Ruddington residents should be aware of a recent flurry of Nottinghamshire Police activity here around vehicles that are either untaxed or holding a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) but still being left on the street.
In the last couple of weeks, at least two cars in Ruddington have been seized and towed away after it was discovered their owners were breaking the law. In the most recent case {top police photo} a red Ford Fiesta with no insurance and no tax was taken off the road following complaints from other residents. The owner had notified the DVLA the vehicle was off road, and it was declared SORN, however it was parked on the public highway.
A police spokesperson advises: “A notification of ‘Off Road’ means a private drive, garage, etc. It does not include areas that the general public have access to.” For householders in Ruddington who do not have anywhere other than by the roadside to park, it effectively means that you cannot declare your vehicle as SORN and it must remain taxed, whether you use it, or not.
Last month, another Ruddington resident’s car {pictured right} was seized at night for having no tax after it was reported as parked on the highway.
Police add: “If you have a vehicle that needs to be off the road, then notifiy DVLA and they will mark it as SORN but it must be completely off the public highway – on a driveway or private land – and not used.”
The DVLA rules are that you must insure and tax your vehicle if you do not have a SORN. Otherwise you’ll automatically be fined £80 for not having a SORN and face a penalty of at least £100 for not having insurance. The rules also state you can only drive a vehicle with a SORN declaration on a public road to go to or from a pre-booked MOT or other testing appointment. Owners could face court prosecution and a fine of up to £2,500 if they use it on the road for any other reason.
You can read more >>HERE<<.
