Fuel and tax left in an insurance write off

SteUK · 20 January 2010 at 7:30PM

Hi,
Pretty sure my Mk3 Diesel Golf TDi is going to be declared a write off by my insurance company after a low speed crash on black ice has left bumper, bonnet and both front wings damaged (and who knows what structural damage!). The car is worth between £470 to £1000 according to the 'book' so little chance they will repair it. So, as well as seeking advice in general about getting a fair valuation from them, I would like some advice about two specific issues.

1) My tax disc is still in the car, I assume there wont be a problem with getting it back before the car vanishes in order to get a refund from the DVLA. Or will they factor this into the valuation?

2) The car has approx £50 worth of Diesel in it! Fuel not being cheap, I would like this back, or again...will this be factored into the valuation...maybe with some haggling?

Thanks!
Ste

catflea · 20 January 2010 at 7:36PM

I doubt very much the fuel will be factored in.

The car is still legally yours until such time as you accept a settlement (and dont just accept their first offer) so theoretically you can just ask for it back.

Might be easier to negotiate

raskazz · 20 January 2010 at 7:40PM

There's no reason why the fuel should not be claimed for.

rev_henry · 20 January 2010 at 7:58PM

Is the car nearby now? Could you not just go and get the tax disc and siphon the fuel off?
There's a Jag scrappy in Liverpool my dad used to go to, whose owner never bought any fuel at all, he had a machine that he put fuel siphoned from scrap cars into and it cleaned it for him (and his Range Rover and XJR haha). I guess fuel usually gets forgotten about in cases like this, so I doubt anyone would notice or care if you just went and got it.

Wig · 20 January 2010 at 8:19PM

Presumably with such little damage to your car, it is still outside your house, if you buy some 25 litre plastic containers you can keep the fuel yourself, siphon it out with a pvc tube from B&Q.

The tax -belongs to you, not the car.......... just remove it before they collect the car, it is not a part of the car and does not get factored into any settlement figure.

maninthestreet · 21 January 2010 at 9:27AM

Wig wrote: »

Presumably with such little damage to your car, it is still outside your house, if you buy some 25 litre plastic containers you can keep the fuel yourself, siphon it out with a pvc tube from B&Q.

The tax -belongs to you, not the car.......... just remove it before they collect the car, it is not a part of the car and does not get factored into any settlement figure.

It's illegal (and highy dangerous) to store more than 10 litres of petrol in the way that you are stating. You may also find that the car has an anti-syphon device fitted in the fuel filler neck.