Top gear - how many are left?

[pimento]

I'm pretty sure they pay to keep things licensed too csl.

[csl177]

Understood... but we don't. A car can sit years without paying a dime in taxes, if scrapped it needs papers, only costs when relicensing for the road.

[pimento]

Oh, I thought that once declared SORN there was not something to pay until putting it back on the road.

Or do you mean that once it's licensed it's licensed and you don't have to pay yearly renewals? I'm a little slow.. it's 2:45am. Late night working sucks, especially when you're just sitting around waiting to see if something goes wrong...

[csl177]

No worries, do that bleary thing too often myself. We forget there's a buncha time zones involved.

In some US states there's something similar to a SORN document, but in most there's not. Once a car is licensed, yearly renewal is required while it's on the road, usually along with proof of insurance and in some states, annual safety inspecton. But you can park it a decade if you want with no fees to the state; when recommissioning just pay for safety inspection (if required) and fresh tag & insurance.

In some states if you want to scrap a car, proof of ownership is required to do the deed.

[Matra et Alpine]

Sorry guys in my rant I think I over simplified.
It jsut pisses me off every time have to jump through their hoops.

SORN doesn't cost anything, BUT you have to complete the procedure each year.
IF you dont then you get hit with a heavy fine.
They do send a reminder, but if you dont receive it or they dont receive the completed form in return then you get fined.
At least these last couple of years you can reSORN online.
However, many classic cars are in the garages of elderly folks without computers or perfect memories and this is a system to heavily penalise the innocent mistake.

You’ll get an automatic penalty of £80.
You could also get a County Court Judgment against you, and be fined a minimum of £1,000.
The maximum penalty for making a false SORN, when the vehicle is actually used or kept on a public road, is £5,000 and imprisonment.

They threatened me with the latter, despite the clear evidence that the car was not "being used" but had simply been placed there while moving other vehicles for access.
The law in Britain has NO leaway anymore and the car owner is just an easy source of enforcable immoral fines

So you best not forget to SORN one of the classic cars in the barn or it's £80 per car and no option but to pay ( or threaten legal action as I did, but most wont bother, they'll pay up )

There are 5000 people employed in the centre that handle car registrations in the UK and frankly this looks like an idea to keep them in jobs as it hasn't actually stopped unlicensed cars on the road !! If they stopped nonsense like this we woudlnt' need to employ lots of people to monitor it. Oops, I've swtiched in to rant mode again

So summary.
Each year in the UK you must pay the "road fund license" for a car before it can be taken on the road. This can be as high as £450.
If you own a car but dont want to use it - or are restoring it - then you must complete a SORN form at the time the road license expires and every year thereafter.
Failure to SORN a car WILL lead to a fine if it is on the road for ANY reason - even if it has no engine or wheels !!!
Forgetting to SORN a car and then SORNing it later can lead to a fine for having failed to SORN it in the past.

THey are now talking about more severe punishment and the possible removal and crushing of a vehicle.

[Matra et Alpine]

Bobsled chick was very cute too!

With clothes on ..... http://transmission.blogs.topgear.co...-amy-williams/

[Kitdy]

No worries, do that bleary thing too often myself. We forget there's a buncha time zones involved.

In some US states there's something similar to a SORN document, but in most there's not. Once a car is licensed, yearly renewal is required while it's on the road, usually along with proof of insurance and in some states, annual safety inspecton. But you can park it a decade if you want with no fees to the state; when recommissioning just pay for safety inspection (if required) and fresh tag & insurance.

In some states if you want to scrap a car, proof of ownership is required to do the deed.

Speaking more generally, the myriad of differences in state laws must make it very frustrating to be a person who consistently moves state-to-state in the US.

[Matra et Alpine]

^^^ Not just USA
Off to drive Europe and tyres are well within legal UK limits but on the limit for Germany.
So off to buy 4 new tyres --- DAMN, that's less £££ on wine to come home with

( Will hold on to old ones though and use them in a drift/fun event next time )