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Car Insurance address and driving licence address

DaveMcDavid
DaveMcDavid Posts: 40 Forumite
edited 31 December 2011 at 6:22PM in Insurance & life assurance
Have already asked this in motoring as part of another thread, but it may not be clear from thread title.

I had a crash on Wednesday, and am accepting liability.

I spend 5/6 days a week in Belfast, which is where my car is insured at.

My driving license however still has my parents address on it, as does my car's V5.

Insurance is more expensive in Belfast than at my parents', so there's no issue of trying to cheat cheaper premiums, I'm paying the higher cost to reflect the true risk.

When the police took my details however, to give to the other party (a car rental co), they took the address on my licence.

Might the insurers raise an issue with the different address on my licence, particularly if that licence address is the one given on any claim they receive from the other party?

I get a lot of post delivered to my parents, which I collect weekly, but my landlord and housemates can verify I live in Belfast, my office and trade union have my Belfast address, and the phone and broadband are in my name although are e-billed which might make getting copies of them if necessary a bit trickier.

I'm starting to really worry about this. I gave my Belfast address in good faith although it cost more, now I'm worried they might try to void my insurance on a technicality?

(I informed them immediately when I moved from my parents' house to my other Belfast flat, then again when I moved from that flat to my current house. As far as I remember my parents house was the postal address while insured at my old flat, but is it not the postal address currently.)

Comments

  • Quentin
    Quentin Posts: 40,405 Forumite
    No need to worry.

    (Though on a separate issue, you cannot "accept liability" - that's up to your insurer! (Your policy will expressly forbid you from accepting liability!)

    eg. This is from direct line's policy conditions:
    You must not admit liability for or negotiate to settle any claim without our written permission.
  • To clairfy, I said nothing to the other party, I just told my insurer I would accept liability.
  • Should I be pro-active, phone them Tuesday morning, tell them the other party got my parents' address from the police, and ask if they would like verification that I'm living in Belfast?
  • hcb42
    hcb42 Posts: 5,962 Forumite
    I wouldnt worry too much, wait and see what happens, but if Belfast is now your permanent home, get your licence and documents changed.
  • adamc260
    adamc260 Posts: 2,055 Forumite
    Quentin wrote: »
    No need to worry.

    (Though on a separate issue, you cannot "accept liability" - that's up to your insurer! (Your policy will expressly forbid you from accepting liability!)

    eg. This is from direct line's policy conditions:

    The reason it states that is to stop them having an issue when the insurer tries to dispute.
  • From memory, some insurers have clauses saying they won't insure cars at a different address from the one on the V5 - may be worth checking. Otherwise, you should be fine.
This discussion has been closed.
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