Please help, friends boyfriend wrote off my car!

Melly35

Deleted_User wrote: »

Why were you waiting for your licence to come through before you drive? If you have just passed your test you can drive straight away while waiting for your full licence to come through.

Call me thick, but I'm not experienced at this & I thought after you passed your test you had to wait to get your full license back before you can legally drive, if this is not the case I am sorry.
My mum bought me the car the day after I passed & DVLA didn't receive (or most likely lost) my application for my full license, I then had to go back to my driving instrutor for help on what to do to get a replacement pass cert & wait for it, then re send it etc etc, the whole process has taken just short of 2 months & my driving instructor never mentioned I could drive before I received my full license from DVLA so I cert wasn't going to risk driving without a license when I've not even driven on my own yet, had I known I could drive my friend wouldn't have driven my car as I'd of been driving it!

Melly35

vikingaero wrote: »

I routinely lend things to friends and family - roofbox, satnavs etc. They know that if they lose it/gets stolen/damaged etc then they owe me a new one.

A car is different. I would still lend a car to friends and family but only if I trusted them that they were fully insured. Still even in that situation I would only lend it to them if I were prepared to write off the value of the car.

I'm afraid the OP is stuffed.

I am quite new to this & I thought as she was fully comp & had a full DL it would be ok to lend it to her, the 3rd party thing has only come to light since the crash happened, yes I have been naive & extremely stupid, I'm just asking for help.

Melly35

Arlen wrote: »

Unfortunately it looks like you will be without a car and a hefty bill coming your way. The only thing you could do is report it as "taken without owners consent" but with your friend lying about the driver this could lead nowhere. If you report it as TWOC you could get the scenes of crime officers to check the steering wheel for fingerprints.

The above approach would end that friendship but if it was me it would be over by now anyway. Borrowing your car, lending it to a banned driver and racing it about... Great friend. Also keep checking your letterbox over the next few days for speeding tickets.

She would be fully comp... On her own car. Driving a vehicle not your own is usually (on all policies I have had) limited to 3rd Party Only.

Sorry there is no good news.

The friendship has ended & she was a very good friend (or so I thought), so i'm a car down (& 2 grand), a friend down & I've still got a bill to pay, but surely as I wasn't driving the car & I didn't crash it I don't have to pay the towing/storage costs?

Melly35

anewman wrote: »

Remember comprehensive insurance that allows you to drive any car ordinarily requires the car to be insured in its own right. And any insurance cover on other cars is usually third party only (even though the policy on the car owned may be comprehensive).

I didn't know this & I could kick myself for not checking all this out first, I have seen her insurance doc & it does say she's insured to drive any car & it also says she's fully comp, the thing is she is a v gd driver & I didn't worry about her driving it because of that & the above reasons.
I barely know her b/f & i cert didn't know he was driving (or going to be) or even that he was banned, she's only been with him a few weeks!

Melly35

Arlen wrote: »

Just re-read this. You had a £2000 car sat on your drive completely uninsured? What would you have done if it had been stolen from there? You are now technically in that situation.

You can drive without the driving license being in your possession.

Yes yes I am thick, I didn't even think you could insure a car without a driving license & why would I if I didn't drive it?
Yes if it had been stolen I'd have been stuffed, but it wasn't, it had a cat 1 alarm system so I didn't worry about that, instead I handed my keys to someone I thought I could trust (whom I've known for 22yrs), I don't now need a lecture on why it wasn't insured, I was just asking for help, I don't mean to be rude but if I want critism I'll tell my mum what has happened (she has no idea yet), I'm just asking for help, not what if & maybe's!

Melly35

Norman_Castle wrote: »

If she has car insurance I am assuming she has a car,not sure why she is borrowing yours, but handing her car over for you to use or sell would be a good start.

Her's is a bit of a banger & breaks down every other week, prob worth £100 to sell & £1000 to keep as its always got something going wrong with it!

theoretica

While it probably won't help you get your car back I do feel that you ought to tell the police you know who was driving. The banned boyfriend in the case is clearly not fit to be driving and dangerously so. Apparently the biggest killer of teenage girls in this country is teenage boys' driving.

Citizen's advice bureau may be able to advise you, or there is an organisation called the motor insurers' bureau, which will cover costs if you are insured, but hit by an uninsured driver (or something along those lines). I am not sure either will pay anything, but they can probably advise you.

Melly35

melorablack wrote: »

I'm probably completely wrong but I thought both the car and the driver themselves needed to be insured? So if your car was uninsured, your friend would not be insured to drive it anyway (unless she had trade insurance)?

You're prob right, but I didn't know this & I have seen her insurance doc's & they don't make this clear, I think part or reason she took blame was because she thought she was fully comp & car would be repaired/replaced on her insurance.

JonathanA

Quite frankly your 'friend' has let you down in a big way. Has she said anything about recompensing you for the loss you have incurred? My first instinct would be to contact the police & report everything you know about the situation. Whilst I don't think that will get you any financial recompense, I think your friend's boyfriend should take responsibility for what happened.

Unfortunately, I think you'll probably have to put this one down to experience.

Melly35

Hintza wrote: »

Why would the MIB help you?

You have in all probability lent your car to your uninsured friend. Take her to court over the recovery of the money then it is up to her to recover it from anyone she let drive the car.

Either get on with taking her to court or write the money off. Don't expect the rest of us to pay for it.

When did I ask anybody else to pay for it?
I merely mentioned the MIB as I thought they helped cover losses in respect of uninsured drivers, he wasn't insured & didn't have consent to drive my car....in all probability I HAVE LENT MY CAR TO MY INSURED FRIEND (I'm not that thick that I'd lend an uninsured friend my car before I've even driven it!!!)
My question was can I take her to court, is it not him I take to court?

But thanks, you've been a great help!!!