Five vehicles have been seized in Hartlepool in a clampdown on tax dodgers. The vehicles were removed from Waldon Street, Thackeray Road, Longfellow Walk and Ridlington Way as part of an Operation Cubit carried out jointly by Hartlepool Councils Environmental Enforcement Team and Cleveland Police. The three-day operation was launched following a rise in the number of untaxed vehicles spotted across Hartlepool during July. A Hartlepool Council spokesman said: Untaxed vehicles are targeted because it is not fair on those responsible motorists who do pay their road tax. In addition, untaxed vehicles are often used in crime and they can become arson targets or magnets for anti-social behaviour. It is also likely that if they are not taxed then they probably arent insured either. On receiving a report of an untaxed vehicle, the Council carries out checks with the DVLA to ensure that the vehicle is untaxed and it is not just a case of an owner forgetting to display the tax disc. Once a vehicle is confirmed as being untaxed, it is seized and taken to secure storage. To reclaim a seized vehicle, the owner must: Take the log book and a valid tax disc to Hartlepool Civic Centre and pay £100 non-refundable costs If a valid tax disc cannot be produced then the procedure is the same but the owner must pay an additional £160 surety. This surety is returned if the vehicle is then taxed within 14 days If a vehicle is not claimed within 24 hours then the non-refundable costs rise to £200 plus the £160 surety and £21 per night storage If a vehicle is not claimed and none of the relevant costs or fees has been paid then it will eventually be crushed
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 15:30:57 +0000
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