SORN

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ROY SIMPSON

Active Member
Posts
195
Location
Middlewich cheshire
Discovered today it is a legal requirement that a uk registered car must be insured and registered on MID unless a SORN declaration is made, so no road tax.
My problem is that I kept my old disco 2 when i replaced it just before Christmas thinking that i would clean it up and sell it April time.
Parked it up, off road on my land at side of house.
Moved insurance to my new vehicle, but left road tax on discovery on dd, as insurance company said that they would cover discovery for up to 30 days a year on present vehicle insurance with just a phone call, so when i came to sell it, I could easily take any buyer for a road test.
Today received a letter from Motor Insurers Database saying that i would be liable to a fine if I did not insure discovery, the only alternative being to declare a SORN and by default lose road tax.
My dilemma is that do i insure discovery bearing in mind I will have no NCD (used on new vehicle) at an extortionate cost to be legal when buyer wants a road test, or declare SORN and keep vehicle off road but be unable legally to allow buyer to take for road test.
Anybody else had this problem, if so what did you do.
 
Insure the vehicle, take the the minimum mileage option and a low-ish value that way it's covered for fire and theft were ever it is, a bit like classic car insurance, u may be surprised how little the premium could be, assuming u have a good driving record. :)
 
Are there some insurance companies that will let you buy insurance for a short time then cant you buy tax per month now?
 
I thought that if you cancelled your road tax then the remaining months (if you go half year or yearly) would be refunded to you? At least i've heard such. Or am i reading this thread completely wrong?
 
Yes, the government wants your money (how strange).
When I found myself with 2 P38's last year my Insurer recommended I take out new insurance Fully COM on the new one and leave the other policy running until I sold it.
As soon as the old P38 sold I cancelled the TAX & Insurance and took the automatic refunds. Painless really, and it did mean that I could legally park the old one wherever I darn well pleased in any street (parked it outside my boys house) and drive it if I wanted to keep it all charged up and running sweet.
 
ROY SIMPSON said:
Discovered today it is a legal requirement that a uk registered car must be insured and registered on MID unless a SORN declaration is made, so no road tax.
My problem is that I kept my old disco 2 when i replaced it just before Christmas thinking that i would clean it up and sell it April time.
Parked it up, off road on my land at side of house.
Moved insurance to my new vehicle, but left road tax on discovery on dd, as insurance company said that they would cover discovery for up to 30 days a year on present vehicle insurance with just a phone call, so when i came to sell it, I could easily take any buyer for a road test.
Today received a letter from Motor Insurers Database saying that i would be liable to a fine if I did not insure discovery, the only alternative being to declare a SORN and by default lose road tax.
My dilemma is that do i insure discovery bearing in mind I will have no NCD (used on new vehicle) at an extortionate cost to be legal when buyer wants a road test, or declare SORN and keep vehicle off road but be unable legally to allow buyer to take for road test.
Anybody else had this problem, if so what did you do.
Click to expand...

Declare SORN on the Disco, and when you want to take people for test drives, insure it for a week. Most companies do this, and if you have been with the same insurer for a while, they don't charge the earth.
You will have to re-tax it for test drives too, if you want to be completely legal, but you should get a refund for unused tax once it is sold.
 
Thanks for your replies.
I don't mind paying the £27 a month for road tax, which i have been, thinking i was obviating the need to declare a SORN when I could arrange insurance on a daily basis as and when i need it through my existing insurance.
What I object to is having to insure the vehicle full time when it is parked off road on my own property rather than declaring a SORN that the vehicle is parked off road and not insured but keeping it road taxed so I can insure it on a daily basis as and when I need to.
 
ROY SIMPSON said:
Thanks for your replies.
I don't mind paying the £27 a month for road tax, which i have been, thinking i was obviating the need to declare a SORN when I could arrange insurance on a daily basis as and when i need it through my existing insurance.
What I object to is having to insure the vehicle full time when it is parked off road on my own property rather than declaring a SORN that the vehicle is parked off road and not insured but keeping it road taxed so I can insure it on a daily basis as and when I need to.
Click to expand...

If the vehicle is SORNed, you don't have to insure it.
And you won't have to pay anything for tax, or insurance, until you want to use it.
 
+ 1 on Turboman's comment.
It's very straight forward, your disco has to be on a SORN unless it is taxed and insured.
I have a car in the garage that on a SORN for six months of the year and has been since SORN was invented, but I still insure the vehicle as it's a valuable asset to loose in a fire or theft.

