dvla wheel clamp. can you remove

[parkinsondavid3]

can you remove a dvla wheel clamp your self .
a friends car was clamped for no road  tax.
he taxed the car then removed the clamp him self is this legal, no damage was caused to the clap at all.

[SgtAngel]

The clamp was put there lawfully and your friend should have waited for the DVLA to return and release it.

[busterbloodvessel]

Much easier to have bought a tax disc in the first place!! He's looking at having his car seized and crushed now!!

[RandomName]

I was under the impression that DVLA wheel clamps where treated differently to clamps fitted by private companies. It may be an offence, but I can't find anything on it.

I'd certainly be weary about removing such a clamp and suspect there'll certainly be a monitary charge awaiting your friend regardless of the clamp being removed.

Why on earth did they remove it? Surely if they'd paid for tax they should get the DVLA or their agent to return and remove it legitimately?

[Chief]

I fully expect this will be an offence as the DVLA are empowered under law to clamp vehicles for tax offences. There would be no point in giving them the power to clamp if anyone couold just remove it without breach of the law.

If I get a chance I'll look into it at work.

It would be similar to removing a clamp lawfully put on by a bailiff recovering a vehice; it is an offence to interfere with it, can't remember the Act now but had one last year at work.

These are different to clamps put on under parking on private property 'rules' as those clamps aren't put on under legislation, just the rules of the land owner/civil law.

[Rusty99]

From the DVLA web site.......


Release within 24 hours
To get your vehicle released you'll need to:

pay a release fee of £100
produce a valid tax disc

If you don’t produce a tax disc you’ll need to pay a surety (deposit) instead. This is £160 for a car or motorcycle and up to £700 for other vehicles.

You’ll get the surety payment back when you tax your vehicle and produce a valid tax disc. If you fail to produce a tax disc within two weeks you’ll lose the surety payment and your vehicle could be clamped again and again.

Release after 24 hours

To release your vehicle, you’ll need to pay a £200 fee, and any storage charges of £21 per day, as well as producing a valid tax disc or surety payment. Provided you’re registered as the vehicle keeper, DVLA will write to inform you that your vehicle has been impounded and will be disposed of unless all fees are paid.

You could also face prosecution with fines up to £1,000 as well as paying any arrears of vehicle tax owed and costs. Unclaimed vehicles are crushed after seven days. Vehicles of economic value are disposed of after 14 days. Any vehicles of significant value are resold at auction.

[KerryUK]

your friend WILL get a fine through the post for having an untaxed vehicle plus back tax and maybe one for removing the clamp. So it would have just been alot easier for him to produce his tax and pay that £100 release fee, now he will probably end up with a even higher fine.
But Rusty99 post explains it all