Declaring SORN and still paying road tax?

Trip_2

I have an old car which is garaged unless I'm driving it. I have fully comprehensive insurance on another car which insures me to drive any car with 3rd party cover. So the car is never on the road uninsured because it's either garaged or I'm driving it.

I don't want to have to buy separate insurance for this car which will never be used. I don't want to declare SORN because then I can't tax it. Is there a way to avoid having to buy unnecessary insurance for this car but still tax it so it's road legal?

GrumpyDil

First question is are you absolutely sure about that cover as I have never had a policy that would provide third party cover on a vehicle owned by me but not having it's own insurance policy.
My driving other car cover has always been limited to cars not owned and not hired by me.
Actually thinking about it I'd also expect to get regularly stopped as any insurance check would throw up as no insurance. 

Trip_2

The old car is actually owned and registered to my wife.

AdrianC

No.

If it's taxed, it MUST be on the MIB insurance database. It'll only be on there if the insurer put it there.

Are you sure that your policy allows you to drive YOUR other car? Normally, the DOC clause only covers you for other people's cars.

How "old" are we talking? Is it possible to put it on a classic policy? Hundred quid a year or so, and probably a better payout in the event of something going wrong. Also covered while it's in the garage... If the car caught fire in the garage, would your home insurance expect you to claim off the car policy?

facade

No.

There is a legal requirement for insurance on any vehicle not under SORN.

If you want to drive a SORNd vehicle, you simply insure it and buy tax on line if it has an MOT, or take it for one and then buy tax when you get back with the pass. The only limitation is you cannot tax a vehicle online within 5 (IIRC) days of declaring it SORN online.

tim9966

Check the small print. It will most likely say the other car needs to be insured, and quite likely will say it can't be owned by you.
You need to get 2 lots of insurance, although some companies will let you insure 2 cars on one policy. 

GrumpyDil

Noted actually owned by wife but same answer would be that every driving other car I've seen in the last couple of years needs valid insurance on the other car. 

williamgriffin

Trip_2 said:

I have an old car which is garaged unless I'm driving it. I have fully comprehensive insurance on another car which insures me to drive any car with 3rd party cover. So the car is never on the road uninsured because it's either garaged or I'm driving it.

I don't want to have to buy separate insurance for this car which will never be used. I don't want to declare SORN because then I can't tax it. Is there a way to avoid having to buy unnecessary insurance for this car but still tax it so it's road legal?

If it's taxed it needs to be insured, yours never is.

TooManyPoints

You are fortunate not to have been on the wrong end of action under the "Continuous Insurance" section of the Road Traffic Act. It says this:

Offence of keeping vehicle which does not meet insurance requirements

(1)If a motor vehicle registered under the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 does not meet the insurance requirements, the person in whose name the vehicle is registered is guilty of an offence.

(2)For the purposes of this section a vehicle meets the insurance requirements if—

(a)it is covered by a such a policy of insurance as complies with the requirements of this Part of this Act, and

(b)either of the following conditions is satisfied.

(3)The first condition is that the policy or the certificate of insurance which relates to it, identifies the vehicle by its registration mark as a vehicle which is covered by the policy 

(4)The second condition is that the vehicle is covered by the policy because—

(a)the policy covers any vehicle, or any vehicle of a particular description, the owner of which is a person named in the policy or in the certificate of insurance  which relates to it, and

(b)the vehicle is owned by that person.

In short, the vehicle must either be insured under a policy that specifically mentions it by its VRM or you must have a policy that covers any car that you own. Your "driving other cars (Third Party)" provision almost certainly relates to cars which you do not own or have acquired under a Hire Purchase agreement. You need to examine your policy because if that is the case not only have you been keeping the car without a valid policy (which is a non-endorseable offence) but you have also been driving it without insurance (which carries a minimum of six penalty points).

Herzlos

Trip_2 said:

The old car is actually owned and registered to my wife.

The exclusion usually covers cars owned by you or your partner, to avoid this sort of thing.
If you do have a policy which genuinely lets you drive other cars you own, then you're probably going to have to stump up for additional insurance, but it should be cheap if it's barely used. Your main insurer will probably be able to add it pretty cheap.

TooManyPoints

I doesn't matter who owns Car #2 or who it is registered to. It has to be covered by a policy of one of the two types described in the legislation. It being owned by somebody else does get the OP out of a "driving" allegation (provided his own policy provision for driving other cars does not exclude those owned by people in the same household). But it does not get his wife out of an allegation under the "continuous insurance" requirement. As a note, being the Registered Keeper is not proof of ownership. If, when driving it, the OP causes serious damage or personal injury his insurers may make rigorous enquiries regarding the actual ownership and may insist on seeing a bill of sale or some other proof of ownership.