So the bottom line is... if do don't think you vehicle worth insuring then it's up to u, don't... simples. :)
 
Last edited:
DanClarke said:
When I found myself with 2 P38's last year my Insurer recommended I take out new insurance Fully COM on the new one and leave the other policy running until I sold it.
As soon as the old P38 sold I cancelled the TAX & Insurance and took the automatic refunds. Painless really, and it did mean that I could legally park the old one wherever I darn well pleased in any street (parked it outside my boys house) and drive it if I wanted to keep it all charged up and running sweet.
Click to expand...

Dan's right, this is the cheapest way - paying out for a full year of tax and insurance then just canceling and getting back say the unused days pro rated is vastly more cost effective than using short term insurers, who also mostly wont let you tax a vehicle with their policies. You want to look for one without a cancellation or exit fee really, and don't take out a monthly policy that has APR on the finance as that will incur a penalty as well.

Many of the bigger insurers will also mirror your no claims and give you a discount if you take out a second policy with them, i've got a crap astra on a multi car policy and its only 260 quid for the whole year - some will even offer a month or few weeks cover on a second vehicle as turboman suggests, won't get if you don't ask and all that!
 
Goc3k said:
Dan's right, this is the cheapest way - paying out for a full year of tax and insurance then just canceling and getting back say the unused days pro rated is vastly more cost effective than using short term insurers, who also mostly wont let you tax a vehicle with their policies. You want to look for one without a cancellation or exit fee really, and don't take out a monthly policy that has APR on the finance as that will incur a penalty as well.

Many of the bigger insurers will also mirror your no claims and give you a discount if you take out a second policy with them, i've got a crap astra on a multi car policy and its only 260 quid for the whole year - some will even offer a month or few weeks cover on a second vehicle as turboman suggests, won't get if you don't ask and all that!
Click to expand...

My insurers usually don't even charge me for that sort of thing.
But it all depends on your relationship with the insurer. I have several vehicle policies, a tractor policy, and various farm and domestic insurances with the same company, so I guess they figure they can take the hit on a few small favours.
 
Turboman said:
But it all depends on your relationship with the insurer. I have several vehicle policies, a tractor policy, and various farm and domestic insurances with the same company, so I guess they figure they can take the hit on a few small favours.
Click to expand...

Aye the "cheap" insurers are never willing to provide useful extras and don't care diddly about retaining your business, hence very little movement in any policies which is a shame.

Turboman said:
My insurers usually don't even charge me for that sort of thing.
Click to expand...

I've got the wrong insurers then! :D
 
Goc3k said:
Aye the "cheap" insurers are never willing to provide useful extras and don't care diddly about retaining your business, hence very little movement in any policies which is a shame.



I've got the wrong insurers then! :D
Click to expand...

Never been much tempted by the online insurers, they offer a one size fits all service, and usually aren't particularly cheap.
Bear in mind, I am paying tin the thousands a year for all those policies.
My insurers are CMA, Google them, you may be eligible, but they only insure in the Westcountry, so not sure if Hampshire counts.
 
Cornish mutual? judging by the website i'd have to move to Devon at the minimum, haha.

I did have a policy with the NFU for a few years a good while back tied in with a public liability policy, the motor insurance tied very cheaply with it (compared to the online insurers anyway) . Didn't get any freebies mind, though I suppose I never actually asked for any.
 
Goc3k said:
Cornish mutual? judging by the website i'd have to move to Devon at the minimum, haha.

I did have a policy with the NFU for a few years a good while back tied in with a public liability policy, the motor insurance tied very cheaply with it (compared to the online insurers anyway) . Didn't get any freebies mind, though I suppose I never actually asked for any.
Click to expand...

Give them a ring, see what they say, Westcountry was what they said to me in a recent conversation, and that is not a term confined to Devon.

I have always found NFU to be a waste of space. Try Academy Insurance in Egham Surrey as well, I have had good results with them too in the past.
 
Turboman said:
Give them a ring, see what they say, Westcountry was what they said to me in a recent conversation, and that is not a term confined to Devon.
Click to expand...

Aye there might be some wiggle in what the website, worth a try

Turboman said:
I have always found NFU to be a waste of space. Try Academy Insurance in Egham Surrey as well, I have had good results with them too in the past.
Click to expand...

I've got a job on in virginia water at the moment amusingly (just down from Egham) and it looks like they have an actual premises that you can go and visit, in the flesh - rare treat, cheers for the insight!
 
Goc3k said:
Aye there might be some wiggle in what the website, worth a try



I've got a job on in virginia water at the moment amusingly (just down from Egham) and it looks like they have an actual premises that you can go and visit, in the flesh - rare treat, cheers for the insight!
Click to expand...

They do have premises, and I have visited them when I worked there.
My old boss used to use them for all his farm insurances etc., and he was pretty clued up, so I think they are good.
 
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