Insurance on borrowed car after write-off

Wootball

I was wondering if anyone can help - it's a little bit complicated so here goes...

In February 2012 myself and my wife took out a Churchill policy on a Fiat Punto. This car has just been written off after we were hit by another driver, meaning that we have a policy but no vehicle - Churchill suspended the policy awaiting instructions to transfer it to another vehicle.

Meanwhile, my grandmother has just had an eye operation which leaves her unable to drive her Peugeot 206. As she was not able to drive her car, she declared it off-road and kept it in her garage. Once we knew our car was written off, my grandmother offered to lend us her car for four months as we only need a vehicle until December. So we paid the tax, had the car serviced and MOT'd and put it back on the road.

The main concern arises from the fact that she is still the registered owner of the car. The car was a present to her from my grandfather who has since passed away, and therefore under no circumstances do we wish to transfer the ownership to us - this is a temporary loan until Christmas and nothing else.

I contacted Churchill to tell them that we wish to transfer our policy to drive the 206, with my grandmother still as the owner of the vehicle. Churchill have said that this is not possible, and in order for us to be insured on the 206, we need to transfer ownership and registration to ourselves and essentially 'take the car off her'.

I don't know where I stand with this, can anyone offer us some advice? After all, we are just borrowing the car from her for a temporary period, and just transferring our policy to the 206 so that we can drive it.

forgotmyname

That's Churchill's policy not every companies policy.

If your policy is suspended and they wont cover the 206 then you will need to cancel the policy or take another one elsewhere for the 206.

But with a claim in progress you wont have any no claims and its attached to the Churhill policy and if you cancel it you still wont have any until its sorted.

Add yourself to her policy? Will probably be the cheapest option.

Or short term temp cover which wont be cheap.

Why have they not given you a curtesy car? Have they paid out already?

dacouch

Try asking them to add it as a "Temporary Additional Vehicle" for two weeks, if they accept it, you can probably get them to keep extending it a few times. Probable cost circa £25 each time

Wootball

The accident was a month ago and they paid out this week - because of that, the courtesy car has had to go back today. Churchill have said they will insure the 206 as long as we are in the process of transferring the registration so it looks like we're going to have to do that.

fivetide

I would look at getting Grannie to insure it with you as a named driver though.

That way you don't add more owners to the V5 as well.

5t.

Wootball

I'm not sure we can do that, considering it's permanent residence is our driveway now.

fivetide

I'd still ask. It might be cheaper as I'd hope she has plenty of no claims. As it is only a few months I'd hope that doesn't mean you need to be the main driver or have the main place of residence changed.

You might also be able to get Churchill to put your insurance on suspension "while you look for a new car" so you'll still have the rest of that policy to run.

5t.

poppasmurf_bewdley

If your insured car has been written off, hasn't the policy been cancelled?

It always used to be that when the car 'died' the policy died with it. Or has that changed nowadays?

Notmyrealname

Wootball wrote: »

The main concern arises from the fact that she is still the registered owner of the car. The car was a present to her from my grandfather who has since passed away, and therefore under no circumstances do we wish to transfer the ownership to us

The V5 merely shows the registered keeper. It even says on the middle of the first page of the V5 in big letters that the V5 is not proof of ownership because it isn't.

shaun_from_Africa

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

If your insured car has been written off, hasn't the policy been cancelled?

It always used to be that when the car 'died' the policy died with it. Or has that changed nowadays?

If you make an at fault total loss claim, then yes, the policy is normally cancelled, however in this instance the claim may be against the other driver.

This car has just been written off after we were hit by another driver

Wootball

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

If your insured car has been written off, hasn't the policy been cancelled?

It always used to be that when the car 'died' the policy died with it. Or has that changed nowadays?

It's changed - your policy still remains (at least with Churchill it does) regardless of who is at fault. At the moment it's being disputed (becuase she's gold digging, not because she has a leg to stand on) but the policy has remained and the premium has decreased on the 206 which is good news!

Notmyrealname wrote: »

The V5 merely shows the registered keeper. It even says on the middle of the first page of the V5 in big letters that the V5 is not proof of ownership because it isn't.

I know, but Churchill are having none of it.