Lost V5, impending trip, stuck in Canada. Please advise

[redcoat]

I used to live in the Uk and left my CD200T with my granny. I SORN'ed it before I left for Canada a year ago. The Sorn reminder won't come in the mail till Oct. My Granny died 6 weeks ago, and the bike went to a family friend in Wales, as her house was sold. All the docs that were with the bike have, I have been told, been lost in moving the bike from Ganny's to Wales.

My friend in Wales, knowing of my planned trip to France in Sept, has had the bike MOT'ed (day's before granny dies). No problem getting insurance over the phone from my agent, and the docs mailed to my friend in Wales.

However, to get a tax disk, I need the V5, and it's gone.

I've filled out a V62 change of address, V5 replacement form, and posted it from here in Canada. I am told it will take 4 weeks or so. I worry that it will not get to the Welsh address in time for my trip, and that they will query why I am writing from Canada, asking for the V5 to go to a Welsh address.

I've communicated by e-mail with the DVLA. They are not forthcoming with advice. However, their website says I can get a tax disk by doing the V62 change of address form in person at a DVLA office, AS LONG AS I have evidence I live at that address. Little hard as I don't live there yet, and don't intend to, except collect the bike, wish the folks well, and head for the Med.

Q: Will I have problems in France or Italy with only insurnace, a tax disk and a receit from the DVLA that I applied for a V5? (if they give me such...)

Q: Can I get the DVLA to issue a temp V5 for travel on the spot or that day?

Q: How long does it take to get a V5 if I go into a DVLA office like Shrewsbury (I've been promised a ride there)- a day or so in the post? Weeks?

Q: How sticky will the DVLA be about proving my address? Bring the family friend along to vouch for me that I live at the same residence (sort of)?

Thanks forr reading this far. I get paranoid when it come to govt offices.

Justin

[markharf]

I don't have more than the faintest clue what you're talking about....but that won't stop me from offering advice.

First, express mail services are your friend when it comes to international bureaucratic finagling. If time is an issue, it's worth the price. If you want a local postmark, express mail the documents to your friend and ask him/her to stamp and drop them in the local mail. Think speed and efficiency, not cost.

Establishing residency is the sort of thing that is usually defined cleanly by the bureaucratic entity itself. You need to find out what will work; here in the states it's often a utility bill sent to you at the address in question. Once you know what they demand (ask them, not us!), you can figure out how to provide it.

Never waste time thinking about how ridiculous any of this is, or how your tax money is paying the salaries of all these uninformed, obstructionist and generally worthless bureaucrats. Focus on what they need (not a residence, but the appearance of one; certain documents mailed locally in a hurry) and figure out how to provide it for them. If you get discouraged, imagine trying to do this when you don't speak the language....or in India, Honduras, or Papua-New Guinea.

Hope that helps, somehow.

Mark

[KTMmartin]

You don't need a V5 to get a tax disk, you only need one to do it online or if you've lost the reminder.

If you go to a post office with the MOT, reminder letter and insurance cover slip they will issue you with a tax disk, including doing this via post. I know, because I don't have the V5 for my car.

How to tax your vehicle with a reminder : Directgov - Motoring

The reminder should come about 2 months before the SORN is due to expire.

edit: just reread the bit about SORN in October and leaving in Sept; you can apply for tax 2 months before hand:
Vehicle tax is due to expire while you're abroad : Directgov - Motoring
"Provided you’re the registered keeper of the vehicle, fill in a V62 ‘Application for a Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5C)’ which must be accompanied by £25 (fee for a duplicate Registration Certificate). Include this with your tax application. You can only apply at your nearest DVLA local office."

[henryuk]

Originally Posted by redcoat

Q: Can I get the DVLA to issue a temp V5 for travel on the spot or that day?

Yes you can, I got a temp registration certificate from a DVLA office with no problems, and had no problems at any borders with this as it has all the essential info for border purposes (make/model, number plate and chassis no).

The DVLA are a bunch of innefficient rude thieving gits!!!

[Chris Scott]

Q: Will I have problems in France or Italy with only insurnace, a tax disk and a receit from the DVLA that I applied for a V5? (if they give me such...)
No

[COLOR="rgb(255, 140, 0)"]Q: Can I get the DVLA to issue a temp V5 for travel on the spot or that day?
[/COLOR]
Yes, easy. I was in the same boat as you last year and got a temp V5

Q: How long does it take to get a V5 if I go into a DVLA office like Shrewsbury (I've been promised a ride there)- a day or so in the post? Weeks?
2-3 Weeks

[COLOR="rgb(255, 140, 0)"]Q: How sticky will the DVLA be about proving my address? Bring the family friend along to vouch for me that I live at the same residence (sort of)?[/COLOR]
Dont know - fake something, a bill...

If you're only going to Italy I doubt anyone will ever ask to see the V5, insurance or note the tax disc. Only passport.

So if you cant get any of this, don't worry, you will get through Euro borders but you won't be OTR legal. Out in the world of course it matters even less but you will need a V5 for sure.

Ch

[redcoat]

Thanks for the replies folks.

Damn I hope this works. I'll have the insurnace docs mailed to my address, my solicitor is writing to me there, and my family friend "landlord" is coming along to the DVLA to say I'm staying there, and obviously, as a new lodger, I won't have any utility bills.

Justin