Driving back into UK with camper van on SORN
I have been in france for the past five years, stuck here with camper van and drunk violent partner. Unable to drive van as too big for me to drive. Partner had serious work accident which resulted in amputation and reimplantation. Much medical stuff and he would not go back with van and me. Van in my name and has been on SORN as no way to get it back to UK. Not taxed as well as MOT finished. I cannot drive the van as it is simply too big. He knows this and took advantage of the situation, Could not MOT in france as Certificate of Conformity impossible to obtain as is older than 10 years old and way too impossible and expensive to get Cert of Conformity. So finally after one more violent attack (the police have been useless and I have been trapped in this never ending nightmare) I have told him I am walking back to UK. So he has finally agreed (in between beers) to drive me and the camper and my dog back to the UK. So now I need to know how to do this please? I am desperate to get back to UK. The van has been in storage whilst in france. Now I want to insure it (with him as named driver) and book an MOT as close to the point of entry and to the address to where it is sorned. Once MOT is done I shall tax vehicle. So long as I have no accidents etc en route, then I should be okay to getting onto the ferry. Can I take it over and drive please to a pre-arranged MOT test and then tax it. I dont know what to do? I am desperate. I have nowhere to live in UK and no family or friends to go to. So will have to live in camper van on a camp site until I can find somewhere to live (alone!!). Then maybe the government can help me...until I can find work. My life has been a nightmare and I dont know what else to do. I have health problems now due to all the stress but feel if I can get back to UK then I have hope of getting better a bit....at least stay alive and sane. Please can you advise me what to do. Please feel free to edit out all the bits of this question that are not relevant to the forum questions but just wanted to explain why I am in this situation and why i need to know how to get back to UK with Sorned and un-MOT'd untaxed van....hope you can please help me out and tell me whether I can enter UK with my vehicle?
Asked on 6 September 2015 by amanda777
Answered by
Honest John
Get onto a broker such as www.primoplc.com and insure the van to the address to which it is SORN'd. 3rd party continental cover should be automatic. Don't mention your story. Unless HMRC does a computer check as you arrive you should not have a problem over the tax while you take it to be MoTd. But, of course, if there are a lot of issues with the van that prevent an MoT being issued, then the van will be stuck at the MoT station and a storage charge will be levvied until it can be fixed. If it isn't roadworthy, then another option would be to find a permanent campsite close to the channel port, have it transported to that campsite and re-SORN it to that campsite, but obviously you won't be able to live there free.
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