The Kyiv Higher Administrative Court has for the first time issued a final verdict in the case of a driver of a car with foreign registration: the fine amounted to 420 thousand hryvnias, and the vehicle itself was seized. The proceedings went through all judicial instances, so this decision will now become a guideline for other judges, the publication writes.
From the case materials, it follows that on March 17, 2015, a citizen of Azerbaijan brought a Ford Tourneo into Ukraine under the temporary import regime for a period of one year. Later it turned out that a Ukrainian was driving this car, holding a power of attorney for the right to use the vehicle within the country. The court decided that the Ukrainian citizen must pay 420 thousand hryvnias — this is 300% of the amount of customs payments that were not made.
Lawyer Maksym Lazarev explains that the law does not directly prohibit driving a car with foreign plates, but any methods of importing such cars remain in the "gray" zone. According to him, recently courts are increasingly issuing harsh decisions against owners of such cars.
"For example, the Kyiv Appellate Administrative Court imposed a fine of over 1.6 million hryvnias — also 300% of the legally due customs payments," he added.
Companies offering the so-called "sale" of uncleared cars convince clients that they become full owners. But neither the transfer of money nor the change of owner is officially recorded anywhere. In fact, the buyer receives only the car and a power of attorney, that is, legally he has nothing to do with the vehicle at all.
Lazarev advises: if the police stop a driver in a car with foreign plates, one should immediately explain that he is simply driving the car under certain conditions and present supporting documents. If one claims it is his property, the police officer has the right to call customs officers, who will draw up a protocol on violation of customs legislation.
