DVLA issues £1000 fine warning for keeping cars in a garage over the winter

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Drivers have been warned to make sure they notify the DVLA when carrying out the processes for keeping their vehicles off the road during the winter this year.Due to a change in circumstances, many drivers may be keeping their cars off the road in the coming months, and will keep them locked in a garage instead, reports Birmingham Live.Before they put this into place, drivers must tell the DVLA if they have left their cars untaxed and off the road - or face a fine of up to £1,000.According to experts at Leasecar.uk, more and more people are choosing not to use their cars due to petrol and diesel prices increasing, putting more pressure on the purse strings.In order to avoid a fine, motorists will have to make a SORN - Statutory Off Road Notification - where they tell the DVLA that they are keeping their vehicle off the road.A SORN, known as a Statutory Off Road Notification, is a legal necessary requirement that tells the DVLA that your car isn't in use, so tax isn't required to be paid on it.When a vehicle has been given a SORN, it means you can't drive or park it on any public road, and it must be kept on private land.This SORN is needed to avoid fines, which can be issued if a camera or the police spots the car on the road when it's not covered by road tax.The DVLA then cross references the national insurance database with road tax expiration dates to know which vehicles are covered by tax.A warning letter with a fine will be sent via post from the Motorists Insurance Bureau (MIB) if drivers are caught out.A late licensing penalty letter is automatically issued to the registered keeper of the motor, if they fail to re-license or notify that the vehicle is being kept off road.The initial penalty is set at £80, but