BREAKING NEWS (1 Viewer)

Oct 12, 2009
10,427
23,268
SW London, Poland and all Europe
Funster No
8,876
MH
A Class N+B Arto 69GL
Exp
Since 2009
BREAKING NEWS

For those who have read about our saga of trying to re-register our N&B Arto in Poland, I can now announce that we have done it. As a result we are exhausted.

We started trying to do this 18 months ago!!!

The load has mainly been on Basia as my Interpreter/ secretary. So enormous thanks to her!



For those of you of you who are of a nervous disposition and do not want to hear the gruesome details look away now.



HISTORY

The Polish government decided a long time ago that RHD vehicles were not safe, despite permitting their LHD trucks to drive across UK unhindered.

They we challenged and in 2008 the European Court of Justice ruled that that restriction was illegal. The government changed the law but only for M1 vehicles (cars) below 3500kgs but not M1 (Special Purpose) incl MHs. As a result 4 MOT-equivalent stations refused to test our MH in order to get re-registration.

OPTIONS

We were faced with the options of

  • Selling – almost impossible for RHD in Poland
  • Sell in UK to a dealer, expensive with trip and low price.
  • Buy equivalent LHD – possible in Germany but not many quality MHs available in Poland
  • Downplate to 3500kgs – leaving us with unusable payload


SOLUTION

We have a friend who owns a bar/restaurant and small theatre venue for jazz/artistic performances, called ‘Oldtimers Garage’ and as a sideline imports veteran/vintage cars, refurbishes them for selling.

In a conversation he said why not register it as a ‘Veteran’? Can we as it is only 18 years old? Yes, because there is no stipulated age, yet.

PROCESS

He put is in touch with his guy who does the paperwork

Lots of to/fro with info.

We had to nominally cede 5% ownership to a tame ‘Museum’ which will revert in 2 months [As a lawyer I have that covered]

Then all paperwork to registration office last week for temporary registration to enable us to do MOT-equivalent. That is 30km to a specialist for veteran vehicles. Passed, with verbal ‘Advisory’ about handbrake cable. Inspection 10 mins., paperwork one hour.

Today to registration office to get registration as a Veteran vehicle – lots of questions about papers, date of import and clerk’s visit twice to Manager. Also resulted in £40 fine for late registration – because of their laws – thanks.

One and half hours later we emerged with new papers and number plates [As well as the number it depicts an approx. 1910 car – bit funny on a 2003 MH]



So we now have Polish Registration and Plates – Yippee!

FUTURE

Saga is not over. Our registration is only for 4 weeks as we have to return to the office to get ‘permanent’ papers.

Then we have to return after 2 months to have the ‘Museum’s 5% removed from the title.



COSTS AND SAVINGS

The above has cost us £1,500+

The savings are

  • No Road tax in Poland
  • No recurrent MOT in Poland – crazy for Veteran
  • No driving/ferry to UK for MOT
  • Probable lower Insurance for Veteran
FLEXIBILITY

Now we are off DVLA/DVSA radar we can plan our trips from here without considering the UK, unless we wish.

Geoff
 
Jun 12, 2017
1,414
3,534
Telford
Funster No
49,010
MH
A class Pilote
Exp
2017
We have a friend who owns a bar/restaurant and small theatre venue for jazz/artistic performances, called ‘Oldtimers Garage’ and as a sideline imports veteran/vintage cars, refurbishes them for selling.

Well done you, and it reinforces my long term belief that most problems can be solved in a pub 😂😂

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Nov 19, 2019
793
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66,935
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Challenger 287GA
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Since 2020
Well done Geoff, glad to hear you have finally got this problem sorted out! I'm sure you are aware of the reduced speed limits that are involved although I'm not sure how relevant these are to a motorhome...you aren't set for breaking any land speed records in your arto!!

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jumar

LIFE MEMBER
Nov 6, 2012
3,693
11,210
Spain
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Hymer Tramp
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Since 1994
Congratulations....well done for not giving up, it's been a long haul....are you planning to stay in Poland....?????😀😀😀👍🇪🇦

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OP
OP
N
Oct 12, 2009
10,427
23,268
SW London, Poland and all Europe
Funster No
8,876
MH
A Class N+B Arto 69GL
Exp
Since 2009
and we all thought DVLA were difficult to deal with, that goes to a new level.
Well done you for persevering with it (y)

The system is a bit more complex and needs more papers, but that is partly because we were doing it though the 'Veteran' vehicle route.

However, it is done through an office just 3km from us with pre-booked appointments which were kept within +/- a few minutes, so was a bit more like visiting the previous DVLA Regional Offices, but without queuing, rather than posting to DVLA Swansea and waiting weeks and having to chase them by phones which reportedly do not get answered.

On our two visits to the registration office so far we have come out with the required papers and supplied number plates for the next stage - first visit 1/2 hour, second 1 1/2 hours, but job done each time. Next two visits should be short to collect final registration and to remove 'Museum' from papers.

All in all I prefer to make an appointment, deal face-to-face, answer questions on the spot and leave with what is required, number plates included. This something one could do, but not the appointment, at DVLA Regional offices, but not now sadly.

Once we had decided the type of registration (Veteran) we needed to apply for, the process went reasonably smoothly. It was just the governments original refusal to register RHD which caused all the delay.

Geoff
 

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