Ticket for Car Tax

TechHelp

Hi Folks,

I'm beyond frustrated right now, so I thought I'd ask the internets for advice.

I bought a car on Tuesday morning (approx 10am). It was insured immediately, I had an NCT Disc but no Tax Disc. On my way home (approx 1pm), I dropped by the Leixlip Credit Union, to get a few quid. While I was parked, I got a Parking Ticket for no Tax Disc. I sent Kildare Co Co a copy of my Insurance Cert & Car Invoice (both were time stamped at 10am), and the Ticket (time stamped at 1pm). They rejected my appeal, stating that the Ticket was Valid & it's the driver's responsibility to have a Tax Disc on display.

Is this for real? Do I have to suck it up, can I do anything about this.

CiniO

You are required to have tax disc displayed at all times when car in on public road.

Therefore I doubt there is anything you can do.

Max Power

Yes you will have to suck it up, you were parked on a public road without a current tax disc displayed. What has insurance and a NCT got to do with anything?

Supergurrier

No disc is what probably caught there eye, even an out of date disc would have given you a leg to stand on, when i bought my car it was out of tax by 5-6 months, took a week or so to sort out mind

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

can hardly have tax if he had only bought the car a few hours before hand

TechHelp

Yea, that's my point. I bought a car at 10am, and got a ticket at 1pm. I don't think I could even tax the car that quickly even if I wanted to. The ink on the Change of Owner forms was still wet!

goz83

Unfortunately the council is right. Granted, you had just bought the car, but it was not taxed and technically should not have been on the road, asit was not taxed to be on the road.

It's a terrible system, but there you have it. I'd be p1ssed about it too.

Henry Ford III

You should have parked in a private car park.

Supergurrier

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

can hardly have tax if he had only bought the car a few hours before hand

Most cars are sold with tax tbh, personally if i was caught in the couple of weeks before i was able to tax mine i would have taken it on the chin, then again i was careful to park only at work/home and quick trips to local shops as i didn't want to tempt fate

TechHelp

FYI, there was no tax disc on it because it was a new import.

GoodisonPark

If you bought the car on a Tuesday morning then the name change wont take effect until at the earliest the following day. Ignore the ticket and let it run its course , see what happens.

Mikros

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

can hardly have tax if he had only bought the car a few hours before hand

Unfortunately the letter of the law makes no exception - if you drive the car in a public place it must have a valid tax disc displayed. The warden could not know someone had just bought a car when it was left parked.

To the OP - you could take your chance in front of a judge and show evidence you just bought the car and have fully taxed it since. The case would more than likely be struck out, though there is no guarantee and you would still have to waste a day in court. Your only other option is suck it up and pay the €60 fine. Sorry

coylemj

It's pretty simple really. If you buy a car and there's no tax disc on it, you avoid parking in a public place until you get the tax sorted. If you have paperwork which shows you just bought it then you will usually be able to talk your way out of trouble at a Garda checkpoint but parking it on a public street with no tax disc is asking for trouble.

stoneill

GoodisonPark wrote: »

If you bought the car on a Tuesday morning then the name change wont take effect until at the earliest the following day. Ignore the ticket and let it run its course , see what happens.

Does that mean the fine goes to the previous owner? Just wondering.

Yawns

They used to just let things like that slide until people started to take the mick. I know 2 lads who have the logbook in someone else's name, with their name filled in with no date or anything on it. No tax or NCT. If stopped by a guard their plan is to show the book and claim to have just bought the car that day. They do have insurance on it, but if a guard were to check properly it would be obvious that they didn't buy the car that day. I guess they are hoping the guard takes them at their word. They probably would too come to think of it.

TechHelp

Here's a thought. Is it possible to query the Co Co 'Who was the registered owner of a car on a certain date'?

bazz26

There are two offences around motor tax, 1. is for not having the car taxed and 2. is for not displaying a current valid motor tax disc. Even if you had the car taxed but didn't have the disc in the window you would be fined for no 2.

You'll have to suck it up but you'll know better next time.

Jimdagym

TechHelp wrote: »

Here's a thought. Is it possible to query the Co Co 'Who was the registered owner of a car on a certain date'?

