Afternoon all,
I would appreciate some thoughts from the wise heads at how this situation detailed below will likely pan out please. I accept that my tardiness is ultimately to blame for this situation but we all mess up from time to time due to other more important things going on in our lives and I would like to know my chances at blagging my way out of this.
Back-story :
- Secondhand vehicle purchased 24/6/24 and change of keeper done electronically on the day into my name and current address at the time. (V5C shows this date as the last change of keeper date).
- Letter from DVLA received some time after 7/7/24 (date of letter) reminding me to tax it.
- Fresh V5C arrived the following week after receiving the reminder letter.
- SORN declared online 30/7/24 and I have the email receipt with reference number still on file.
- Vehicle not used on public roads during nor after these events.
I was only living at that address between May and 21/8/24 before moving permanently. No other letters about the car were received during that period.
As the car was (and still is) offroad and SORN in the same place as it was in summer 2024, I had neglected to file a registered keeper change of address (same for my DL) until 7/6/25 at my new address. Vehicle status is still SORN and hasn't changed.
November 2025 I receive through the mail at my current address (and in my name) a Notice of Enforcement from a DC company stating a HMCTS Financial Imposition Warrant of Control from a court hearing date back in February 2025 with a total amount payable of £430. Nowhere on the letter does it say what it refers to beyond a court fine and not being aware of any issues I naively rang the DC to enquire about the matter, giving them my name, current address and confirmed receipt of said letter. They were extremely vague and obstructive as they asked me to give me my DOB and previous address(es) which I refused to do. There was quite a tense stand-off as they refused to tell me what it was regarding until I had passed their "security checks" to which I responded I don't have to pass anything, because afaik I am not aware of any court cases and thus the onus is on you to prove you have the correct person and tell me what it's all about.
After some back and forth they relented a little and asked me if I knew anything about a [car make and model] and an address [where I used to live]. Both of these were a match but as they were still refusing to tell me what it was about I said I had no knowledge of either as this just seemed to be a fishing exercise at this point
. The conversation was ended and I said I would ring the court to find out more, so I did. The court admin person asked the same name and address details, which I provided them with (my current address). Court said there's a problem as the details I have given them do not match the records they have on file so cannot discuss it further, you'll have to revert back to the DC for more info, but she did tell me it was car tax related but wouldn't divulge anything further as "it sounds like there's been a mix-up somewhere".
Meanwhile, I ring back the DC and inform them of this conversation and likely "mix-up" but they still refused to tell me anything. They asked how long I've lived at my current address so I said approx 18 months. They said to investigate they would need to see a copy of my tenancy agreement or CT bill and also the same from my previous property. I attached a copy of this year's CT bill and also the AST from the previous to last property (both in my name) but they are now claiming that this is insufficient evidence to revert the case back to the court.
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I am working on a number of assumptions here :
1. this seems likely to be a fine from a late SORN declaration (I don't know because they won't tell me!)
2. the DC have obtained my current address from DVLA who, given their business, will no doubt have an account with him to find out regd owner details and addresses. My updating of the V5C with my current address in June 2025 has presumably put me back on their radar.
3. I assume the HMCTS data "mismatch" they refer to is probably because they only have my previous address on their case paperwork, not my current address.
Possibly relevant additional info :
4. I have a contact who works in a legal capacity (not motoring) and he said he would look-up the case for me on the Commons Platform for the courts. I gave him the HMCTS 9 digit reg no, Hearing Court details, date of Hearing, my name and my DOB and it's coming back as no details found (!)
5. my DL was also registered at the same previous address before I changed it to my current address on the same date I changed the V5C.
6. I have no finances registered at my current address, nor either of my 2 previous addresses ie. if the DC were to check my credit reports they would not find any record of me at my current address (although of course I have since given them this over the phone) nor my 2 previous addresses. My thinking here is that if they can't find evidence of the address where the fine was served on my credit report then that may throw them off the scent trail. I don't believe they know my DOB anyway.
My questions are :
a. in these cases has the court effectively sold the debt to the DC company and washed their hands of it and don't care if the DC get the money or not, or is the court still enforcing it and have to power to impose an arrest warrant if you don't pay it or can categorically prove that it isn't yours? Does the DC have to respond back to the court with progress updates and feed back any evidence from the "defendant" or is this nonsense?
b. I've read that car tax related fines are considered civil matters rather than criminal matters and also for such a low amount then an arrest warrant would never be issued. Is this true or urban myth?
My current feelings are to keep communication channels open via email (after sending them the docs they requested) but to call their bluff and await their next move. You can't SORN a vehicle without the latest issued V5C ref no. and that took about 2 weeks to land after filing the change of keeper - so around the 2nd week of July. Personally I don't think it's the crime of the century to not file the SORN declaration until the end of that month, but the rulez is the rulez..
I am willing to give the DC the run-around until they get bored and give up as it appears they have very little to go on beyond "AB12CDE Ford Focus was rgd to John Smith at x address and now AB12CDE is rgd to a John Smith at y address, ergo it's the same person, even though John Smith has said he knows nothing about said Ford Focus nor the previous address", however my concern is what - if anything - happens at the HMCTS end? Would they just write it off or would they issue an arrest warrant and have the police opening my door at 5am with their big red key?
I don't have any vehicle at the moment other than the one in bits 100 miles away.
I welcome your opinions on how you think this will pan out if I continue down this "don't know nuffink about it guv" road. Thanks.
