Dept of Transport in Shannon scrapped my car without telling me

Interceptor

I have been restoring a 1971 Mini for ten years (yes, I'm very slow) and mindful of the SORN regulations I went into my local tax office to declare my ball of rust off road for another while. They told me it had been scrapped and to contact Shannon!

I spent 40 mins trying to get through only to be told that it was scrapped 'years ago' and there is 'nothing we can do'. I have to submit an engineers report when the car is ready to be put back on the road and they will then re-issue a logbook for it. Unbelievable incompetence.

:mad:

seamus

I imagine in the interests of good housekeeping they probably automatically scrap any vehicle which hasn't been taxed for a long time.

Bigus

Interceptor wrote: »

I have been restoring a 1971 Mini for ten years (yes, I'm very slow) and mindful of the SORN regulations I went into my local tax office to declare my ball of rust off road for another while. They told me it had been scrapped and to contact Shannon!

I spent 40 mins trying to get through only to be told that it was scrapped 'years ago' and there is 'nothing we can do'. I have to submit an engineers report when the car is ready to be put back on the road and they will then re-issue a logbook for it. Unbelievable incompetence.

:mad:

I don't see a big problem here, seems like good procedure to me by the authorities.

macplaxton

Maybe a previous owner declared it scrapped long before you got it?

carchaeologist

macplaxton wrote: »

Maybe a previous owner declared it scrapped long before you got it?

I'd go along with this too. Often done when people thought cars were past it.
Hopefully the original record can still be found.

Interceptor

Bigus wrote: »

I don't see a big problem here, seems like good procedure to me by the authorities.

I transferred the logbook into my name in 2004 and the car sat in the back of my shed until earlier this year when I finished spraying it. I naively thought that the logbook would remain valid since no-one had written to remind me to tax it or scrap it like they do with a 'normal' car.

Oh I'm sure theres a way around it - some brown envelope-based transaction no doubt.

iverjohnston

Seems a strange one, I declared a Dexta Tractor (1963, last road taxed 1981) and a Ford Ferguson tractor (1946, last road taxed 1963) off the road on Monday last. Neither were "on the system", but the lady was able to tell me they were in my fathers name, and I had to get a letter from the solicitor proving I was rightfull owner. Father is deceased. Why would your car be different?

Silvera

Very strange?!
Perhaps the person in the tax office just said it was scrapped because
he/she couldnt find it on their system?

corktina

Or perhaps a previous owner found an old logbook for it somewhere and sent it back in?

macplaxton

or there was another logbook with a similar reg that someone with fat fingers dealt with.

kev1.3s

My car was last taxed in 77 and it is still on the system so I'd be surprised to find that they scrap cars without the owners consent, my bet is that for one reason or another a previous owner scrapped it.

mgbgt1978

Bigus wrote: »

I don't see a big problem here, seems like good procedure to me by the authorities.

Not good procedure by anyone.
The Op has the log book, in his name, therefore it is up to him to decide whether or not to scrap the vehicle.
It's his car, not the 'authority's'. They cannot simply decide to declare the vehicle as scrapped. It just doesn't work that way here.

hi5

Is the tax book a duplicate, they normally write duplicate on the new book?
If a duplicate book was issued, then Shannon should know not to scrap the car on presentation of the original book, but as they probably didn't have computers in 1977 then no red flag was raised.

Another thing not related to the OP question. If a duplicate tax book is issued then the original becomes null and void, this is something to remember for those who like to buy original tax books on done deal and such places.