Tax expiry April 07 on car, should I be worried

dnme

Viewed a corolla today,

Did a check online that states the tax expired April, 07, I queried this with mywheels.ie and they have comfirmed it after making a few checks themselves. I did ask owner when it was last taxed and she said "it might have a been a year or so ago".....

I brought mechanic along and a checklist. everything checks out ok, mech said timing belt will need doing and clutch is 60% worn. He gave the rest of it thumbs up and it drove beautifully.

But I am worried about last tax expiry. Owner got a new car and so this car has obviously been sitting idle for nearly three years. Should I be worried about this?

colm_mcm

you did the right thing by bringing it to a mechanic, I'd be changing coolant and giving it a good service. check the tyres aren't perished if it hasn't been moved.

Didn't you buy a Corolla last week too?

dnme

Colm,

Yes, I bought a pile of crap last week, remember this - http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055793612

Regarding that first car, he has agreed to take the dam thing back, I am praying he will keep his word on that. He has already started pawning me off with stories and excuses.

Anyway, onto this new car.It was serviced at xmas, oil looks very clean, water has fresh coolant, all good tyres. The body is clean with one or 2 spots of rust, the wheels are quite rusty which would suport the fact that it has been sitting idle.

Is it ok for a car to sit for three years?

It has a brand new NCT (2 years)

jhegarty

You will have to wait for the log book to tax it , so plan to have it off the road for a few weeks if you buy it.

Don't even think about driving it with the tax that far out.

colm_mcm

If it's been through an NCT and been properly serviced then that's good. check the sidewalls of the tyres, there may be loads of tread but they may still be bad. the NCT *should* have picked up on it though.

Hopefully your mechanic didn't give the last Corolla the thumbs-up too

dnme

colm_mcm wrote: »

Hopefully your mechanic didn't give the last Corolla the thumbs-up too

No he wasn't involved

dnme

jhegarty wrote: »

You will have to wait for the log book to tax it , so plan to have it off the road for a few weeks if you buy it.

Don't even think about driving it with the tax that far out.

Why not? If I'm stopped can't I explain that its just been bought and that I am awaiting log book? aren't you allowed a months grace?

colm_mcm

dnme wrote: »

aren't you allowed a months grace?

no.

jhegarty

dnme wrote: »

Why not? If I'm stopped can't I explain that its just been bought and that I am awaiting log book? aren't you allowed a months grace?

In theory there is no grace.

It practice there can be , but this car is 3 years out , so I wouldn't expect to drive off from a checkpoint.

dnme

no worries, owner says they will put 3 months on it

barney 20v

You will have a period of about 21 days after date of purchase to sort the tax...
If it takes 2 weeks or more as it sometimes does for the tax book to be mailed to you how are you supposed to tax the car? ?
Most cops are familiar with these circumstances and are fairly relaxed about it.. if the car had no tax under a previous owner it is not your concern.
you are only responsible from the day you had the car registered in your name!
ALSO.... if the car was laid up for a number of years it should have been declared as "off the road" by a cop.

jhegarty

barney 20v wrote: »

You will have a period of about 21 days after date of purchase to sort the tax...
If it takes 2 weeks or more as it sometimes does for the tax book to be mailed to you how are you supposed to tax the car? ?
Most cops are familiar with these circumstances and are fairly relaxed about it.. if the car had no tax under a previous owner it is not your concern.
you are only responsible from the day you had the car registered in your name!
ALSO.... if the car was laid up for a number of years it should have been declared as "off the road" by a cop.

The law may be an ass, but they can take your car if they want.

colm_mcm

dnme wrote: »

no worries, owner says they will put 3 months on it

Wouldn't like to be them signing it off the road since 2007!

dnme

colm_mcm wrote: »

Wouldn't like to be them signing it off the road since 2007!

what do you mean?

colm_mcm

as in, they have to go to a Garda station and convince them that the car hasn't been used in a public place since 2007. hard enough one to pull off. not impossible by any means.

stimpson

I got a reg document in the post this morning - took less than a week.

corktina

biggest worry would be the tyres, id change them . Had one blow out on me in similar circumsatnces, looked perfect and I was lucky to get away with it at motorway speed! Opposite one developed a bulge the next day....

pvt.joker

colm_mcm wrote: »

as in, they have to go to a Garda station and convince them that the car hasn't been used in a public place since 2007. hard enough one to pull off. not impossible by any means.

they really shouldnt need convincing. Its not their job to query whether youve driven it, theyre merely witnessing you declaring it as being off the road. They cant really refuse to sign it.
Now they may check PULSE to see if the car has been checked out for anything recently, and if it shows as being stopped or something within the time you say you were off the road....then you might have questions to answer.

colm_mcm

I've had a job convincing them before, and that was on new cars that were off the road for a few days before the start of a month.