Cough up the £0.00 or we’ll fine you fivefold
A FURIOUS motorist has issued a warning to other drivers after the DVLA clamped her vehicle as she didn’t pay a car tax bill of £0.
Sharon Taylor was left unable to drive her low carbon emission one-litre Peugeot 208 after the DVLA clamped it because she hadn’t paid her road tax – despite the car being exempt.
The 46-year-old cabin crew member was then forced to pay £100 to have it removed and claims she was told by the DVLA she had an outstanding bill to pay – of zero.
Mum-of-one Sharon, from Kirkcaldy, was visiting her mum, who had suffered a heart attack, in hospital when her car was clamped.
She said: “I arrived to find both visitor car parks full. I parked my car on the street and it was not BY PAUL RODGER and PAUL McCABE illegally parked. My visit to the hospital only lasted about 20 minutes and when I returned to my car, I discovered it had been clamped.”
Sharon called the DVLA. She claims they told her the car was untaxed and had been clamped as she had an outstanding bill of zero to pay.
She added: “My car is below the carbon emission level so there is no value to my road tax.
“I told them this and they said I should have ‘paid’ it on their website anyway. They said I could receive a fine of up to five times the amount of my road tax.
“They actually sent me a bill for it, saying I owe them five times zero. It makes no sense.”
Sharon said she ended up with a £100 fine to have the clamp removed from her car. She has warned other motorists to register with the DVLA – even if they also owe nothing in road tax.
Sharon added: “I was infuriated as it was such a farce. I had received no reminder via email or through the post telling me I had to register.
“It is confusing and all in all it’s cost me £100.”
The DVLA said: “The law requires that a vehicle licence must be renewed on an annual or six-monthly basis. This applies to vehicles which have a nil rate of vehicle tax, meaning they do not attract a payment.
“This requirement helps us maintain accurate vehicle records, which is important for road safety purposes and traceability.
“We make it clear that all vehicles must be licensed.”