadly it is just part and parcel of living in Spain.


----------



## Wellington10 (Jan 12, 2013)

I have been told by the DVLA to put is SORN as the reregistration is in hand ie the next week !!! It just stops them sending me reminders of tax... All I have to do is contact them once the paper work need to be changed over... 
Tax ran out on the 31st Jul, Mot 15th August, Insurance 20th August.. still actually covered for insurance !!! just in case it catches fire etc !!! It is on my drive so no hindrance to anyone .. unlike a lot of untaxed cars around here !!!! and even when going for it ITV a recovery vehicle is being arrange to get to ITV centre so all sorted


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

What concerns me is not the lack of insurance since contrary to what people believe, a car can be insured without MOT or Road Tax, whether in the UK or Spain, as stated in the Road Traffic Act of 1988. If you give it a moment's thought, you get your insurance before your Road Tax. Insurance is invalid only under certain conditions, one being that the driver has been banned from driving. 
There are many Spaniards driving without having paid road tax equivalent or ITV. That does not mean their insurance is invalid.
I had a UK plated car in Spain for a short period with tax and MOT and a newish car not needing MOT. As I couldn't be bothered to return the vehicles to the UK one was driven back by my son and sold. The other I sold to a woman who said she'd put it on Spanish plates - worth doing as it was a BMW M3 convertible, nice car. I still miss it. I checked that the insurance would still be covered as the MOT and tax had both expired and was given an assurance in writing that yes, this was the case.
The real issue is with maintenance and roadworthiness of such vehicles, plus the fact that driving such a car after the expiry of the time limit is an offence under Spanish law. Someone who is careless of such things is imo more likely to be inclined to ignore the need for routine service and maintenance. 
And the worst offenders are drivers of those UK and German-plated beat-up old campervans some of whom seem to think it's OK to park their filthy, battered 'mobile homes' at any convenient beauty spot or quiet beach.....


----------



## Wellington10 (Jan 12, 2013)

I worked for many years in the insurance business and yes insurance is still in place ie if stolen!! but if you have an accident and the car has not upto date MOT then insurance is null and void !!! 

Tax on the other hand is a different thing altogether.. 

I just drives me mad seeing people almost stick there fingers up at the police and get away with it !!! 
I just wished the police did more to stop it !!!


----------



## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Wellington10 said:


> I worked for many years in the insurance business and yes insurance is still in place ie if stolen!!* but if you have an accident and the car has not upto date MOT then insurance is null and void !!!
> *
> Tax on the other hand is a different thing altogether..
> 
> ...


Thats in the UK maybe, but an mot in Spain means naf all
Therefore (and this is tested) if you are insured with a Spanish company and you crash into someone elses car, the insurance pays out to the third party.

On the subject of SORN's you have totally confused me. You cant SORN a permanently exported vehicle, and if the insurance company know you are becoming a Spanish resident they will terminate your insurance from the day you move abroad (it happened to me, and others I know). Thats why they often take to telling them they are on a 90 day holiday 

Good luck with changing your motorhome to Spanish plates, I hear its a nightmare, with many being rejected down to coc etc. Guess thats why its costing so much


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Wellington10 said:


> I worked for many years in the insurance business and yes insurance is still in place ie if stolen!! but if you have an accident and the car has not upto date MOT then insurance is null and void !!!
> 
> Tax on the other hand is a different thing altogether..
> 
> ...


Not according to the RTA! Check it out. Of course insurance companies will try it on!
If that were true, there are a lot of Spanish plated cars without current Itv.

I don't know why British immigrants just don't obey the rules here. Such people are often the type who whine about immigrants in the UK not obeying our laws.


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Stravinsky said:


> if the insurance company know you are becoming a Spanish resident they will terminate your insurance from the day you move abroad (it happened to me, and others I know). Thats why they often take to telling them they are on a 90 day holiday


You van get insurance cover on a UK plated vehicle if you reside abroad but it costs an arm and a leg.
Easier to change the plate or sell and buy a Spanish car.


----------



## Wellington10 (Jan 12, 2013)

On the subject of SORN's you have totally confused me. You cant SORN a permanently exported vehicle, and if the insurance company know you are becoming a Spanish resident they will terminate your insurance from the day you move abroad (it happened to me, and others I know). Thats why they often take to telling them they are on a 90 day holiday 

Good luck with changing your motorhome to Spanish plates, I hear its a nightmare, with many being rejected down to coc etc. Guess thats why its costing so much [/QUOTE]

The MH was fully insured with a UK company who know it is in Spain, got a fulltime policy with them.. drive anywhere you want so long as you cross a border every 6 months you have cover !!

Did not say SORN permanently just since the tax ran out 31st July !!! The MH was gonig back to be sold last month but decided to keep it here and change on to SP plates.... DVLA are aware and my gestor is dealing with the export licences etc !!

Also already had the Technician down and he said everything fine as it a French built lefthand drive with correct headlights .... Import duty is nearly 2400 euros !!! but to me money well spent !!!

Also I have just contacted my SPAINSH insurance company and they have confirmed to me no valid ITV no insurance !!! ...


----------



## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Wellington10 said:


> On the subject of SORN's you have totally confused me. You cant SORN a permanently exported vehicle, and if the insurance company know you are becoming a Spanish resident they will terminate your insurance from the day you move abroad (it happened to me, and others I know). Thats why they often take to telling them they are on a 90 day holiday
> 
> Good luck with changing your motorhome to Spanish plates, I hear its a nightmare, with many being rejected down to coc etc. Guess thats why its costing so much


The MH was fully insured with a UK company who know it is in Spain, got a fulltime policy with them.. drive anywhere you want so long as you cross a border every 6 months you have cover !!

