TV licence not required

In message on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:45:42 +0000
Ian Jackson wrote:

In message , brightside S9
writes

On Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:38:16 -0000, Terry Casey
wrote:

In message on Mon, 14 Feb
2011 19:01:01 +
0000
Steve the Tyke wrote:


I believe it is the case that foreign vehicles - especially European
ones - can drive freely on our roads and only pay for the fuel.


I think that, if they stay in the country for more than three months,
they are supposed
to be re-registered in the UK and are then treated like any other UK
registered vehicle.
I say 'supposed' because I'm sure I keep seeing the same Polish and
other east European
plates around here for months on end ...

When I was at school. we had an exchange teacher from the US. He went
on a tour of Europe
at Easter and came back with a new Volvo. This was at the time when
Sweden still drove on
the left but close enough to the changeover for all new cars to be
left hand drive.

He had to get the car out of the country before the end of the summer
term because, if it
had stayed here for three months, he would have had to pay UK taxes
plus import duty on
it ...

See
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...cle/ImportingA
ndExportingAVehicle/DG_10014623
for most of the answers

That's an interesting restriction.
"UK residents are not allowed to use a foreign registered vehicle on UK
roads. The exception is when a UK resident:
* is employed or self-employed in another EU member state
* uses a EU registered company car temporarily in the UK for
business purposes."

So presumably, if a French friend comes over on holiday, and we both go
off together touring around the UK in his car for a few days, I am not
allowed to share the driving (regardless of any implications about
insurance etc)? As I would be being prevented from driving purely
because I was British, I would have thought that the EC would have some
objections to that restriction.

It would seem to agree with the law in the Netherlands as posted by Martin earlier in
this thread, so perhaps it is standard within the EU?

I note it says "UK residents are not allowed to use ..." rather than drive, though.

This would all hinge on the definition of "use". If you travel in the car as a passenger,
are you 'using' it? And, if not, perhaps you can drive it without being deemed to 'use'
it?

What if you drive the car when your French friend is not in it - does that make a
difference?

Is there a lawyer in the house?

--

Terry

In message on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:15:32 +
0100
Martin wrote:

On Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:01:43 -0000, Terry Casey wrote:

In message on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:01:58 +
0100
Martin wrote:

On Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:38:16 -0000, Terry Casey wrote:

In message on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:01:01 +
0000
Steve the Tyke wrote:


I believe it is the case that foreign vehicles - especially European
ones - can drive freely on our roads and only pay for the fuel.


I think that, if they stay in the country for more than three months, they are supposed
to be re-registered in the UK and are then treated like any other UK registered vehicle.

and pay tax?


Yes


They have to meet UK vehicle standards before they can be imported.


So, if somebody 'visits' the UK with a car and (legally - EU citizen) stays longer than
three months, they have to send thier car back home ...?

or import it.


Even if they intend to return home, rather than take up permanent residence ...?

Would a cheap day trip to Calais every 89 days resolve the problem ...?

Surely 'UK vehicle standards' require the steering wheel to be on the right?

No.


I;'ve seen plenty of LHD cars with UK registrations (and RHD cars with European
registrations on the continent.)

I say 'supposed' because I'm sure I keep seeing the same Polish and other east European
plates around here for months on end ...

In the Netherlands it is illegal for a resident to drive a foreign registered
vehicle.


But when does a 'visitor' become a 'resident'?

Look up Domicile on the appropriate UK government web site.



When I was at school. we had an exchange teacher from the US. He went on a tour of Europe
at Easter and came back with a new Volvo. This was at the time when Sweden still drove on
the left but close enough to the changeover for all new cars to be left hand drive.

He had to get the car out of the country before the end of the summer term because, if it
had stayed here for three months, he would have had to pay UK taxes plus import duty on
it ...

Only if caught. Normally the police just give a warning.


A US citizen, importing a brand new car into the UK in the days before RORO ferries?

Depends on what he told the customs guy.


Well, he would have stated that the car was only being imported temporily, otherwise he
would have had to pay up when he brought the car into the UK. Another possible
complication might have been that he had been resident here for 8 months.

