With effect from early 2011 a new motor insurance law comes into force, the effect of which is to require even motor vehicles not kept on the road or in a public place to be insured unless a statutory "Off Road Notification" (SORN) has been made.
Keepers of motor vehicles should be careful to either insure the motor vehicle even if it is not being used or kept on the road or public place or, alternatively make a SORN declaration. In addition, motorists should be aware of the small print in relation to SORN declarations which purport to require the motorist to chase the DVLA if a formal acknowledgement of the SORN declaration is not received.
The Police have a statutory power allowing them to seize motor vehicles being driven without insurance and this is a power which the Police are using increasingly frequently. However, following a recent Court ruling the Police will need to exercise the power with more care as they are likely to be held liable for damages in tort for wrongful inteference with goods should it turn out that, in fact, the driver of the vehicle was insured (case of Pryor -v- Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police- [2011] EWCA Civ 749 refers).
