Repatriating a UK registered van with no MOT

[Lizbiebrowne]

There's a motorhome I'm interested in buying in Portugal. It's UK registered with an expired MOT and no road tax. How would I get it back to the UK? I understand that once I'm in the UK I can legally drive it untaxed and without a MOT to a testing station for a pre-booked appointment but can it be legally driven to Santander or Bilboa for the ferry home?

 

[pappajohn]

Also, @Clive Bishop in Post#44 states that 'Sorry, you can't tow a vehicle in Spain, it has to be moved by a Grua.' so how is a 'Toad' behind a M/H legal?

It's isn't legal
A motor vehicle CANNOT be towed behind another motor vehicle in most, if not all, EU countries.
Even the Grua have to use a trailer or flatbed.

 

[Northernraider]

I didn't say it was right to drive without a valid MOT (and personally I wouldn't) but not having an MOT doesn't automatically invalidate insurance as many appear to think. Driving without insurance is a red-line.

In the situation of the OP perhaps a local garage would give a written opinion regarding roadworthiness pointing out any major / dangerous defects? I would want to have that done before agreeing to a purchase in any case. Getting the van back to the UK I think transport is the only safe option, well it would be for me.

And I agree with your Mum that it is far better to stay well into the white / right side of the law.

I can categorically confirm , an expired mot does NOT invalidate insurance.

Tried and tested

 

[Northernraider]

Unfortunately trade plates do not cover MOT or insurance, only road tax. Also driving a vehicle with no MOT unless pre booked for MOT COULD invalidate your insurance so could theoretically be impounded.

Fixed that for you

 

[Northernraider]

All in all it looks to be more trouble and cost than it's worth, but it's going to be the same problem for anyone buying it , unless it's very special or very cheap it's going to end up scrap price.
Why is it there with no tax or mot.?

There are literally hundreds of UK registered vehicles in Spain and Portugal with expired mot's.

Many in daily use.

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[Barclaybasher]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.cuvva.com/how-insurance-works/can-you-insure-a-car-without-an-mot&ved=2ahUKEwj3w9m1w8f_AhXPz4sKHe9GBtoQFnoECB8QAQ&usg=AOvVaw371G8VhvRADQd73rCR6-de

All you need to know

 

[Northernraider]

Yeah but why?

There is at least one couple on here who now live in Portugal and their UK registered motorhome had not been back in the UK for years. Mot had expired , it may still be there , it may even be the one in question.

There's many reasons why the vehicles haven't been back.

Could be ill health, mechanical issues. Lack of time , finances etc etc.

I drove a car up from London back in 2013 with no mot , I'd just bought it and I was driving it on the exsisting/previous owners insurance using the 3rd party cover ( driving other vehicles condition ) on my own policy .

I got stopped in Carlisle by a traffic car.

I of course showed him the receipt I had from seller showing time date of sale

He wasn't interested in the mot or sorn aspect whatsoever , he did however state the insurance cover was a grey risky area and simply advised caution for the rest of my journey.

It was motd 2 days later


Think it depends on the person


But as stated already an mot certificate does not and cannot prove roadworthiness after the initial test.

And there are hundreds of historic vehicles on UK roads that haven't been near an mot station in years.


Lots of grey areas


But insurance is not invalid simply because an mot has expired.

That's a fact

 

[gpat]

Who can judge, (without having an accident) what is 'roadworthy and safe' a 17yr old lad for instance?

errr? The Police if they stop you. The police if you have an accident. It is the drivers legal responsibility to ensure that a vehicle is safe to drive at all times. If a 17old lad can't do that he should not be driving.

The debate wasn't about whether the IOM should have an MOT test or not. Personally I think it should but its not going to change anytime soon and that's a different matter.

I can drive my IOM registered vehicle in Spain without an MOT because there is no MOT. I can't drive my UK registered vehicle in Spain without an MOT. If either vehicle were unroadworthy and I was stopped or had an accident I could be prosecuted.

Did you know that some Scottish Islands have no MOT test centres and therefore you can legally drive on that Island without an MOT (or at least that used to be the case). You can't drive it off the Island though.

 

[L' Hobo]

errr? The Police if they stop you. The police if you have an accident. It is the drivers legal responsibility to ensure that a vehicle is safe to drive at all times. If a 17old lad can't do that he should not be driving.

The debate wasn't about whether the IOM should have an MOT test or not. Personally I think it should but its not going to change anytime soon and that's a different matter.

I can drive my IOM registered vehicle in Spain without an MOT because there is no MOT. I can't drive my UK registered vehicle in Spain without an MOT. If either vehicle were unroadworthy and I was stopped or had an accident I could be prosecuted.

Did you know that some Scottish Islands have no MOT test centres and therefore you can legally drive on that Island without an MOT (or at least that used to be the case). You can't drive it off the Island though.

But the Scottish Island issue is because they are privately owned, I think, even if that's by all the inhabitants.
That isn't the case in the IOM, is it?

 

[gpat]

But the Scottish Island issue is because they are privately owned, I think, even if that's by all the inhabitants.
That isn't the case in the IOM, is it?

No, as I understand it in Scotland, if the Island you are on doesn't have a testing station you don't need to have one. You can apply for an exemption. The Islands I am talking about are Scottish Islands which are part of the United Kingdom (for the moment anyway).

