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Can I keep a car on private Housing Association land SORN but untaxed or do I need their express permission
I currently own two cars, one taxed, insured and MOTd, the other insured, current MOT and SORN off the road while I "tart" some body work up before selling it. However I live on a Housing Association estate and my housing officer is insisting I tax the second vehicle as well. The cul-de-sac in which both cars are parked is not a public road as I have checked this with the local highways department. But now she says i need her permission to park the car and she won't give it unless I tax it. Technically if the cul de sac is not adopted by the council then I believe it is classed as private land which in turn is owned by the Housing Association. But as I pay rent and service charges and have no front-of-house parking can she legally insist I tax the car even though its legally SORN off the road. After the first initial complaint from her I've now also received an offence letter from DVLA which I'm sure when they check the cul-de-sac's status will be dropped/quashed, but I'm really annoyed at the Housing Officer's stance that I must Tax it as well.
For the purpose of Road Tax a road is defined as an area to which the public have vehicular access. It doesn't matter whether it is adopted or not, if there is public access to it then you are required to have road tax.
To be private land it would need to be a drive to which you have sole access or control or a private road or land where you have the express permission of the owner to use it - or in this case the designated representative of the Housing Association. I'm afraid the DVLA are almost certainly correct to pursue you and you will have to tax the car.
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