Uninsured car impounded - help with recovery please?

Meow7

Hello there,

Today I was stopped on the motorway for driving an uninsured vehicle. I bought it last week and thought the 7-day driveaway insurance was valid, however it wasn't and my lovely new car was towed away from me. As I have only been driving for 18 months, and therefore considered a new driver, I am now awaiting a summons from the court to hear my case. I am expecting potentially 6 points, meaning my license will be revoked and I will have to re-pass my test, and probably will not be able to be insured for a few years at least. I'm gutted.

My question is this; when I go to collect the car I have to produce some insurance documents, however my premium is going to rocket so much now that I simply cannot afford to insure it at this present time -my Mum has offered to go and pick up my car for me, and she is insured to drive any car, will she be able to produce her documents and pick up the car to drive it home for me? Or will I have to be insured myself to do this?

Thanks for your help

InsideInsurance

You need to read the terms of your insurance and the certificate.

Driving other Cars (DoC) is no longer included on all policies and even if it does there is often additional clauses such as requiring the vehicle to already have insurance on it. Unless she is lucky then she cannot use DoC to collect the vehicle.

She probably can add the vehicle to her insurance as a Temporary Additional Vehicle for an admin fee and small additional premium and that almost certainly would allow her to collect it. Alternatively a temporary standalone policy in her name may suffice.

Remember it is an offence to have a vehicle that isnt insured now so if you go this route you must get it off the road and do a SORN as soon as your mothers insurance is about to lapse on this vehicle

spacey2012

The pound will only usually release the car to an insurance policy bearing the registration number of the seized car.
Most driving other car policies state it can only be used to secure the release of the actual car listed on the policy itself.
They can refuse to release it to policies that do not mention this restriction.

forgotmyname

Your car not being insured maybe one exclusion on her policy. My insurance now states that i can only drive other cars if they are insured.

Do you have somewhere off the road to park the car? If your not insuring it you need to SORN it.
Unless you sell it very quickly. It needs to be SORN'd ASAP.

Meow7

Thanks a lot guys

I will check the wording of her policy tonight, she definitely is insured to drive other cars but I will read through the whole thing when she gets home. If it does have that restriction though, InsideInsurance you mentioned temporary insurance - if I were to get her insured for 1 day on that car, I presume she would be fine to take that documentation and pick up my car?

Also another thing that just occurred to me - if my court summons takes around 3 months, which the officer indicated it might, can I insure myself on the cae carr for those 3 months before the court date without mentioning anything to the insurance company as technically at this point I have no points or convictions? Or would I have to mention that something is coming up?

If I don't get it insured, my Dad works & lives in a private rugby club - would I be legally able to store the car in the car park there instead of SORN'ing it?

Thanks a lot for your responses

Slowhand

Insure the car with you as the main driver and your mother as a named driver. You were going to get insurance....weren't you?

InsideInsurance

Meow7 wrote: »

Also another thing that just occurred to me - if my court summons takes around 3 months, which the officer indicated it might, can I insure myself on the car for those 3 months before the court date without mentioning anything to the insurance company as technically at this point I have no points or convictions? Or would I have to mention that something is coming up?

Ultimately read the exact question asked, the normal question does mention about pending prosecutions and so you'd need to mention it.

thenudeone

Meow7 wrote: »

My question is this; when I go to collect the car I have to produce some insurance documents, however my premium is going to rocket so much now that I simply cannot afford to insure it at this present time -my Mum has offered to go and pick up my car for me, and she is insured to drive any car, will she be able to produce her documents and pick up the car to drive it home for me?

In short - Yes, anyone can collect a seized car with the owner or keeper's permission, as long as they produce a certificate proving that they are insured to drive it.

See the replies above for why that might be a problem.

spacey2012

Not exactly so, legally yes you should be able to collect it, but the pound don't usually care about what is legal.
Unless the certificate has that registration number on the policy most wont let her take the car.
Many short term policies state that the certificate can not be used to secure release of a seized car, some full time ones do as well now.
Drive away insurance, well anyone who thinks they have this will have a cover note or policy document before they drive, the police don't do excuses.

A right pickle, what you need to read on mums is the actual policy certificate itself, what it covers for basic purposes of the RTA is on that one signed document.

thenudeone

spacey2012 wrote: »

but the pound don't usually care about what is legal.
Unless the certificate has that registration number on the policy most wont let her take the car.

They really don't have an option.

Certificate proving legally insured to take vehicle = must release.

Otherwise next visit is to a solicitor.

rs65

You seem to be accepting that the 7 day cover was invalid. If it was valid your problems are solved.

Is there any scope for arguing its validity?