Need Advice - First Offence

diesel9181

my mum got done with no insurance. every renewal the insurance took the money and it continued for the next year, until they stopped trading! it was 6 months before she relised she wasnt insured, then she told teh police!!! it was 6 points and £150 fine, think the new insurance company charged a bit more too!

MrSmartprice

If you didn't declare something relevant, like a pending prosecution for no insurance, they certainly will declare your policy void, and you would effectively still be driving about with no insurance. It's no good playing with words here, the insurance companies require you to declare anything relevant even if they don't specifically ask for it. This is as relevant as it gets.

What may happen is that they will decline to insure you on the terms they quoted and up the premium. Or decline completely. But I guarantee there will be a lot more grief if you say nothing.

The situation when you get to court is fairly clear cut. The magistrates have little discretion regarding the penalty. If you have no current points they will almost certainly give you six. A fine of around £500, give or take depending on circumstances, will be the norm. But if you get done a second time you will get a disqualification as you will have at least 12 points.

When I was a TSO I used to prosecute private hire drivers for plying for hire. It also invalidated their insurance as they were only covered for booked journeys. Although they tried every excuse under the sun, (sometimes almost accompanied by violins:rolleyes:) it never made any difference. I can only assure you that forgetting to renew for 6 months will not be regarded as a reason for leniency. Sadly the opposite is likely to be true.

ispartacus75

MrSmartprice wrote: »

I can only assure you that forgetting to renew for 6 months will not be regarded as a reason for leniency. Sadly the opposite is likely to be true.

It wasnt a case of forgetting to renew, the policy was taken out in the October I think.

Apparently a DD didnt get paid in January, the insurance company say they informed us, but we didnt get anything.

As we had moved house shortly before everything was up in the air with money going out for all sorts of stuff for the new house and we simply didnt realise that the DD hadnt been paid.

I have now added the DD dates for my new policy to my Outlook Calendar so I can cross reference when they are due to come out.

montypython_3

Ok mistakes happen and getting caught out is unfortunately going to cost you some points and some pounds.

Please though listen to the advice given, speak to your new insurers and give them the details.

Once is a mistake risking a second offence would be foolish

ispartacus75

Update.

Car seized last Friday. (Police rang insurance company to confirm policy had expired)

Car re-insured last Friday.

Bought new car Saturday. Insured new car Saturday.

New car insurance documents arrive today. Old car insurance documents still havent arrived.

Phoned insurance company who are now sending them out for Monday on special delivery.

Spoke to Police as I was supposed to show them ACTUAL certificate of insurance by 1.30 today.

They have said they will wait till 1.30 Monday before crushing the car.

If my documents havent arrived by then I lose the car.

I have already confirmed that the insurance company could fax me through a copy and the police could ring to verify, but they wont accept that. They will only accept the original and will not ring an insurance company to verify.

Thats funny as they had no problem ringing the insurance company at the roadside to confirm that I wasnt insured.

Sick of it.