Car Accident - A total loss - but I want to keep plate

pKaTz

Hi
I have a 1999 2.0 ies Accord which I have had for over 4 yrs.
In all this snow and ice, I had an accident, which insurance say will cost £1700 to repair - hence the car being a write off.

I have a private plate on the car which I wish to keep.
Yesterday I was made an offer of £1100. I finally agreed to £1350 which minus my excess is £1000, and they will take the car.
Today I had a call from the Salvage company "copart" who wanted to arrange a time to come and collect the car.

I have looked at the DVLA site and need to complete a form for retention of the plate , but need the insurance company to give me written permission to take the plate. Also the car needs to be available for inspection.

I called the insurance company, and they say that the car would be going to "free storage" where it will have an engineers report carried out and once that is done this will be sent to me along with their letter regarding the plate.

My question is - the DVLA will take upto 8 weeks to get the plate on retention. As the car is a total loss, I will not be able to get the plate without the insurance comany's written authorisation.

So should I let the salvage company take the car for "free storage". As until the car is taken, I can not start the process of the engineer report and letter from the insurance company.

What do you recommend I do to get the plate.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

go out and take them off. fill out the retention form print the reciept the plates belong to you. the car belongs to them, once paid out. the likley hood of them sending them back to you is minimal. make up some bords with the plate on put them in the car and take pphoto's of the car with the plates on too, so they cant say this isnt the car etc.

Inactive

The problem that the OP has is the fact that the DVLA insist that the vehicle must be available for inspection, that means that the car would have to be taken to the nearest DVLA office for inspection, if required.

If it is in a car breakers compound, that is not likely to be possible.

The physical number plates do not really matter, it is the rights to the number that matter.

pKaTz

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

print the reciept the plates belong to you.

Which receipt?

The insurance company say that they can't send me a letter stating that I can have the plates, until after they have examined the car and completed an engineers report - And this is after they have taken the car away and put it in "free storage".

The retention form V317 says that if the car is written off I need this letter from the insurers. Do you suggest I just post the form without it?

pKaTz

Inactive wrote: »

The problem that the OP has is the fact that the DVLA insist that the vehicle must be available for inspection, that means that the car would have to be taken to the nearest DVLA office for inspection, if required.

If it is in a car breakers compound, that is not likely to be possible.

The physical number plates do not really matter, it is the rights to the number that matter.

So should I call the salvage company copart and tell them not to collect the car yet? as need to get the plates on retention.

Inactive

pKaTz wrote: »

So should I call the salvage company copart and tell them not to collect the car yet? as need to get the plates on retention.

I think that you would require the permission of your insurers to do that, if you have accepted their offer, the car now belongs to them.

But of course you may lose your rights to retention if you cannot provide the car for inspection.

I would also ask the DVLA if they are likely to need the car for an inspection.

pKaTz

Inactive wrote: »

I think that you would require the permission of your insurers to do that, if you have accepted their offer, the car now belongs to them.

But of course you may lose your rights to retention if you cannot provide the car for inspection.

I would also ask the DVLA if they are likely to need the car for an inspection.

By me verbally accepting the offer for my car, it now belongs to the insurer?
I have tried calling the DVLA but their number is not working as it is too busy.

Inactive

pKaTz wrote: »

By me verbally accepting the offer for my car, it now belongs to the insurer?
.

Yes it would seem so, as in turn it would appear that they have now agreed to sell it on to Copart.

pKaTz

Inactive wrote: »

Yes it would seem so, as in turn it would appear that they have now agreed to sell it on to Copart.

When I called the insurers this morning they said that they would send me a letter regarding the number plate and the engineers report. And they would not scrap the car until I had the plates.

But - they can only do this once they have the car in their Salvage yard.
So is it in my best interest to let them have the car? and then wait for their letters. As from what I understand, without them I can not apply for retention.

Thanks for your help. I will arrange for the collection to be next week.

Inactive

pKaTz wrote: »

When I called the insurers this morning they said that they would send me a letter regarding the number plate and the engineers report. And they would not scrap the car until I had the plates.

But - they can only do this once they have the car in their Salvage yard.
So is it in my best interest to let them have the car? and then wait for their letters. As from what I understand, without them I can not apply for retention.

Thanks for your help. I will arrange for the collection to be next week.

I would certainly delay collection until you get confirmation from your insurers in writing.

Good luck.

pKaTz

I am in a catch 22 here, as they can't write to me until they have seen the car, meaning that they will have to collect it.