Is it illegal to have your car locked away in garage without insurance?

Gloomendoom

Aretnap wrote: »

True, but if you want cheap cover for when it's off the road you can get laid up insurance which covers it against fire and theft, but not road accidents. I'd assumed this would be a lot cheaper than a Road Traffic Act compliant policy... though from what Dukesy says maybe it's not much cheaper than a limited mileage classic car policy.

I used to do that but it is only worth it if you know that you are definitely not going to use the vehicle for a long period. It costs roughly half what a fully comp policy with road risks does. So £40-£50 rather than £80-£100. For the extra pound a week, or less, it really isn't worth the hassle unless you are really strapped for cash.

paddedjohn

Leave it uninsured in the garage as long as you want as long as you SORN it and return the tax for a refund.

Strider590

jonj123 wrote: »

I was wondering whether it would be illegal to leave a car which is taxed and mot'd in garage without insurance.

Thanks

There's a new law being enforced by the DVLA, it basically means if you have no insurance you MUST declare SORN.

I'm not gonna be very politically correct now (but I will back this statement up with fact), basically what was happening was a certain element of Muslim drivers were insuring their cars, taxing their cars and then cancelling the insurance. This sort of explains why: http://www.money.co.uk/article/1001048-first-uk-halal-car-insurance-launched.htm It's some strange thing about not paying for something where you get nothing back.

What's also happening is the insurance avoiders (of all backgrounds, but mostly those from the middle east and eastern Europe) are basically using alias names and/or bundling large numbers of cars together so they're registered to one fake address (often some random victim 50 miles away), hence why you see cars covered in parking tickets, in the same spot, day after day. So in reality this new law only affects the drivers who innocently lapse on their car insurance and VED.

Be careful, the DVLA are really sharp on this and if they can trace you easily, you'll get a hefty "fine". Make sure you do things by the book and ALWAYS send correspondance to the DVLA by recorded post.

forgotmyname

I have noticed an increase in the number of foreign registered vehicles in an area not far from me.

Some look wrong. French registered VW Passat, Right hand drive, Odd how its got the original main dealer sticker in the rear window.

Did someone really buy that car in N Yorkshire and then register in in France, Then bring it back?

I bet its a UK car on false plates.

andygb

forgotmyname wrote: »

I have noticed an increase in the number of foreign registered vehicles in an area not far from me.

Some look wrong. French registered VW Passat, Right hand drive, Odd how its got the original main dealer sticker in the rear window.

Did someone really buy that car in N Yorkshire and then register in in France, Then bring it back?

I bet its a UK car on false plates.

I think that a lot of dodgy characters have noticed how the police leave foreign motorists alone, they are almost totally ignored unless they commit a serious crime. Contrast that with the situation when we drive on the continent, where it is quite common to see cars with British plates being sidelined by "les garcons en bleu".

TrickyWicky

ariba10 wrote: »

As long as it is not on a public highway there is no need for Insurance, M O T or Road Fund Licence.

That maybe so but it doesn't actually answer the ops question does it.

The op asked if they need insurance if it is taxed and locked away. The answer to that is yes but you've gone off at a tangent...

Anyway further good news is on the horizon for those with SORN'd cars, the DVLA is now officially looking at the prospect of SORN and forget. In other words, SORN once and then it runs until you retax it with no need to renew the SORN. That at least is something less to worry about considering they're always trying to make life harder.

We used to keep a spare car taxed and ready to use with daily / temp cover. We can't do it now it's just too expensive with this mandatory insurance !!!!.

In a FOI request to the DVLA I actually asked them how this would stop car thieves / joyriders from taking uninsured cars out for a spin. Their answer was to ignore the point and explain how CIE worked (thus penalising the innocent law abiding motorist). Like I said, SORN and forget will at least welcome by many even if it is only a very small gesture to the motorist.

Sally_A

It's not illegal to park a SORN'd vehicle in a garage uninsured.

However, bear in mind, you may want Laid Up Fire & Theft cover, and if it is valuable ask for Accidental Damage, Fire & Theft (not a lot of the call centres have heard of this, but it is doable - and would pick up say flood, or a falling tree etc).

TrickyWicky

Sally_A wrote: »

It's not illegal to park a SORN'd vehicle in a garage uninsured.

But again the op clearly states the car has tax so yes it is illegal as it must instead either be insured or declared SORN.

What is so hard to understand about the ops question when they clearly state that it is still taxed?

Sally_A

TW - I'm telling him what is legal, the SORN'd/insurance has been covered above, so maybe I read the whole thread rather than just the 1st post.

I'm advising that your can have LUADF&T, rather than just LUF&T. As there are possibly more things to consider other than fire & theft.

27col

You say that it was off the road due to pregnancy. Is this because it was a baby Austin.