If the car had not been exported again within the time limit, I'm sure HM Customs and
Excise would have chased him for the tax and duty.


Would hardly have slipped through the net, unlike today ...

Nobody has ever asked me if I intend to leave my Dutch registered car in UK when
I pass through a UK port.


But you are (presumably) an EU citizen moving freely between EU member states.

In 1959, the UK was not in the EEC and the car was being imported by an alien who wasn't
even European.

--

Terry

On Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:01:43 -0000, Terry Casey
wrote:



Surely 'UK vehicle standards' require the steering wheel to be on the right?

AFAIK, you cannot register a LHD vehicle anywhere in Australia other
than the Northern Territories.

Preventing someone using/registering a LHD vehicle in the UK would
probably contravene the Human Rights Act :-( - Not to mention the fact
that such a law would immediately put out of business all those Essex
compamies that hire out tasteful stretched limo's
--
Cheers

Peter

(Reply-to address is a spam trap, please reply to the group)

On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:11:07 +0100, Martin wrote:

30 years ago, my wife imported a Peugeot 104 into The Netherlands from Belgium.
The Dutch inspector claimed the car identification number of the car was located
in the wrong place. Being told not to talk ******** made him change his mind.

You did well. Most people find that has the opposite effect on the
peaked cap brigade.
--
Geoff Berrow (Put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs www.4theweb.co.uk/rfdmaker

Ian Jackson wrote:
: That's an interesting restriction.
: "UK residents are not allowed to use a foreign registered vehicle on UK
: roads. The exception is when a UK resident:
: * is employed or self-employed in another EU member state
: * uses a EU registered company car temporarily in the UK for
: business purposes."

: So presumably, if a French friend comes over on holiday, and we both go
: off together touring around the UK in his car for a few days, I am not
: allowed to share the driving (regardless of any implications about
: insurance etc)?

"Only if the Police got interested" is, I think, the answer in practice!

This restriction came up frequently when self-import of cars was far more
common (about 10 years ago). You generally got temporary licence plates
abroad and had to -somehow- return the car to your home in the UK before
registering it at DVLA - so how did you drive it from Port of Entry to
home? Strictly according to the law *NO* licence plates at all might have
been more legal (less illegal?) than a UK citizen driving this journey
on foreign plates - but the Police disagreed! I myself took the practical
approach and drove from Harwich to Oxford on Danish temporary plates!

Martin wrote:
: approach and drove from Harwich to Oxford on Danish temporary plates!

: There was also the problem of getting it insured. AFAIR people were insured
: for the trip home via a Danish company.

No! That was not a problem! My normal UK Insurance Company insured my new
car for the one trip home on its VIN. They did insist on being given the UK
registration number ASAP.

Martin wrote:
On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:58:02 +0000, Peter
wrote:

On Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:01:43 -0000, Terry Casey
wrote:


Surely 'UK vehicle standards' require the steering wheel to be on the right?
AFAIK, you cannot register a LHD vehicle anywhere in Australia other
than the Northern Territories.

Preventing someone using/registering a LHD vehicle in the UK would
probably contravene the Human Rights Act :-( - Not to mention the fact
that such a law would immediately put out of business all those Essex
compamies that hire out tasteful stretched limo's

You can/could register a LHD in UK. I knew someone who used to import into UK
rusting worthless in NL LHD minis. He had a friend who swapped the steering over
to turn them into a valuable investment :-)

There are plenty of cars that are not modified for UK market, and are
only available in LHD, and you can register them in the UK...
eg: original BMW M3, several US cars - Dodge Viper, etc.

tvaddict wrote:
: There are plenty of cars that are not modified for UK market, and are
: only available in LHD, and you can register them in the UK...
: eg: original BMW M3, several US cars - Dodge Viper, etc.

LHD is fine to register in the UK! Again from the time EU Imports were rife
an *EU* type approval certificate trumped all UK requirements. AFAIR more
specialised (eg. US) imports had some dispensation for "personal use"