Car impounded for VRT...

TheBigLebowski

Just wondering has anyone ever had theirs or know of anyone who has had their car impounded over non payment of VRT?

Our man in Havana

I have heard of it happening. I have seen sting operations where people are stopped leaving industrial estates etc.

Dr.Millah

When i was working over the summer, we were unloading a truck in the back of a yard in the industrial side of cork. There was aload of cars that had been impounded from no vrt just left there parked up.

TheBigLebowski

Bond-007 wrote: »

I have heard of it happening. I have seen sting operations where people are stopped leaving industrial estates etc.

Why industrial estates?

Our man in Havana

They target people leaving work. Generally at 4pm to 6pm weekdays.

TheBigLebowski

Bond-007 wrote: »

They target people leaving work. Generally at 4pm to 6pm weekdays.

Is 'they' the police or customs people?

crosstownk

TheBigLebowski wrote: »

Is 'they' the police or customs people?

Both - I past such a checkpoint in Leopardstown a few weeks back. There was a thread posted about it.

patrickc

they generally give a week to take it in, but if you leave it after that yes i've heard of cars ebing impounded then

drdre

Its happened to my friends dads A8,It was seized and wasnt returned for nearly 1 year.Also another family friend got a hand signal from the customs to stop (in foxrock) but he just sped off.That was hilarious when i heard that happened and then he parked his car underground for afew weeks and brought it out with a new style reg plate

TheBigLebowski

patrickc wrote: »

they generally give a week to take it in, but if you leave it after that yes i've heard of cars ebing impounded then

So they ask you to come in to the station and produce in a weeks time then or something?


DrDre, could yer man who had his car impounded not just go and pay the VRT to get his car back?

Anywho just wondering. A 'friend' hasn't paid his VRT yet and is wondering if and how he's gonna get done. He'll be paying it but would prefer to wait til the new year...

ninty9er

TheBigLebowski wrote: »

So they ask you to come in to the station and produce in a weeks time then or something?


DrDre, could yer man who had his car impounded not just go and pay the VRT to get his car back?

Anywho just wondering. A 'friend' hasn't paid his VRT yet and is wondering if and how he's gonna get done. He'll be paying it but would prefer to wait til the new year...

Until July I presume...

IF you get caught. HOW is that you're oficially given a certain period to register it and provide proof to customs or else the car is impounded....I believe they become property of the state after 12 months unclaimed (VRT unpaid)

bazz26

Happened to someone I know. He was stopped at a checkpoint one evening, told to pay the VRT within seven days or it would be taken off him. They took his details and sent him on his way. He put it on the long finger so about a week and a half later he was sitting down watching TV when he heard all this racket outside his front door. He went outside to investigate and was shocked to see that his beloved Audi A4 was being loaded onto a transporter by two guys from Customs, uniforms and all. They issued him some sort of summons stating that they were inpounding the car for not paying the VRT, etc. They were accompanied by two Gardai in a patrol car who told the guy that there was nothing he could do until he settled the outstanding VRT at his local VRO. This all happened on a Friday and he had to wait until Monday I think to get to the VRO. He also had to pay the impound charges though I think he managed to get them to drop one day's charge off of that.

drdre

TheBigLebowski wrote: »

So they ask you to come in to the station and produce in a weeks time then or something?


DrDre, could yer man who had his car impounded not just go and pay the VRT to get his car back?

Anywho just wondering. A 'friend' hasn't paid his VRT yet and is wondering if and how he's gonna get done. He'll be paying it but would prefer to wait til the new year...

No there was some other Tax case, do you remember it was in the papers about business men trying to avoid vrt and also if they try to avoid vrt the revenue will investigate their businesses.He was one of them sad men

_Kaiser_

TheBigLebowski wrote: »

Why industrial estates?

They used to do this in Ballycoolin (Blanchardstown) a fair bit. Reason? IBM, Xerox and Symantec are all there with lots of EMEA support/sales jobs which require lots of Germans, FRench, Italians etc - many of who bring over their own cars when they take the job.

Easy pickings!

OTK

Mate of mine had a car seized outside sandyford ind est under this legislation:
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2001/en/act/pub/0007/sec0140.html

he had to pay VRT plus a fine plus a charge per day for storage in the police pound.

The car was taken by garda traffic corps. Car was spotted while driving rather than stopped at a checkpoint.

he was guilty as sin.

TheBigLebowski

OTK wrote: »

Mate of mine had a car seized outside sandyford ind est under this legislation:
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2001/en/act/pub/0007/sec0140.html

he had to pay VRT plus a fine plus a charge per day for storage in the police pound.

