I taxed my E36 a couple of weeks ago, I've owned the car for a few months but it's been in the garage over winter so I wasn't using it.
Anyway, when I went to tax the car it said that the SORN had expired and the car had been unlicenced for about a year. Although I have not recieved anything in the post yet I do expect to recieve a letter about it, but my question is, how am I supposed to know if it's on SORN or not when I bought it,
is it legally my duty to check, and also, if I recieve the fine, I would only be willing to pay from the point I acquired the car, I don't see why I should have to pay for someone elses' mistake.
IMO when the DVLA issued me the V5 in my name they should've cross referenced this and sent me a reminder saying the SORN had expired, but no, i only find out when I go to tax the car.
If you buy an untaxed car, you have to SORN it or tax it.
It really is as simple as that. Any previous SORN does not pass on with ownership