Import declared off road - log book?

shaunr68

Hi all, quick question please.

When importing a vehicle I understand that the log book will only be issued "when a recently registered vehicle (new and imported) has been road taxed for the first time..."

Does making an off-road declaration trigger the issue of the registration document?

Long version - I imported my privately owned van from the UK, a Renault Trafic. The van has been through the VRT process, paid the flat rate of 200 euros for a commercial. It is now parked up on my property while I work out what to do with it, it's now uninsured and has been declared off road. I'd previously used it for moving house and collecting materials for a property renovation. I have subsequently discovered that it will be next to impossible for me to get private insurance on a commercial vehicle OR to tax the thing. Therefore the plan now is to sell it. However I'm worried that they might not issue a log book until it's taxed and insured, and selling without a log book is likely to be problematic, a potential buyer would understandably be suspicious.

So can I get a log book for this thing?

PS anybody want to buy a 2010 ex-AA Renault Trafic? Bright yellow so you can't lose it in a car park, though some bimbo rear-ended me once at a junction, just a light shunt into the towbar thankfully, and then announced that she hadn't seen me!!

Grateful for your advice.
Cheers

5500

You need to tax it before the log book will be sent, declaring off the road immediately upon importation doesn't trigger the log book to be sent.

colm_mcm

Youll have you DOE it to tax it too. Would be very difficult to sell without a logbook.

shaunr68

Thanks fellas.

But...but they won't let me tax it as I don't have a business. I'm apparently not allowed to insure it privately either, so without tax and insurance I'm never going to be able to get a log book for this vehicle am I? Won't this predicament make it problematic to sell the van? Is there any flexibility if I go to the tax office and explain the situation?

I'm thinking I might have no other option than to contact DVLA and stick it back on GB plates.

colm_mcm

You could tax it privately for 3 months I guess. Would be at cc rates.

Guy:Incognito

shaunr68 wrote: »

But...but they won't let me tax it as I don't have a business. .

You don't need a business to tax a van. There's building sites full of tradesmen with vans all over the country that are just normal paye workers (myself included)

shaunr68

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

You don't need a business to tax a van. There's building sites full of tradesmen with vans all over the country that are just normal paye workers (myself included)

Thanks, I wasn't aware of that. So I should be able to tax it as a private vehicle as Colm mentioned above? Will this be possible without insurance in place?

I guess it will be around the 200 mark for 3 months and if I have to go down that route I guess I'll have to, galling though to have to tax a vehicle that IS legitimately off-road. Unnecessary bureaucracy and another tax on imports IMHO. I console myself that I will get my money back as the van should sell for more in the artificially inflated market over here. :mad:

CiniO

I don't think you need to tax it as private.
Tax it normally as commercial vehicle.
Motortax office might ask you to sign "goods only declaration" where they'll want you to declare you'll be only using the van for business purposes.

I'm not sure how you're going to solve insurance issue though.
It is possible to insure a van privately, but it's not easy to find insurer to do it.

shaunr68

CiniO wrote: »

It is possible to insure a van privately, but it's not easy to find insurer to do it.

Thanks, and I don't want to pay through the nose to insure it because I want to sell it! It doesn't need to be insured as it is parked up on my private property, it seems I'm having to jump through these hoops just to allow me to sell the thing!

CiniO

shaunr68 wrote: »

Thanks, and I don't want to pay through the nose to insure it because I want to sell it! It doesn't need to be insured as it is parked up on my private property, it seems I'm having to jump through these hoops just to allow me to sell the thing!

Sound awkward allright.

Generally, as you were told, to be able to sell it, you'll need a registration cert (logbook), and to receive logbook, you'll need to tax it, and to tax it, you'll need valid insurance and test certificate.

I know people were saying, that when you're taxing online, while you have to enter insurance policy number and expiry date, those details are not verified.
As far as I remember, when you're taxing vehicle in motortax office, they used to require insurance cert to be shown to them, but I'm not sure if that's still the case - maybe not.

Good luck with it.