The car was taken by garda traffic corps. Car was spotted while driving rather than stopped at a checkpoint.

he was guilty as sin.

Interesting. From your link, could some legally minded person translate this into idiot speak for me?

"(4) When a determination referred to in subsection (1), (2) or (3) has been made in respect of any excisable products, other goods, other thing or a vehicle or on the expiry of a period of one month from the date on which such products, goods, other thing or vehicle were or was detained under that subsection, whichever is the earlier, such products, goods, other thing or vehicle are to be either seized as liable to forfeiture under the Customs Acts or under section 141 , or released."

Does this mean you have a month to pay VRT or that after they seize your car, you have a month to pay before it becomes property of the state?

Esel

TheBigLebowski wrote: »

Interesting. From your link, could some legally minded person translate this into idiot speak for me?

"(4) When a determination referred to in subsection (1), (2) or (3) has been made in respect of any excisable products, other goods, other thing or a vehicle or on the expiry of a period of one month from the date on which such products, goods, other thing or vehicle were or was detained under that subsection, whichever is the earlier, such products, goods, other thing or vehicle are to be either seized as liable to forfeiture under the Customs Acts or under section 141 , or released."

Does this mean you have a month to pay VRT or that after they seize your car, you have a month to pay before it becomes property of the state?

I am not an idiot, so found this reasonably clear, for legalese.

Ta me anseo

If the car was registered to you while you were resident outside the state and you subsequently bring it into Ireland, you have 6 months to register the vehicle and pay VRT, except that if you have already owned the vehicle for 6 months or more then VRT is not due.

If you are resident in Ireland and have imported a car (bought abroad/delivered from abroad) you have 24 hours to register the vehicle and pay VRT.

There seems to be a huge crackdown on this stuff lately. There are huge amounts of cars from Eastern Europe in particular which have not been registered within the 6 months period although it is unlikely that many of these will have VRT due. Also, because of the large numbers of vehicles bought in the UK and NI, they tend to target them also.

Many have tried to use a friends address in the UK for 6 months and then try to register the vehicle after 6 months have passed, therefore avoiding VRT, but I have heard of Irish PAYE and other records (electoral rolls) being used to prove these claims false. How true these rumours are is another thing. What I do know is that if they want to get you they certainly can. Car will be impounded immediately (from wherever you happen to be at the time) and you will pay all kinds of costs to have it released.

Not worth the risk in my view. I'd rather pay the VRT and sleep soundly rather than going to bed at night hoping my car is still there in the morning.

Also, almost every insurance company will only cover you for a period of one month while driving on a UK registration. After that, your policy may well prove to be invalid should you wish to make a claim. Many companies will happily change your policy to reflect the UK reg but neglect to tell you that you won't be covered next month. In my case it was in the small print of my policy wording.

I really don't know if any of that is at all relevant to this discussion as I just didn't have the energy to read all the posts. If it's not - please ignore all after "If".

lm7

I had picked up a micra for the wife few years ago in newry uk reg. the next day we drove the kids to school. outside the school two customs men asked how long we had the car we told them we where going in to pay the duty when we where finished with the children. I thought it was a bit low stopping us at a school. I just brought in a mr2 1991 high milage had to pay 1180 vrt and had to give them my pps number. will never import anything legaly again.

JohnCleary

lm7 wrote: »

I had picked up a micra for the wife few years ago in newry uk reg. the next day we drove the kids to school. outside the school two customs men asked how long we had the car we told them we where going in to pay the duty when we where finished with the children. I thought it was a bit low stopping us at a school. I just brought in a mr2 1991 high milage had to pay 1180 vrt and had to give them my pps number. will never import anything legaly again.

You think that's bad? Customs pulled a UK reg car at Cong, Co. Mayo about 2 years back as a woman was dropping her kids off to school. They took the car then and there. Kids in school, and the poor mommy had to walk home

Guy:Incognito

JohnCleary wrote: »

You think that's bad? Customs pulled a UK reg car at Cong, Co. Mayo about 2 years back as a woman was dropping her kids off to school. They took the car then and there. Kids in school, and the poor mommy had to walk home

Ah bless her. Should have made sure he affairs were in order. No sympathy.

Our man in Havana

+1

One less on the school run. Yay!

Bendihorse

A friend was pulled in his Car on UK reg in Athlone, cop asked him why the yellow plate, he said he lives/works in the north (his job was cross border at the time. He did have a registered address in north alright, but was paying stamps in south)

Anyway, the cop told him he was impounding his car there and then pending investigation by customs, told him and his father to step out of the vehicle and drove it back to station without any further by or leave. (There is a cop in Athlone that has made this his particular vendetta, so if your illegally on a yellow plate - avoid this area)

Anyway, in the heel of the reel, he had to pay 3k + of a fine for non payment of VRT in order to remove the car from the compound and was given 7 days thereafter to sell it or clear it.