Vehicles used exclusively on certain islands or other areas mainly surrounded by water, being an island or area from which motor vehicles, unless constructed for special purposes can at no time be conveniently driven to a road in any other part of the United Kingdom by reason of the absence of any bridge, tunnel, ford or other way suitable for the passage of such motor vehicle are exempt from the requirement for a VT20 Certificate to obtain a tax disc.

The Isle of Man is a Crown dependency with its own laws and taxes. There is no MOT.

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[chaser]

So what does the op think about it, is it worth the effort?

 

[L' Hobo]

No, as I understand it in Scotland, if the Island you are on doesn't have a testing station you don't need to have one. You can apply for an exemption. The Islands I am talking about are Scottish Islands which are part of the United Kingdom (for the moment anyway).

Vehicles used exclusively on certain islands or other areas mainly surrounded by water, being an island or area from which motor vehicles, unless constructed for special purposes can at no time be conveniently driven to a road in any other part of the United Kingdom by reason of the absence of any bridge, tunnel, ford or other way suitable for the passage of such motor vehicle are exempt from the requirement for a VT20 Certificate to obtain a tax disc.

The Isle of Man is a Crown dependency with its own laws and taxes. There is no MOT.

I have just been speaking to a friend of mine who, some time ago, was a Policeman in Sutherland (in the North of Scotland) and his Nephew, at the same time, was the Police Sargent over Mull. and he said, roughly the same thing which was .....there are 790 Privately Owned islands in Scotland (no I didn't believe it either until I Googled it) and, as long as their owned vehicles do not leave the island, they did not need Tax, Insurance, MOT nor the driver, hold a driving licence. simply because it is PRIVATE land (just like one's back yard.)

It's only on the 'Kings Highway' (or public right of way) that these are needed. However, he was of the opinion, that should an IOM vehicle be involved in a serious crash on a UK road, the IOM vehicle would come under intense scrutiny and would have to be nearly 100% roadworthy IF it didn't have a MOT to avoid prosecution for 'something'. (It was only an opinion.)

He was also sure that, ALL Scottish islands were part of the UK (Rockall did try and get Independence some time ago but didn't succeed.)

Thanks for you info, much appreciated!

Sorry to others for the thread drift but I thought it was interesting.

 

[gpat]

I have just been speaking to a friend of mine who, some time ago, was a Policeman in Sutherland (in the North of Scotland) and his Nephew, at the same time, was the Police Sargent over Mull. and he said, roughly the same thing which was .....there are 790 Privately Owned islands in Scotland (no I didn't believe it either until I Googled it) and, as long as their owned vehicles do not leave the island, they did not need Tax, Insurance, MOT nor the driver, hold a driving licence. simply because it is PRIVATE land (just like one's back yard.)

It's only on the 'Kings Highway' (or public right of way) that these are needed. However, he was of the opinion, that should an IOM vehicle be involved in a serious crash on a UK road, the IOM vehicle would come under intense scrutiny and would have to be nearly 100% roadworthy IF it didn't have a MOT to avoid prosecution for 'something'. (It was only an opinion.)

He was also sure that, ALL Scottish islands were part of the UK (Rockall did try and get Independence some time ago but didn't succeed.)

Thanks for you info, much appreciated!

Sorry to others for the thread drift but I thought it was interesting.

It is interesting. I am sure everyone is rivetted to our discussion

Just to add few points.

1. Not sure if you have got it that some Scottish Islands that are not private, are UK and have Kings Highways, can be legally driven on without an MOT. Yell and Unst in Shetland are 2 that I know of.

2. Any vehicle that is involved in a serious accident is scrutinised if it is suspected that it was defective.

3. It's hard to believe, but despite have roads with no speed limits, no MOTs and lots of motorbikes, the death rate per km of road in the IOM is less than the UK.

4. MOTs only test the car on one day and the other 364 are untested. Although I do agree with MOTs

5. There has not been any record of death caused by a defective vehicle in the IOM.

6. Whilst there are no MOTs, there are random road side checks where the police and government testings stop suspicious looking cars and inspect them. If there are signs if defects they are taken to a testing station and if found to be serious, impounded until made right. They are retested.
7. Any imported car more than 3 years old has to be tested.
8. Commercial vehicles over 3.5t have to have an annual test.

 

[RobertJary]

I insured a French registered Volvo XC60 for a month on the vehicle chassis number with Acorn Insurance last November. This included taking the car from the UK to Spain (Portsmouth to Santander) for ITV (Spanish MOT) and matriculation. The car had a current French MOT equivalent.

 

[corconx]

There's a motorhome I'm interested in buying in Portugal. It's UK registered with an expired MOT and no road tax. How would I get it back to the UK? I understand that once I'm in the UK I can legally drive it untaxed and without a MOT to a testing station for a pre-booked appointment but can it be legally driven to Santander or Bilboa for the ferry home?

I haven’t read it all, if it’s in Spain, does he have Spanish insurance and a Spanish MOT equivalent? If so would it not be possible for him to put you on the insurance to get you to your port of exit?

If not, perhaps you could go to a garage and ask about borrowing some of their plates or maybe try to get some export plates?

Carol.