Category A write off

JH1345

Hi All,

I’m just looking for some advice regarding a category A write off. Unfortunately, at the end of October last year, I wrote off my car which was a BMW 1 series. The insurers advised it was a category A write off which obviously means the car will be crushed.

I registered the car as written off, advised the salvage companies details and this led to the car showing as untaxed on the .gov website.

I was tidying up some old paperwork, which had confirmation of the car being written off, and for some reason I’ve double checked on the website again and to my confusion it is showing the car as being taxed until March 2020. The tax on the car has always been July to July for one year (it was zero road tax) so I know it’s nothing to do with anything from my side. It’s obviously been taxed from someone, however, this month.

My understanding was Cat A write off’s MUST be crushed and even if they didn’t the new owner wouldn’t ever get insured on the vehicle. I can also see the vehicle isn’t insured (probably because it would have to get a new MOT which they haven’t although it hasn’t expired yet).

As part of my paperwork, I’ve lost the confirmation from the DVLA of me relinquishing ownership due to the car being written off. The paperwork I had was to do with the insurer writing it off as a Catergory A.

To cut everything short, should I be worried? Do I need to contact the DVLA to confirm everything? Has anyone experienced this? I cannot find any posts of this happening with anyone so just seeking advice.

Thanks!

angrycrow

Are you sure it was designated cat a. Cat a is normally reserved for burnt out cars, cars involved in fatal accidents or cars with biological contamination such as large quantities of blood.

Cars with severe damage normally get a cat b marker.

If your former car was cat a dvla would not issue a replacement v5 and it should not be possible to tax it. If you informed dvla that you had transfered ownership to the insurers using section 9 of the v5 you have nothing to worry about and it is not your problem. Did you receive an acknowledgement from Dvla confirming you were no longer the registered keeper, if not speak to dvla to make sure you are not still on record.

family4tunes

As the previous poster stated very correctly. These vehicles are usually burnt-out and they must be totally crushed including all spare parts that's the law. They are not allowed to be repaired or any parts resold or reused.

If you have done what you say but just lost the DVLA confirmation then you have nothing to worry about. You can contact DVLA to reassure yourself and they can send you confirmation again via electronic mail (email) but normally this isn't needed.

I do not see you have any issues or need to worry.

AndyMc.....

angrycrow wrote: »

Are you sure it was designated cat a. Cat a is normally reserved for burnt out cars, cars involved in fatal accidents or cars with biological contamination such as large quantities of blood.

Cars with severe damage normally get a cat b marker.

If your former car was cat a dvla would not issue a replacement v5 and it should not be possible to tax it. If you informed dvla that you had transfered ownership to the insurers using section 9 of the v5 you have nothing to worry about and it is not your problem. Did you receive an acknowledgement from Dvla confirming you were no longer the registered keeper, if not speak to dvla to make sure you are not still on record.

Or how about about a car so badly damage it can't go back on the road?

Just because it's involved in a fatal wouldn't make it a write off.

foxy-stoat

It was probably a cat S and not A, they may of repaired it but nothing to do with you now.

angrycrow

When I said fatal it was clear to most I meant the car containing the deceased.

A car so badly damaged it can't go back on the road falls within cat B, parts can be salvaged.

onomatopoeia99

family4tunes wrote: »

As the previous poster stated very correctly. These vehicles are usually burnt-out and they must be totally crushed including all spare parts that's the law.

What law is that? Please quote the relevant act and section.



The write off categories are, or were last time I checked, a convention agreed amongst insurers (mostly to prevent ringing) and have no statutory force, though for a while we had the bizarre situation where based on a write off category it would affect whether the vehicle owner needed a VIC before a new V5 would be issued by the DVLA.



So, the insurers agreed amongst themselves that they wouldn't insure cat A and B vehicles, preventing them from being returned to the road. Except they don't ALL agree :


https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/category-b-insurance/


and of course you can self-insure if you have a wodge of cash to lodge with the accountant general.

AdrianC

DVLA won't issue new V5Cs to Cat A and B, since VIC was removed.