Did not say SORN permanently just since the tax ran out 31st July !!! The MH was gonig back to be sold last month but decided to keep it here and change on to SP plates.... DVLA are aware and my gestor is dealing with the export licences etc !!

Also already had the Technician down and he said everything fine as it a French built lefthand drive with correct headlights .... Import duty is nearly 2400 euros !!! but to me money well spent !!!

*Also I have just contacted my SPAINSH insurance company and they have confirmed to me no valid ITV no insurance !!! ...*[/QUOTE]





You were talking about MOT's not ITV's, as I was . Nor did you mention it was LHD which makes quite a difference

On the insurance side, all I can tell you is of peoples general experiences and UK insurance companies in general will not insure you when you have residence in another country


----------



## Wellington10 (Jan 12, 2013)

Well I am happy with my insurance company in the UK... they are fully aware of where the motorhome is and in the year I have had the motorhome no problems !!

The Spanish insurance company I am going with once the MH is registered it fully comp, breakdown cover and is 50 euros cheaper than UK 

I was talking about UK cars with no MOT, no Insurance & no Tax....why people think they can get away with driving them over here in Spain.. just mentioned I also have a UK reg vehicle and it is kept on a private driveway and is not driven as now it is not legal !!


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Irrespective of the rights or wrongs of whether the insurance is valid or not, if the vehicle is not street legal in the UK (does not have *valid* VEL, MoT AND insurance) then it is illegal in Spain. The same goes for any Expat or immigrant driving a foreign registered vehicle more than 90 days after becoming resident, also for the expat/immigrant who is driving a foreign registered vehicle and hasn't registered as resident after more than 90 days following his/her arrival in Spain.

Why do these bar-stewards think that they can cheat the system and that the rest of us, who *do* act within the law, will pay extra to make up for the shortfall in the country's revenues arising from their cheating. It is bad enough those lying cheating bar stewards in government who try to get away with what they wouldn't allow others to do, without our fellows here trying to do it.


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

I just think it makes life so much easier if you obey the laws of the country in which you choose to reside..
Which is why I'm not living in Saudi Arabia as I'd look like a black postbox in a burkha...


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> I'd look like a black postbox in a burkha...


But think of all the interesting (and not-so-interesting) mail you'd get!!


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

baldilocks said:


> But think of all the interesting (and not-so-interesting) mail you'd get!!


Mind you, the thought of being driven everywhere by my son appeals....


----------



## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

Wellington10 said:


> Well I am happy with my insurance company in the UK... they are fully aware of where the motorhome is and in the year I have had the motorhome no problems !!
> 
> The Spanish insurance company I am going with once the MH is registered it fully comp, breakdown cover and is 50 euros cheaper than UK
> 
> I was talking about UK cars with no MOT, no Insurance & no Tax....why people think they can get away with driving them over here in Spain.. just mentioned I also have a UK reg vehicle and it is kept on a private driveway and is not driven as now it is not legal !!


A builder on Camposol has lived here over 10 years and has a variety of vehicles including commercial ones that can't be re registered in Spain anyway. The police pass by and ignore him. I would like to know how he explains himself, if stopped.
Other areas seem very hot on this, I don't know why they are so apathetic here.
it's not only UK vehicles with no tax which need to be taken off the road. Many of those with up to date tax have had their tax sent out from UK. or have taken their cars back to UK to tax and MOT them, (giving a relative's address-fraudulent in itself) which can't be done if resident in Spain.The police need to check out the drivers' status in Spain, and if their cars are illegal, arrange for them to be crushed into a neat square, and charge them for the privilege!


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

extranjero said:


> A builder on Camposol has lived here over 10 years and has a variety of vehicles including commercial ones that can't be re registered in Spain anyway. The police pass by and ignore him. I would like to know how he explains himself, if stopped.
> Other areas seem very hot on this, I don't know why they are so apathetic here.
> it's not only UK vehicles with no tax which need to be taken off the road. Many of those with up to date tax have had their tax sent out from UK. or have taken their cars back to UK to tax and MOT them, (giving a relative's address-fraudulent in itself) which can't be done if resident in Spain.The police need to check out the drivers' status in Spain, and if their cars are illegal, arrange for them to be crushed into a neat square, and charge them for the privilege!


There is a Brit not too far from here who has seven British registered vehicles msot of which have been here for years with no VEL and no MoT (and for all I know, no insurance). To put the GC off the scent he only uses each one for a short while before switching to another so that the same vehicle is never seen and recorded too much.


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

I saw a UK plated car with no road tax in a Merkydonnakebab car park today and saw the driver/owner getting out. I said to him I assume the car is not MoT'd or taxed? He said yup that's right. Insurance? Not needed in Spain he said. So I said to him aren't you worried about being stopped by the GC traffic? He said, No what the effing hell can they do to me? So I said, well they can impound your car and you'll never get it back. What would you do if you had an accident and killed someone? He said, I am too good a driver to ever do that. I give up...


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

thrax said:


> I saw a UK plated car with no road tax in a Merkydonnakebab car park today and saw the driver/owner getting out. I said to him I assume the car is not MoT'd or taxed? He said yup that's right. Insurance? Not needed in Spain he said. So I said to him aren't you worried about being stopped by the GC traffic? He said, No what the effing hell can they do to me? So I said, well they can impound your car and you'll never get it back. What would you do if you had an accident and killed someone? He said, I am too good a driver to ever do that. I give up...


Makes you feel you want to grass him up if only to save the life of some poor soul he runs over when his brakes fail!


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

I was nonplussed to put it very very mildly


----------



## Wellington10 (Jan 12, 2013)

I would of taken his car reg and make and model of car and handed it to a local police man !!! ...it just really annoys me and yes Baldilock what would happen if he did kill someone !!!


----------

