Insurance to tax a car

anne99

I wonder can anyone help with the details of the insurance requirements to tax a car.

Backstory:

My son's car insurance ran out in December, which was deliberate as he is at university and doesn't drive it now, and intended to sell it. Due to the prolonged snow and Christmas and stuff, we have only recently advertised it for sale, and it hasn't sold yet. The car tax runs out today. I think the short tax was a bit off-putting to potential buyers, although I can't be sure about that. (It wouldn't have been to me as a buyer - I would just have factored that in to the cost.)

Obviously, to retax it, it will need insurance. I wondered about arranging a short term policy for a week or so (with the hope of selling it in that time) that would cover me taking it out for demo test drives, as well as allowing us to get it a new tax disc.

I visited our local post office to check whether this would be OK, but they said the name on the insurance policy would have to be the same as the Registered Keeper. They suggested I change the Registered Keeper to me, and then my plan would work. However that would mean we wouldn't have the V5 for potential buyers, just the V5C/2 green tear-off slip. And we would have recorded an extra Former Keeper on the logbook.

Reading the yougov website and the Tax Disc renewal form, I can't find anything to make me think that the insurance must be held by the Registered Keeper, just that the car must have a valid insurance policy.

I'm sure that in the past my husband and I have insured cars registered in the other's name without a problem to the insurance company or when taxing at the post office. As my son shares my surname, I can't see any difference here as far as the Post Office counter staff should be concerned.

Can anyone help with advice or a link to 'the right answer' somewhere.

Many thanks

anne99

molerat

Never had any problems with a certificate and V5 in different names as long as the certificate has the car reg on it. The only problem I had was with a block certificate and the V5 not in the company name. The PO actually said that they do not have to be in the same name but the insurance must specifically cover the car if different.

Clive_Woody

Arrange an insurance policy online (use Go Compare or similar), then once insurance is in place renew your road tax online. You then have 14 days to cancel the insurance policy (minus admin fee of around £25).

I am far from being an expert, but this may work.

Quentin

If you arrange a policy with RAC, and cancel it during the cooling off period there is only pro rata cover to pay for, (no admin fee).

So if you are on the ball you'd only have one or two days cover to pay for.

anne99

Thanks to all who replied.

Molerat - that's what I thought, although it is specifically not what I was told in my local PO.

Clive Woody and Quentin - good idea, but if it still had to be in son's name and as he is 21 with 1yr NCB it would still have been expensive, and he is not even here to drive the car.


What I did was to arrange an extension to my own insurance, done wholly online, to add a temporary car for 2 weeks. This cost £49. Armed with my new cover note I went to a different PO and got the task disk with no bother. Sorted! So, anyone want to buy a Corsa, now with 6 months road tax...

Quote

Insurable interest? Anyone?

bouncydog1

Presumably you told your insurers that the vehicle belonged to your son and was registered in his name? Has he given you permission to insure it in your name and sell it for you in writing?

If you have not got everything above board and documented you could find yourself in difficulty in the event that you have an accident. You have to have insurable interest to insure something, otherwise what would there be to stop me insuring my neighbour's vehicle?

mikey72

Insurable interest?
If it's your kid's car, the parents have probably paid for the petrol, the tyres, the mot, the tax, the last service, the breakdown cover.............

ILW

anne99 wrote: »

Thanks to all who replied.

Molerat - that's what I thought, although it is specifically not what I was told in my local PO.

Clive Woody and Quentin - good idea, but if it still had to be in son's name and as he is 21 with 1yr NCB it would still have been expensive, and he is not even here to drive the car.


What I did was to arrange an extension to my own insurance, done wholly online, to add a temporary car for 2 weeks. This cost £49. Armed with my new cover note I went to a different PO and got the task disk with no bother. Sorted! So, anyone want to buy a Corsa, now with 6 months road tax...

I would have bought it, but was specifically looking for an untaxed one.

anne99

ILW - lol!

To others: Yes, everything is in order. You have to choose an option for the reason for organising the insurance, and I selected 'borrowing a friend or relative's car'. They ask for the name and address of the owner of the car. (Incidentally, you can take similar insurance for test driving a vehicle you don't own.)

And yes, I do have a signed statement from my son authorising me to sell his car on his behalf.

rosie383

I insured our one that we were selling for just one day to get it taxed. I have done this a couple of times over the years. They always ask in the PO about it, but have always issued the tax disc.