I finally got my car impounded by the police on Friday (nothing to do with insurance, tax, etc, the DVLA had revoked my license because I hadn't returned the paper counterpart in 2005. I hadn't been disqualified, etc, just the license had been revoked). I'll deal with whether this was correct later, I just want my car back.
I'm due to pick it up again tommorow, it's £150 just for the cost of release, the compound is closed over the weekend. Basically, as I'm waiting for the DVLA to return my new license, I have to take my dad to pick the car up (as he's on the insurance). The police said the compound charges 30 quid each day it's there, but as it's closed over the weekend, I'm basically collecting it at the earliest time after it was seized.
Do I need to go to the police station beforehand to get something signed, or can I go to the compound straight away.

PITA!

you need release papers fro
you need release papers fro
m the police Dave or rnw will turn you away.
my Astra was in there all week, I only got it out last minute, mine was due to a mistake on my insurance companies behalf but I never did get the charges back from them.s
nice of the dvla to let you know eh? pure idiots. thanks to them they have caused pure inconvenience and costs. hope you have no problems Dave, keep your cool with the police, remember they have the upper hand here

Thanks! Do they charge over the weekend, even though I can't get my car out (due to it being shut)? The police were just doing their job I suppose (even though seizure is a bit harsh), so I don't mind going in with papers/dad, etc. Think losing my temper wouldn't do me any good!

They don't charge for week ends or bank holidays,

Phew, thanks!

You don't have to have a driving licence to own a car (in fact I know a fleet owner who hasn't got a licence) - strange - I suppose the insurance is the element that matters - if you don't have a licence, your insurance is invalid.

They charged me for weekends when I had a car compounded, but that was 33 years ago.

The most annoying thing about these cases is that DVLA will know your name and address, it would be cheaper for the DVLA, the Police (and hence the tax payer) and you if they just threw a warning letter in your direction before going through this rigmarole.

Anyway - you're getting me thinking - I don't remember returning any paper counterpart with my new licence.

Sorry to hear about that.

I've had a few cars seized by the police for "licence" problems, they said I was disqualified (when I wasn't), they said my licence wasn't real (it is), I wasn't allowed to drive blue-light vehicles (I am), and I was spending a stupid amount of time waiting at Birkenhead Police Station for it to be sorted out (be aware, they are only open until about one o'clock for car seizure returns).

DVLA do mess up, with mine they had made an error when they linked two licences, I ended up being threatened (more than once) with being arrested, but I knew 100% I was in the right and eventually DS Fox (who is the officer in charge of the Tango team at Birkenhead) realised that something wasn't quite right and dug into it, I now have a letter from them which basically says to call him before you try and take a car from me

Birkenhead are INCREDIBLY slow to process returning cars, you can spend hours (or even days) at the Police staion, and even when they have confirmed everything and given you the release authority for RNW you have to go through the whole thing again there (although what it has to do with them I have no idea). A friend once had a car seized in another county and asked me go and get it, the visit to the police station took less than five minutes and the garage that held the car just took a copy of my ID and gave me the car back, much easier.

From memory they don't charge you over the weekend, although if you don't get the car back by a certain time of day (1pm or 3pm, I forget) they will charge you another day, and just because RNW have held you up for two hours which put you over, they will still charge you.

With regard to your licence, and all drivers should check this, the old paper licence was basically valid until you reach 70, the photocard licence only lasts for 10 years from date of issue and for many this can now be reching (if it has not already) expiry. To check have a look on your photocard under "4b" and it will tell you that it has a Valid to on it. You should receive a D798 from DVLA to renew but a lot of people don't get them (change of address etc) or don't realise what they are, It costs about £20.00 to renew and you need a new up-to-date picture. If you don't have the D798 use a D1 from the Post Office.

DVLA say that you can still drive whilst waiting for your replacement but if you don't renew it you could be charged with "failing to renew" your licence. I also seem to recall (but I don't know if this has changed) that after so many years of failing to renew they will suspend, then cancel, your licence, meaning you don't have one and have to take your test all over again, but I don't know if this is valid or not (I seem to recall that this was after 15 years and the first photocards were only issued just over 12years ago).
The DirectGov website says that you can renew it at certain post offices Renew Licence

that sounds really shitty doesn't it doc. This whole contry is back to front. We dont think anymore as a society and take anything the police are enforced to uphold against us. Its not right that even the innocent like your self should be left to pick up the peices and just get on with it. Principle is a big factor in this debate.

Well, I can only get the car after 2pm today as my dad is busy before then, so this is obviously going to be a massive, massive pain in the arse.

go down and sort ya papers at the police station because they wont see you after 1pm and you will have to wait till tomorrow,and incur another days charge at rnw.

Like the DR said (be aware, they are only open until about one o'clock for car seizure returns)

What pi**es me off is the fact innocent legal people suffer from this seizure scheme, it's all wrong!

Great. That's another 30 quid for the pleasure of RNW holding my car.

That inspectors a nice chap though Dave who the dr mentions, he actually took the time to ring my insurance company to sort my problem out, didn't save me any money but got my car back and sorted my policy properly (which the insurance should of done in the 1st place) lol he had a go at them.
Hope you get it sorted Dave and soon

I went down today and it was between 10 - 1.30. Although it wouldn't have been much good as they were in a meeting all day as nobody was able to stamp/sign the form. Two blokes came from Manchester to be turned away.
I phoned RNW and I have to pay £170 (including the 1 day storage cost), whatever.

I just to pay the money get my car back and I'm not going complain, but does it have to be this difficult?

Man I had no idea until I read this thread that the UK had become such a police state after I left. Sheesh, they can now seize your car for not renewing your freaking license? WHAT???? Are you kidding me?

Go it back today, the bloke in the police station was nice.
Everyone apart from one in the reception today and yesterday (about 15 in total) was there for seized cars. Does this give you the idea of how pandemic seizing/Operation Tango is at the moment?
The compound now charges 20 quid a day, but they now charge over the weekend (even though it's shut), except in some cases where it gets seized on a Friday or Saturday (where you don't have a chance to collect).
Check your license or insurance is valid everyone! It's such a pain in the ass getting it back.

or get it seized in cheshire. autolift dont charge for weekends

Good one Dave

just sent my lisence off this week to get a new photo put on it afterten years use ,another £20 i have been robbed of. i had an hour an a half wait a while back in rnw just to get into my car just to get my belongings back as the car was going to be written off,the girls took a photocopy of my licence and told me to wait and wait and wait and wait.then was stood over and watched while i took my stuff out of my car,like i was some criminal for having my car stolen by a smack head alcohlic who drove 200 yds into tree and three other cars..

do you need a photo lisence cos ive only got the paper one i had from passing my test. i havent needed to change it since i moved house 18 years ago so idont know if its compulsary or not.

someone i know got his brother to take him up to RNW for his car,
They checked paper work and released his car, when he got home the police were sitting outside his house,

police checked details, came back OK

RNW had informed the police that they just released a car to a Mr xxxx and watched another person drive the car out of there car park

No, the police bloke I was speaking to today said he still had his paper one. But if you renew it, obviously the paper bit becomes the 'counterpart' to the plastic card.

The paper licence you originally had has to be surrendered to DVLA when you get a new photo one, and they issue you with a new paper counterpart as well.
If you look at your licence you will see it has an issue number on it, this should match the issue number (usually 01-99) of the paper counterpart. This is to stop people having several "copies" of the paper part to produce and have points written on, or keeping a "clean" one to produce for car hire or insurance.

thanks David B & The Dr

Seen this?
Click

I couldn't even drive mine out of the road as there was no petrol in it.

Was there petrol in the car before it was inpounded?