Car impounded for no insurance, was told by insurance company that we were insured

xxkitcatsxx

Right, my partner purchased a new car yesterday. He took out a new policy with his existing insurer for the new car. He asked the insurer specifically 'am I insured to drive home in this car now?' they answered 'yes, you're good to go'. He took their word for it and waited 15 mins before driving home just in case. He then started the 100 mile journey home.

When around the corner from our home, he was pulled over by the police who told him he was not insured as his insurer hadn't updated the information on the MID database. We didn't realise that would take time and we were told he was covered by his insurance company who neglected to inform us it may take some time!

The car was impounded with an immediate fine of £150 and another £50 every 24 hours its in the impound. To add insult to injury the impound is now not open until Tuesday!

The police officer (who was well within his rights to seize the car due to it not being on his system) would not call the insurance company under any circumstances despite a lot of begging. Can they do that?

To add yet more insult they suspended his licence. Unsure of whether that was to do with his insurance (or lack of on the database) or whether it was because they now think he's a wanted man for motoring offences, domestic violence, robbery and numerous other crimes. This should be cleared up when he gives fingerprints and shows a copy of his birth certificate.

They now have summons him to court and we will be receiving a letter telling us the dates etc soon. This is for the lack of insurance.

His insurance is now invalid due to him having his licence suspended but he has been told by the insurance company to photocopy it and send back the original so that he can take the copy to court.

Will he have to go to court if we take the certificate down the police station? Will he get his licence back then? Or will he have to still go to court do you think? What's the likelihood of him getting points in his licence if he has proof that he was in fact insured?

The matter if this mistaken identity which by the way, is a man who doesn't even live in the same country, just adds more stress to the mix!

He's missed days off work as he's trying to get this sorted and of course cannot get there!

How are we meant to get the car out of impound? The police want proof that someone is insured to drive it away but of course, without a licence my partner can't do it and it seems to be in everyone else's terms and conditions that they can't drive a car from an impound lot!

Head stress! Please help!!

forgotmyname

Make an official complaint. Did they not contact the insurance company direct?

Any reason for that? I would be livid having taken out insurance just before then obviously it wont be on the system. Some can take weeks to put it on there.
My dads business policy is never on there for some off reason.

How can a policeman suspend a licence? Courts are there for that.

Sounds like there is more to this than whether it shows on the database.

They seem to think he doesnt have a valid licence which has already been suspended by the DVLA or a court. Then no he wont be insured.
So points and a fine are on the way.

Has his licence been revoked or suspended? Is it a UK licence?

Policies are now being issued with clauses about cars from pounds and insuring to drive cars that are not currently insured by the owner or keeper.

TrickyWicky

xxkitcatsxx wrote: »

The police officer (who was well within his rights to seize the car due to it not being on his system) would not call the insurance company under any circumstances despite a lot of begging. Can they do that?

I've never heard of a licence being suspended there and then but the cop refusing to ring the insurers is definitely suitable for a complaint to not only the police force but also the IPCC.

Get a solicitor, find the best you can who does criminal defence and when he's taken to the station for questioning ask for that solicitor. If you get a decent enough solicitor often the name of that person will make the police think twice (A tip given to me by a friend years ago when I had a brush with the law - I was told the very mention of his name makes the police get nervous )

Please, unlike others, keep us updated of the outcome

muckybutt

Suspended licence ? has his photocard licence run out ?

MIB can take upto three weeks to update, but if the plod had rung the insurers then they would have found that it was insured. If it were me I be down that nick tonight with a copy of insurance if you can download one or details of who you are with, and speak to a senior officer such as an inspector. Demand that they release the car if you are 100% it is insured.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

well what a mess. this is comon also your not the only one.

in the course of his duty he should of investigated the claim your insured by xyz insurer, looked at the purchase reciept for the car and ofcourse came to the conclusion its a new purchase, the MID dont update insuantly can take 3-7 days, here he should of called the insurers or infact the MID themselfs to check that there was a policy.

your next port of call is the insurers to fax or e-mail his cover note this will have the time and date the policy was updated or taken out, obviosuly this will be before the time he was pulled over and car taken off him, why the police took his license i dont know unless they wanted it to ensure the points (6 points £200 fine) went on it or it was revoked in the past without your knowladge.

when you have the insurance cirtificate then proceed down to the station where the officer is based (shall be on the bunch of forms he gave you), produce the insurance cert, ask for license back and a call to have you car released ASAP without cost to you police impound cannot charge you for the tow and the storage if it was infact insured at the time of seizure.

[Deleted User]

Why didn't he just show the police officer his Certificate Of Insurance :huh:

societys_child

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Why didn't he just show the police officer his Certificate Of Insurance :huh:

Perhaps he couldn't download the certificate over phone, not sure, just a guess.

ginnersinner

You might want to ask to see the Police Force's Standard Operating Procedure for dealing with matters of no insurance. The one I work in is clear that, in cases where the driver insists they have insurance, the car should not be impounded but the driver given the old-fashioned 7-day wonder (called a form HO/RT1)

I'm pretty sure that a Police Officer can't suspend a person's licence at the roadside either. You might want to ask your husband exactly what he means by that and what the Officer actually said. It's not at all unusual for vehicles that have just been purchased not to appear on the database - the industry agreement is that they must do so within seven days.

You may very well have to initially pay the release/recovery fees to the Police, and claim them back later. Do contact the force soon and indicate that you're disputing the seizure, or after 14 days they will dispose of the car.

You should initially ask to speak to the Pound directly, they should have a public number. Contacting the Police Station where the Officer works will not speed up the car's release. You should concentrate on getting your car back first, then making the complaint.

victor2

Thats a lot to happen since yesterday, not sure where the "mistaken identity" and "days off work" came from!

[Deleted User]

societys_child wrote: »

Perhaps he couldn't download the certificate over phone, not sure, just a guess.

Sorry, I misread it.

I thought he'd been into the insurance broker's office.

forgotmyname

I think the issue is his licence has been suspended previously hence no need to phone the insurance as no licence would mean he wasnt insured either.