Foriegn plated cars on our roads?

Biro

ned78 wrote:

Who says they're not insured?

Read the first post again. Slowly this time. The guy at his workplace is boasting about being uninsured for 4 years here.

snaps

Spoke to a guy in Galway. He took all relevent details but insisted we give his home address. That I do not know but told them where he works, parks the car etc. He said he will pass it on to the outdoor officers! We will see what happens?

fmul9798

snaps: any chance you could PM me the contact details? - I have a number of Galway "problem cases" also....

Tanabe

kbannon wrote:

There isn't a loophole - the law is quite clear. People are simply and openly breaking the law. if someone is moving here and wants to bring their car then they must register with the VRO. If their stay is less than 12 months then they will not have to register it here nor will they have to pay VRT. The majority of people bringing in a car (when they are comng to work) do not make any contact with the VRO.

Appologies. Loophole was the wrong word to use. But those who choose to ignore & break the law should be dealt with accordingly.

Sidenote: Let's suppose you have somebody driving around here for the last 2 years on their foreign registered plates. Let's suppose they actually get stopped & questioned by the Gardai. The guard asks: "How long have you been in the Country"? To which they reply: "We've only just arrived today"! "We're acutally on our way to the nearest VRO office now guard, honest"!!

How can the Gardai tell for sure when they actually arrived?

Victor_M

Tanabe wrote:

How can the Gardai tell for sure when they actually arrived?

They can't, AFAIK, the Gardai can do shag all about them even if they wanted to, unless they are caught red handed breaking the law. So as I mentioned earlier after a lot of persistence, I found out the only way of effectively dealing with then is via Custioms and excise. I informed the C & E guys how long I was aware of the cars being in the country, I presume he put this to them and asked for documentation to prove they were here for less than the permitted time. If they can't produce it - Cars Impounded.

As a foot note to this what prompted me to nail them in the first place was the amount of Drunk driving I witnessed by them, I called the Gardai loads of times and as I only every saw them parking their cars arse ways on their gardens/roads/driveways and staggering into their houses. The Gardai could do nothing about them. According to the Sergeant in Blanchardstown station over 50% of all drink driving offences in West dublin were Eastern European/Russians. That is a scary figure even if it's slightly exagerated by him (That is what I was told before anyone jumps down my throat)

Sizzler

Victor_M wrote:

They can't, AFAIK, the Gardai can do shag all about them even if they wanted to, unless they are caught red handed breaking the law. So as I mentioned earlier after a lot of persistence, I found out the only way of effectively dealing with then is via Custioms and excise. I informed the C & E guys how long I was aware of the cars being in the country, I presume he put this to them and asked for documentation to prove they were here for less than the permitted time. If they can't produce it - Cars Impounded.

There might be a few more cars impounded then in the next few weeks...starting with Snaps 'mate' !

Seth Brundle

Victor_M wrote:

If Customs & Excise Knocks on the door of an Eastern European household and they have a legitimate reason to have their cars in Ireland for 3 years without registering, then they have nothing to worry about!

Given that the law for foreign drivers coming in to work here and bringing their car is quite clear then there is no excuse.
Anyone is soming here on a non-temporary basis must register with the VRO. Once registered then they are traceable in case of accidents etc. If they don't register then they are driving illegally and the car can be siezed and crushed and according to a garda friend, this *is* happening.

snaps

Just been wondering? How far can VRT inspectors look into a case? If someone gets stopped and they say they are just here on holiday etc, how can a customs guy check? If the driver says he cant speak english or all his documents are in another language will they slip through?

Can they check bank accounts, Social welfare, Paye, PRSI payments to see how long the driver has been in the country living, working etc.

How can they check how long a car has been in the country even if the driver has been here so much longer but been back to buy the car and bring back over?

peasant

I suppose they just reverse the burden of proof unto you

maidhc

Alun wrote:

Or is this one of those oft quoted, but ultimately unprovable, "I heard from a friend of my uncle who heard it from a taxi driver" style boards.ie urban myths?

No an officer of the MIBI told me actually. Nice person.

TBH people shouild be aware of this website:
http://www.mibi.ie/mibipublic/mibi/

and in particular the requirment that a Garda must be notified within 2 days of any accident before pursuing a claim from them.

snaps

Still no news at my end about my problem case I reported. Ill give it till new year and then Ill ring the guy in Dublin.

Sizzler

Id say they are on a go slow for xmas to be fair, also though Id imagine they would give the chap a few weeks to comply then he'll be getting another visit, and if that happens the car will probably be confiscated.

I'll let you know how my 'test case' goes too ! Its defo worth their while as the car in question is an Audi A8 :eek:

snaps

well since being reported, nothing has been done about this culprit. I know it was Xmas & new year, but he still driving around as proud as punch. i gave the customs officers all the details they needed. handed this guy to them on a plate.

md99

snaps wrote:

well since being reported, nothing has been done about this culprit. I know it was Xmas & new year, but he still driving around as proud as punch. i gave the customs officers all the details they needed. handed this guy to them on a plate.

And this is your co-worker? What's your personal vendetta?

He's driving for 4 years without doing anything... ha! That's hilarious. Fair play to him. Boasting about it is not kosher, why not just raise his awareness over getting caught?

Manic Moran

For the sake of a daft question, do Irish policies not have 'uninsured motorist' coverage?

NTM

is_that_so

md99 wrote:

And this is your co-worker? What's your personal vendetta?

He's driving for 4 years without doing anything... ha! That's hilarious. Fair play to him. Boasting about it is not kosher, why not just raise his awareness over getting caught?