Hes currently trying to challenge it through whatever legal chanels are open to him, i told him that he should just suck it up and learn a lesson. They are now investigating all his tax affairs, even though hes just a normal joe soap with one job and no nixers going on. Its really not worth chancing it.

--amadeus--

Once those fellas get thier claws into you you will struggle to get out again, so it's probably not really worth it.

And I can't say i have an awful lot of time for people who get caught - VRT is criminally unfair and I can understand anyone who would rather not pay it but we've all had to settle up so why not you? The huge numbers of foreign reg'd cars (UK or other) driving around annoys me a fair bit. If you haven't paid the VRT then you're not paying road tax either and there has to be a question mark over insurance and even your license.

ejmaztec

I particularly like the way that they hound tourists and am not surprised when some of those tourists never come back.

whippet

ejmaztec wrote: »

I particularly like the way that they hound tourists and am not surprised when some of those tourists never come back.

have you any evidence of this? or did you just make it up?

rebel.ranter

I know someone driving for 2 years on UK plates and has been passing through check points with out of date UK road tax, never even been questioned. The VRT has dropped by €1800 plus he missed €1400 x 2 years road tax.
Do I agree with what he did? I'm not really sure. I don't agree with VRT, but then again I don't agree with breaking the law...

I was too chicken so I paid VRT on my car after 4 days.
(Bought it on a Friday cleared on a Tuesday before any of you pedantics mention I broke the law by not paying it within 24 hours ).

ejmaztec

whippet wrote: »

have you any evidence of this? or did you just make it up?

Did I make it up?:mad:

When the customs were looking for some money from me, some years ago, I was bumping into them on a regular basis. I happened to be in the centre of Listowel one summer and recognised a couple of guys heading towards a UK registered car. The people in the car were on their annual holiday and were a bit miffed to have to put up with some tactless individuals questioning them in the middle of a car-park. I stood back and watched. When the customs men had finished, the tourists were visibly angry.

Recognising the customs men, as I did, I spotted them in various places over the summer months, approaching various people in various car-parks.

Bendihorse

rebel.ranter wrote: »

I know someone driving for 2 years on UK plates and has been passing through check points with out of date UK road tax, never even been questioned. The VRT has dropped by €1800 plus he missed €1400 x 2 years road tax.
Do I agree with what he did? I'm not really sure. I don't agree with VRT, but then again I don't agree with breaking the law...

Your friend will continue with the gamble until he gets caught, its ok saying 'i got away with it for ''x'' amount of time', thinking its great then clearing it at a point. But he's going to keep going and keep taking about the saving until hes nabbed. Does he plan on driving it uncleared forever boasting about the all the money he 'wont' hand over?

He SHOULD cut his gains at some point before it becomes losses and then who starts to look like a fool? Not you

Its not really a 'saving' anyway unless he actually clears it at SOME point. As a wise man once said 'i hope it stays fine for him'

BnA

ejmaztec wrote: »

Did I make it up?:mad:

When the customs were looking for some money from me, some years ago, I was bumping into them on a regular basis. I happened to be in the centre of Listowel one summer and recognised a couple of guys heading towards a UK registered car. The people in the car were on their annual holiday and were a bit miffed to have to put up with some tactless individuals questioning them in the middle of a car-park. I stood back and watched. When the customs men had finished, the tourists were visibly angry.

Recognising the customs men, as I did, I spotted them in various places over the summer months, approaching various people in various car-parks.

Please allow me to translate that post.

"I had a run in with the customs because I was trying to avoid paying VRT or some other kind of import duty. Therefore, I don't like them.

I saw them questioning some genuine UK tourists in a carpark in Tralee one summer.

I also saw them other times that summer doing their job.

Therefore (and I'm not biased here) I feel I can say that they have hassled numerous tourists who will never come back to this country again"

end of translation

ejmaztec

rebel.ranter wrote: »

I know someone driving for 2 years on UK plates and has been passing through check points with out of date UK road tax, never even been questioned. The VRT has dropped by €1800 plus he missed €1400 x 2 years road tax.
Do I agree with what he did? I'm not really sure. I don't agree with VRT, but then again I don't agree with breaking the law...

I was too chicken so I paid VRT on my car after 4 days.
(Bought it on a Friday cleared on a Tuesday before any of you pedantics mention I broke the law by not paying it within 24 hours ).

Wouldn't they have checked his UK log-book, residence status etc., then back-dated the VRT, or given that he'd been driving VRTless, confiscated the vehicle?