UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

The car is registered as SORN with DVLA and the mot has expired. We are moving up to northern Spain and have no log book (this is now en route to DVLA for change of name as the person was going to take it back to UK to mot. They cannot now do this). Can anyone offer any advice as to what we can do with the car as we move on Tuesday, car has little financial value.

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

Give it to a local scrapyard/garage.

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

That’s now the problem of whoever’s name is going on the V5.

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

Driving a UK car with a SORN in Spain is illegal under UK and Spanish law.

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

Why do people WRONGLY put cars on SORN and then bring them to Spain - quite illegal.

SORN means that it is not allowed on the roads in ANY country - you are breaking the law!

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

Because it (illegally) avoids paying UK road tax!

Send it to a crusher!

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

Hola

To answer the OP post first - quite simply you can move it on the back of a trailer or get the Grua to move it for you. If you had wanted to change the number plates to Spanish then you would have to take it to the ITV station the same way.

Why do people SORN a car when moving to Spain - probably because they don't know better - and probably do not realise it is illegal - I've met many people that on arriving in Spain want to register their SORN car they drove from the UK to Spain. Nowadays with the internet available to all - it shouldn't happen but it does crop up from time to time

Davexf

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

If you get the car transported back to the UK the person or company take it back on a trailer or transporter will want a copy of your details and a registration document in the same name to show customs if required,

Therefore you would need the V5 back in your name before it can be returned, that's your only legal way of getting it back, if you dont want it then get it scraped in Spain and tell the DVLA

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

Scrap it in Spain, when the V5 gets to the other person, they should fill in and return the scrapped section etc etc. Some people dig big holes for them selves sometimes...........

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

The problem might be the fact that many scar yards will not deal with non Spanish cars that are/were not legal in Spain, it's the same trying to scrap a not matriculated Spanish car in the UK.

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

I don't what you guys are talking about putting a SORN is illegal, if it is not taxed it is ellegal anyway and at least you won't get letters from the UK putting a SORN on it. Just don't drive it.

The tax ran out on my van this year as did MOT, while I was away, I had it checked out here, booked an MOT in the UK and drove it back. Stricly speaking it was probably not legal until I reached Dover, but who would know..unless I had an accident? Besides I had little choice, other than trailer it, it's done now anyway.

Now I have a Vauxhall Corsa I used for a cheapo rally, it is MOTd until 2019, but not worth driving back, I shall try to sell it to a Brit who wants a cheap good car CTDI to drive back, if not will break it, the engine and box are worth the £500 I paid.

You should take yours to the scrapyard they may give you a few bob.

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

It wasn't legal to drive it back and yes you would only be caught if you had an accident, was stoped or by an ANPR camera

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

We way up the risks in life. I drove on Autoroutes the whole way and haven't had an accident in 20 years. I drive at a steady inconspicuous speed in a roadworthy looking vehcle, with no tax disc and with my insurance document to hand. I doubt very much whether the ANPR cameras would pick up my MOT status, they don't in the UK on foreign vehcles. Before leaving I had everything checked, faults recified and it sailed the MOT, plus I always carry all the shit they demand in France.

Transporting my vehicle back to the UK would have cost £thousands, so the extremely low risk was worth it.

The vehicle is kep down here, but ext year when I go back I will be fully legal..

The Corsa I have here too has a SORN on it and is kept in my driveway, so is perfectly legal and if I manage to sell it to a Brit he can get tax and insurance online and drive it back legally.

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

Not really, the car is routinely kept in Spain and should have been matriculated a long time ago, strictly it WILL be illegal in Spain

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

Hola
Actually NO - there is no such thing as "off road" in Spain. If a passing Guardia decided to check, you could still be prosecuted. There was a method of having a car sealed by the Guardia but I have no idea whether this facility still exists.