If you already contacted the coco with your insurance details, then your options are probably fairly limited. Pay up. Hard luck though.

Juwwi

TechHelp wrote: »

Here's a thought. Is it possible to query the Co Co 'Who was the registered owner of a car on a certain date'?

So you think its wrong that you got done but dont think it would be wrong
to sting the person you bought it off with the ticket .

bazz26

Does the previous owner still have the VLC with your name and address on it?

TechHelp

I didn't suggest that, someone else threw it out there as a thought. BTW, I'm not the type of individual to do that & will be cutting a cheque to APCOA.

Guy:Incognito

TechHelp wrote: »

I didn't suggest that, someone else threw it out there as a thought. BTW, I'm not the type of individual to do that & will be cutting a cheque to APCOA.

Are they not a private company? They cant do you for no tax can they? r are they licenced by the councils for it?

TechHelp

They are contracted by the council.

anthony4335

I don't see how this the case, you buy a car ,it has no tax and you need anywhere from 1 week to 8 in some of the worst cases to have the car registered in your name. If this is the case dealers should not be allowed to sell a car with out tax. I would take it further. Unless they have a system in place by where you can purchase car tax along with the car they should not be allowed to fine you for having no tax.
As for most cars been sold with tax, I rarely see cars been sold with tax, usually you wait until your tax has expired before you change.

TechHelp

Like one of the guys earlier said, if I go to court, a judge might dismiss it. But the reality is, I don't want to do that, because it's a lot of hassle over €60.

Over the weekend I'd like to go grocery shopping, but I've got doubts that I'll get my disc by tomorrow. Are the Gardai as tough on this as the Ticket Wardens? I presume the Gardai will be all over the roads for the bank holiday weekend, I don't want to risk it at this stage.

slimjimmc

GoodisonPark wrote: »

If you bought the car on a Tuesday morning then the name change wont take effect until at the earliest the following day. Ignore the ticket and let it run its course , see what happens.

The VLC has the change of ownership as occurring on Tuesday and the registration of the change will be most likely be done before the fine is issued.
But even if the fine was sent to the previous owner, all he has to do is show he is no longer the owner and when the OP's ownership is processed the fine will be re-issued to him.

stoneill wrote: »

Does that mean the fine goes to the previous owner? Just wondering.

as above.

slimjimmc

anthony4335 wrote: »

I don't see how this the case, you buy a car ,it has no tax and you need anywhere from 1 week to 8 in some of the worst cases to have the car registered in your name. If this is the case dealers should not be allowed to sell a car with out tax. I would take it further. Unless they have a system in place by where you can purchase car tax along with the car they should not be allowed to fine you for having no tax.
As for most cars been sold with tax, I rarely see cars been sold with tax, usually you wait until your tax has expired before you change.

I suspect most people don't drive away in their new purchase immediately, there's usually a day or more delay before the car leaves the forecourt. The buyer can easily make it a condition of sale that the car be taxed, even if that means paying for it yourself.

jessei

dont pay. tell them that you will take your chances in front of a judge, they will drop the fine...(worked for me)

TechHelp

Would love to, but don't have the balls. Knowing my luck, the judge would rule against me.

DeepBlue

Had something similar happen to me years go i.e. bought car and hadn't got tax yet as I had to get the Vehicle Cert back from Shannon. I think I got the ticket from a guard on his way to work who spotted the 6 month-out-of-date tax disc on the car windscreen.
I popped down to the Garda station and was told who to talk to and the ticket was squashed. Maybe the Gardai are more reasonable than the crowd you are dealing with.
In any case surely a judge will see that if you cannot possibly tax the car in the time between buying it and it getting the ticket then any rational person cannot hold that against you.

mags1962

So if the OP does nothing who does the council summon to court? the registered owner on the day? Surely much the same as if he went over the toll bridge and did not pay. If you are to be penalised for having no tax disc you should be given a fair amount of time to comply.
I wouldn't do a thing and just carry on as normal as the system has to process the transfer of ownership.

DanWall

When the boot is on the other foot it's OK, the council will backdate the tax to the 1st of the month even if you bought it on the 31st, thay get 30 day for nothing