Not long got home from work to find a DVLA clamp on my 10" wheel. Just phoned up the 0845 337 0077 number to enquire about it and was told that number is for payments only, enquiries are another number. They're open 9am-5:30pm and I work 8am-5:45pm. Will have to try and get off work early tomorrow, which will mean less pay for me.
Basically the story is thus:
My tax expired at the end of March this year and so did the MOT. I knew it would fail the MOT so I of course didn't try and put it through one to be eligible to get a tax disc. Unfortunately I don't have a garage or a driveway so the car has to be kept on the road outside my house. Nowhere off-road for me to keep it. A friend of the family offered to put it in his garage so I took it over. That was halfway through April. Some time in August I think it was, the garage owner needed his garage back so I had to bring it back over to mine.
During that period, I was in a minimum-wage/15hr job and couldn't afford to pay the insurance. That ended up getting cancelled due to non-payment. Fast-forward to now and I am in a better paying job and have only just paid off the last insurance and paid for a new insurance policy with someone else. Just last Saturday in fact. The plan was to pay off the old insurance, order new insurance and save up a couple of weeks wages so I can book my car in for an MOT, repair then MOT again and then I can pay for a tax disc. Next week I pay my mother keep so I couldn't do it then but I was going to book it in for Saturday 6th October and drive the car up to Minispeed with a pre-booked MOT appointment.
So I had a sooner-rather-than-later plan to get my car back on the road in early October, but I come home today and I've been clamped so that's thrown that plan waaayyyy out the window.
I know I've been naughty and should have had my car taxed, MOT'd and insured if I was to have it on the road but it's currently SORN'd and insured.
The leaflet that they left says a release fee of £100 has to be paid within 24 hours on production of a valid tax disc, or (or even WITH) a surety fee of £160 if not producing a valid tax disc. Release from the pound 24hrs or more after offence is £200. I could pay the £100 with the amount of money I have now but the £160 will leave me really strapped for cash and I will have to wait 3 weeks (inc. this week) until I can get the Mini back on the road legally. Plus I have nowhere to keep it except outside on the public road in that time.
I'm not expecting sympathy but just words of advice, really. I just don't know what to do. I've hated having the car on the road illegally but I really haven't had much choice. I may have one person that could help out with storage. Will have to see.