No fair play involved. Was hit by an uninsured driver and it cost £2000. No fun at all. Seeing car tax is back-dated they should make him pay all his insurance as well. Such a pity we still think that getting away with it is to be admired. That's where our tribunals have come from.

snaps

No personal vendetta mate, Just I have paid all my taxes, insurance etc, even brought in a UK car 8 years ago and got stung by serious VRT (On a Fiat Punto which i brought for £7000 stg & when i brought it in it was valued at £11500punts, at the time it was a pound for a punt in exchange rate).

Where I live here in Galway, the amount of foriegn cars driving around for years is unreal and this guy always boasts about him getting away with not having to pay any money like we have to when its ever brought up in conversation (E.g some one has renewed their insurance).

After getting advice from most here to report him, I did (Didnt feel great about it), Gave the VRT guys in flood street here all the details of where he works, who he works for, how long he has been here, which way he drives to work, the street he lives on) Nothing seems to have been followed up by customs.

Tanabe

Seems like they couldn't be arsed chasing the foreign registered plates......just goes to show you what they're making from the normal Joe Soap who buys his car here/imports one & takes the serious riding of paying vrt.

What's to stop us all from doing the same? Is that what it would take?!

Sizzler

Still havent heard anything about my local case either...must give them a little nudge to remind them

md99

snaps wrote:

No personal vendetta mate, Just I have paid all my taxes, insurance etc, even brought in a UK car 8 years ago and got stung by serious VRT (On a Fiat Punto which i brought for £7000 stg & when i brought it in it was valued at £11500punts, at the time it was a pound for a punt in exchange rate).

Where I live here in Galway, the amount of foriegn cars driving around for years is unreal and this guy always boasts about him getting away with not having to pay any money like we have to when its ever brought up in conversation (E.g some one has renewed their insurance).

After getting advice from most here to report him, I did (Didnt feel great about it), Gave the VRT guys in flood street here all the details of where he works, who he works for, how long he has been here, which way he drives to work, the street he lives on) Nothing seems to have been followed up by customs.

I see where you're coming from... You must have just been unlucky with the timing/person you talked to. Try again..

Or you could remind him of what happens if he gets in an accident?

Sizzler

md99 wrote:

I see where you're coming from... You must have just been unlucky with the timing/person you talked to. Try again..

Or you could remind him of what happens if he gets in an accident?

Pi55 poor that they dont take it more serious.

One for the local TD perhaps They'll obly be short of making your dinner with the election coming up lol

snaps

snaps wrote:

I used to see lots of UK (Mainland and NI) plates here but nowadays hardly any.

Probably because they have all reregistered, a couple of years ago (while on holiday) our car was "checked" had to prove we were not living in the country.

I know of other UK/NI drivers who have also been targetted, soft targets as we speak the same language....

kbannon

kbannon wrote:

head up towards the border and you should see loads of UK cars with similar plates. There you would find plenty of Southern cars with orange rear plates.

Are orange rear plates legal?

snaps

been over a month now and nothing has happened to this guy. Seems the Customs are not interested in tip offs, so looks like we are being made mugs out of paying all this VRT. Perhpas I should book a flight out to eastern europe and bring a car back. If I ever get stopped put some stupid accent on and say I dont understand and mumble "Holiday" and I will be on my way! Only outgoing then would be petrol!

Victor_M

Snaps, call them again, if you are not satisfied ask to speak to his manager/supervisor. Ask him why he hasn't done anything/ when will he be doing something, make sure you get his name and let him know you will be following up. Persistance is needed with some of these 'hard working' civil servants!

snaps

looks like us in Galway have the green light to go ahead and purchase cars with european plates (Not uk as i know people been caught with NI & GB plates) and bring them over. I have given up on customs now as I handed them a guy on a plate (Nearly 2months ago) that had been driving on a foriegn plated car for the past 2 years here. I know of a few other people that reported other cars as well and nothing has been done.

Enough was enough for me on friday when i mentioned during a conversation that my tax was up at the end of this month and it was going to cost €400 & the guy replied to us that quote "thats one thing i dont have to worry about, same as insurance either or getting the car tested for nct"

I had to leave the room.

Perhaps i should firebomb his car and then he has nothing. No insurance on a 2 year old car. Then perhaps at last i would have the last laugh??????

No of course not, justice would see me in the courts.

Keith186

Manic Moran wrote: »

For the sake of a daft question, do Irish policies not have 'uninsured motorist' coverage?

NTM

Yes, they do. If an uninsured driver or tourist hits your vehicle the MIBI will pay your claim. They're not liable to pay for property (car) damage for uninsured drivers, only bodily injury.
Everyone who buys motor insurance pays towards a fund to compensate victims of uninsured drivers, so you essentially are paying for their damage.
Think it's roughly €35/40 of your premium goes to this these days. If there were less claims cos of uninsured this would go down.

PS This fund is for hit n runs also.

Keith186

snaps wrote: »

Perhaps i should firebomb his car and then he has nothing. No insurance on a 2 year old car. Then perhaps at last i would have the last laugh??????

No of course not, justice would see me in the courts.

That'd be a great laugh although you couldn't tell anyone about it

DonJose

Keith186 wrote: »

Yes, they do. If an uninsured driver or tourist hits your vehicle the MIBI will pay your claim. They're not liable to pay for property (car) damage for uninsured drivers, only bodily injury.
Everyone who buys motor insurance pays towards a fund to compensate victims of uninsured drivers, so you essentially are paying for their damage.
Think it's roughly €35/40 of your premium goes to this these days. If there were less claims cos of uninsured this would go down.

PS This fund is for hit n runs also.

Keith do you realise your just answered 2 posts from January 2007

Max_Damage

^ Better late than never, eh?