Davexf

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

I thought that the idea of this forum was to help people with correct information i.e. legally correct information? Not to advocate breaking the law. Yes a person can weigh up the pros and cons of doing whatever even breaking the law but that is a decision for the individual, if they get caught on dear no one to blame but themselves. Using a SORN on a UK registered vehicle not in the UK is not legal fact. Taking a vehicle out of UK for over 12 months then it should be exported. Less than 12 months and it need not be exported but must comply with UK road traffic regulations tax insurance MOT etc. Then of course as has been mentioned bringing car to Spain then you should comply with Spanish matriculation law. That's it do it legally no worries but yes it may cost you money. Do it the illegal way you may save the cost of matriculating but will be worried every time you see a Guardia/police car behind you or routine police check point we often see, you may end up fined and having your car crushed. You may drive for 20 or 30 years without incident or accident that doesn't mean it will never happen that's why they are called accidents. If you have an accident and kill or maim someone while driving an illegal car in Spain, good luck with that in the Spanish court!

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Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

I am not actually in Spain, but the way I understand it if I spend less than 6 months in an EU country I can drive a vehicle with foreign plates. If anyone knows differently I would be happy to read an official document.

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

So long as it has valid tax and MOT. Once its MOT expires then it’s as illegal to drive abroad as it would be in the UK.

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

The Spanish traffic police now have access to the UK DVLA database via their ipads/phones to check the MOT, Insurance & tax status of any UK registered vehicle. Our local police are currently having a clamp down on UK registered cars. Having no MOT invalidates any insurance, so the financial risk alone would dissuade most normal people.

To the O/P, I wouldn't risk it. Notify the DVLA that the vehicle is scrapped and see if you can get a breaker to collect it.

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

Technically, as far as I know, a Spanish resident can not drive a foreign plated vehicle for more than 90 days that they have in their own name or that of a close relative... its one of those .. grey areas.

But then.. you´d have to be a resident... and while you might not be, if the police see you around for a while, or taking the kids to school.. they will still impound it... you can tell them till you are blue in the face that "i dont live here im just on holiday".. but they dont care :)

Transporting a vehicle from the costa del sol (further south than you) costs 600 pounds. But then, it would still be technically illegal to drive it in outside the UK after 90 days.

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

I'm not sure where this 90 day rule comes from? As far as I'm aware it is 6 months in 12 that non residents can use a UK registered vehicle in Spain (ties in with residency rule). Here's some basic info

​​​​​​​https://www.citizensadvice.org.es/fa...-car-in-spain/

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

You are talking about non-residents, I am not.

here is the very first line of the webpage that you posted.

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

There is always confusion over this issue. If you become resident in Spain and have a UK car, you have to register it within 6 months of becoming resident. However, if you wish to avoid the registration tax, you must register it within 60 days of becoming resident.

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizen...d/index_en.htm

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

The link gives information for resident and non resident. 90 days is still not mentioned either?

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

Also interesting given that so much information has been provided on this post that there has been no response from the OP? Do we know if they are in fact resident or non resident?

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

I disagree with this article. I used to think you could keep a UK plated vehicle in Spain for 12 months (provided it had tax, MOT and insurance of course) but I was told otherwise.

This article is very helpful

https://www.citizensadvice.org.es/fa...-car-in-spain/

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

Yes that's the link I put on

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

It was updated less than a month ago.

If you think the EU have got it wrong, perhaps you should get in touch with them.

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

From the horses mouth so to Speak Fred, a very good link

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Spain.
 

If you dont want the car.. leave it where it is. Its the "new owners" problem now. It will no longer be in your name.

If you want to keep it, it would be illegal to drive it, so if you get stopped you would be in a whole world of trouble - and its not in your name, and you dont have paperwork. Did you take a photocopy of the log book showing your name? Will the "new owner" report it stolen?

If its a cheap banger.. leave it there. Make sure to tell a few neibours that you have "sold" it and it will be collected in a couple of days or so, then if anyone comes knocking, they will tell them that.

The "right" thing to do would be to weigh it in, you should be able to call a scrap yard and they will collect it, but without paperwork you need to know the right people...

Re: UK car advice please. Our UK registered car is declared as SORN and is in Sp
 

***** It would depend on the "alarm" status of the ANPR system.
Using in car terminals or PC based terminals one can "radio button" which headings are alarmed, on operations generally everything is activated, therefore any "hit" the vehicle is stopped however, for "normal day to day" running about, Police National Computer (PNC), Insurance, MOT and local "crime" would be active, Vehicle Excise Licence (VEL) might be turned off but it would depend on Force SOP's ***** .
Hope that helps :-)

Rossy