Car insurance problem, help please - owner going abroad, friend looking after car

Olga_da_Polga

Hello forumites. Your collective expertise and wisdom is very much needed please!

My friend owns a car. She is going on a work secondment abroad for 9 months and suggested we (partner & I) look after/use her car while she's away. We thought this would be a win-win-win: she'd gain by the car being kept running and being used while she's away, we'd gain as we don't have a car at the moment so could use it, and the insurance would know the car's not a sitting target on the road for 9 months.

The snag we've hit is her insurance is refusing to arrange cover in this way. She's the current owner & registered keeper but we would be the main drivers and the car would be outside our house not hers. She's with Police Mutual and her insurance is due for renewal in March as well, which is while she's away

Has anybody got any suggestions how we can legitimately get cover in this scenario?? Her only other option that she can think of is to sell it to We Buy Any Car and buy another one when she gets back...

(Edited to add) - the additional challenge is the trip away starts in 3 weeks time so we don't have much time to sort this out either.

Thanks in advance

OdP

Mark_d

I think you might be able to get a travel insurance policy that covers you even thought you are not the owner or registered keeper of the vehicle.  Try NFU Mutual.
So you friend cancels her insurance when she goes away.  The car is left in your care, at your address and you buy a car insurance policy - ensuring that you clarify the situation with ownership/registered keeper of the car.

Brie

Agree with Mark_d.  

But would also add that it might be a good idea for her to change her address for DVLA etc to your address so that any parking notices, tickets, renewals come directly to you to manage in a timely fashion.  Won't be fun if you overstay at Aldi and she comes home to a stack of escalating PCNs or similar.  

DullGreyGuy

You could just insurer it on your own policy if having use of it is worth the cost, just remember to correctly declare who the owner/keeper is. Some insurers won't want to insure a vehicle that is neither yours nor under finance to you but some insurers are happy with a more distant relationship.

You can draw up a document/contract to say you get use of it but have liability for it whilst its under your control which will create the insurable interest.

Olga_da_Polga

Thanks all, this has been a big help, I have a few quotes so it looks like I can get reasonably-priced cover. 

I presume she should also cancel her insurance the day that mine starts, would that be correct? Rather than leave it to run out in due course.

Now that just leaves the MOT due date, VED ditto and city parking permit to arrange!

Cheers OdP

Hoenir

Who is responsible for maintenance of the vehicle? 

DullGreyGuy

Olga_da_Polga said:

Thanks all, this has been a big help, I have a few quotes so it looks like I can get reasonably-priced cover. 

I presume she should also cancel her insurance the day that mine starts, would that be correct? Rather than leave it to run out in due course.

There would be complexity were they to leave theirs running, especially if the car was stolen and had a crash whilst the thieves were joy riding in it. Contrary to urban myth however it wouldn't be "illegal" to have the two policies running concurrently.