Safe Speed Forums

Hi

I was directed to this site for which I an very grateful.
I am also on a mission, and I hope my story will help in someone here today.
May I submit my story?

I want to share this Horror story with you because from something bad came good. I am hoping my experience will help you to face up to the mighty DVLA who you will be surprised to know have been using methods to get you to pay £80 that some would say including a judge not lawful. The Story became an national interest and featured on Watchdog on the 27th May 2010

On August 2008 I made a SORN declaration and sent of my details two weeks before my TAX was going to run out. The DVLA did not receive my SORN until many months later. I received threatening letters from a Debt Collection Agency. I refused to pay! Letters back and forward to the DVLA got me know where. I was now disputing this illegal fine. 3 further letters from the DCA. This was also illegal.

The DVLA said that if I did not receive an Acknowledgment Letter then it was my obligation to contact them. The DVLA stated, had I contacted them, then maybe I would never get fined. I complained, but I learned it meant nothing because the DVLA has no official complaints process as been confirmed by the DVLA. I still owe £80. I was on the phone day and night, saying I was not going to pay. DVLA said that I could make another complaint to the ICA (Independent Complaints Assessor) I made a second complaint. The Chief Executive decides if he will allow you complaint to be heard. He refused my justified complaint.

I later learned if he allows a complaint to be heard from an Independent Complaints Assessor and the ICA makes a recommendation that no action is taken, the Chief Executive can overrule this person and still fine you for which the DVLA are doing. This works in the favour of the DVLA. You are at their mercy like it or not. I got my local MP on board who supported me and could clearly see that the DVLA are taking advantage of us and legislation was needed. My cost was reduced to £40 from £80, does that sound familiar? I refused to pay. If I had paid then I am saying “I am guilty” I was not, I was fighting and still fighting an organisation that has lost the plot.

I did some research, and found that the DCA, the DVLA used against me was its self being investigated for criminal offences. I spoke to the DVLA who refused to comment. I made a Freedom of Information Request to find out if there was any truth in this. The DVLA confirmed they knew about the investigation, but decided to hide it away from you and me. Why did the DVLA receive my SORN many months later? I was able to confirm via a FOI that the DVLA does lose mail. YEP, you heard that right. The DVLA has nothing in place to stop this happening. When the DVLA lose your SORN you are then guilty for not SORNING because the DVLA does not have a record of it. When you get your tax reminder and you decide to SORN, if the DVLA does not get your SORN then as far as the DVLA are concerned you are driving your car with no tax.

On March 30th 2010 I was put on trial by the DVLA for not declaring SORN. I won my case against the DVLA. The judge stated verbally “the DVLA has no statuary power to force any one to contact them if they did not chase up or call the DVLA to see if the DVLA had received their SORN or any other information. The judge stated its all well and good having small print telling people to phone up but “its not good enough” The interpretations act was also mentioned at my trial and the DVLA tried to sidetrack but the judge was not having any of it. Another person was also tried at Portsmouth County Court and he referred my case to the District Judge and his case was also dismissed.

My Actions against the DVLA continue.
My story was first seen here: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/03/dvla_court/

Things moved on and my story featured on Watchdog 27th May 2010. Over 250 complaints have now come forward. I have support from my local MP now, and this morning it was confirmed to me my story will be published next week. I will supply details nearer the time.

Can I ask, if ANYONE has ANY problems with the DVLA, please post your complaint here please. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/201 ... _dock.html

I support this site and if i can help please let me know!

Lonerider -



Join Safe Speed - yOU COULD HAVE A LOOK HERE
( hINT,HINT) .

Don't know if graeme (sp - I always spell if correctly,with an h in the middle ) is around ,so I'll mention it in case it gets missed .

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Lonerider

I am aware of the DVLA problems, I had had a few run-ins with them myself but I am pleased to say that I pointed it 'all' out to them, stuck to my guns and they corrected the issues and all is well.
I cannot recall now if I ended up paying them but I probably did - long story.

Well done for sticking to your guns.

May I ask who recommended the Safe Speed site and forums ?

By all means join every penny helps.
Any queries just ask.

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Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.

Funnily enough I just received my V5 back from DVLA yesterday.
I bought a van in April and sent the stuff to them for a change of owner.
When I received it back (the first time) (after 4 weeks) it had the date of acquisition wrong. By two months.
Back it went, and got here again yesterday.

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

Hi everyone.

Thanks for the link. Really good site.

Just to let you know, I have been told my story will be coming out tomorrow in another publication (Wednesday 30/06/10) in the paper. As soon as this is confirmed I will send a link. My PHSO form has gone off. Next stage is I have a few meetings.

If you want to complain about the DVLA, could I ask you to post your complaint here please:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/201 ... _dock.html

Try readig this from a couple of years ago,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/7672570.stm
A Cumbrian mother took her son's ashes into a courtroom to prove he was dead, after being hounded by officials.

Julie Strange, 43, carried the remains of her son, Paul, 19, into Workington Magistrates' Court after a lengthy row with vehicle licensing chiefs.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) threatened her late son with court action claiming he had not told them about the sale of a vehicle.

The DVLA has now apologised and promised to investigate the incident.

The mother-of-three said she rang the DVLA each time she received a letter to explain her son had never owned the vehicle in question and had died in October 2006 after being hit by a train.


Paul Strange died in October 2006 at the age of 19

But despite also sending a copy of his death certificate, Mrs Strange was visited by bailiffs wanting to seize the vehicle and with a summons for Paul to appear in court.

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nigel_bytes

How can a a large organisation with such an important job, justify such incompetence and the number of incompetent people who must work there. Can no-one use common sense, to sort these problems out, before they go anywhere near the stages that they do?

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

Public service and common sense do not compute !

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

I agree with you there Jom but how has it got to be this bad. Are public services so corrupt and incompetent that they can justify allowing such ridiculous mistakes to happen, I see it when I deal with oure local council. No ONE person seems capable or willing to do any job without the help/back-up/permission of at least two other people.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

Hi everyone:

As promissed, My story has not only gone in one publication, it has to my surprise gone into 2 newspapers.
I have attached the online edition for you to have a read.

West Sussex News
This Is Sussex

Please can i ask you all to keep posting your complaints about the DVLA:
Send Your DVLA Complaints Here

http://www.thisissussex.co.uk/news/Moto ... ticle.html
A DVLA spokesman said: "Courts consider each case on its own merits and individual cases can differ depending on the evidence."


Yeah right and to hell with the costs of taking people to court eh ? Numpty !

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nigel_bytes