Was this car off the road?

ChewyLuey

Hi All

Is my understanding of the following tax status correct that this car was off the road for 13 months? Considering buying but pretty big red flag if it was

[image attached]

Thanks!

myshirt

Yes.

Del2005

Just because a vehicle wasn't taxed doesn't mean it was off the road, all it proves is that it wasn't taxed for the period.

colm_mcm

Even still. It’s a red flag. If someone isn’t gonna pay €280 for the year and still drive it it isn’t good either. Could be a simple explanation, illness etc.

morritty

Could that not also mean the tax was skipped for a month in 2016? then maybe a years taxed purchased 31/01/2017 giving the expiry 31/01/2018? I could be totally wrong here

ChewyLuey

Good point. It appears to have passed an NCT in March 2017 which might indicate it actually was taxed during this time, just maybe a bit late.

*I'm making the assumption that a car has to have valid tax to do an NCT which I think is the case.

shannonman81

As someone mentioned it could be illness.
I had an avensis a good few years ago now and ended up having to have surgery on my knee.. Couldn't drive for about three months and so the car sat without tax...I ended up transferring the ownership to my wife as I hadn't declared it off the road.

green123

Is that information available free somewhere or is it from one of the paid history check websites ?

ChewyLuey

It's a paid history check

mgbgt1978

morritty wrote: »

Could that not also mean the tax was skipped for a month in 2016? then maybe a years taxed purchased 31/01/2017 giving the expiry 31/01/2018? I could be totally wrong here

+1. Sometimes the Car Check sites can frighten a buyer simply because their algorithms are a bit skewed. In this particular case if they had access to when the car was actually taxed (as well as the expiry date) it would make things a lot clearer.

ChewyLuey wrote: »

Good point. It appears to have passed an NCT in March 2017 which might indicate it actually was taxed during this time, just maybe a bit late.

*I'm making the assumption that a car has to have valid tax to do an NCT which I think is the case.

It doesn't need to be Taxed to pass the NCT....it may well need to be taxed to drive it there , but that's a different issue.

uck51js9zml2yt

Not unusual that an owner would do a SORD if they are planning on selling it.

mgbgt1978

I don't think they would declare it SORD in 2016, then tax it in 2017 and 2018 to sell it in 2018

Atlantic Dawn

If the car was on the road the owner was dodgy, if the car was off the road the car is now dodgy, neither a good selling point.