Car breakdown, tax and insurance
Aug 30th 2011, 5:59 pm
#16
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: SE Dordogne France
Posts: 982
Re: Car breakdown, tax and insurance
Once you become non resident your UK insurer will refuse to cover you and withdraw your policy.
Don't even contemplate not telling them that you are leaving the UK or try to kid yourself that they are stupid. All claims originating from outside the UK are very closely scrutinised and when questions arise, as they will, the onus will be 100% on you to prove what you say, not for them to prove otherwise.
Strictly speaking you should inform your insurer any time you plan to take the insured vehicle out of the UK so if you do make that call the lies will start with that conversation.
Don't even contemplate not telling them that you are leaving the UK or try to kid yourself that they are stupid. All claims originating from outside the UK are very closely scrutinised and when questions arise, as they will, the onus will be 100% on you to prove what you say, not for them to prove otherwise.
Strictly speaking you should inform your insurer any time you plan to take the insured vehicle out of the UK so if you do make that call the lies will start with that conversation.
Aug 31st 2011, 6:20 am
#17
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: SE Dordogne France
Posts: 982
Re: Car breakdown, tax and insurance
Sorry- personal experience here! I just had a silly bump with my UK car (handbrake not holding) with very small damage to third party immovable object, so had to initiate a claim. MOT was out of date because I'd been back to Spain and stayed longer than expected, during which time MOT expired.
The accident was entirely my own fault - I had not applied the handbrake properly and had knocked the car out of gear while retrieving my handbag from the passenger footwell.
Insurance documents (Barlays) state that insurance not valid if no valid MOT. I expected to have to pay for all damage myself.
Before reporting claim I made appointment for MOT. Assessor arrived before MOT could be carried out and said that in principle I was not insured.
However, a) since the car was clearly in good condition;
b) although the car would clearly fail the MOT because of bodywork damage, the reason for failure had nothing to do with the cause of the accident;
c) There was a good reason which I coud demonstrate with airline tickets for allowing the MOT to expire;
d) and he was a nice guy
he would allow the claim to go through.
He confirmed that an expired MOT will always invalidate your insurance, although some companies allow their assessors some discretion, provided the accident has nothing to do with anything which might cause the vehicle to fail its MOT.
Not worth taking a chance, in my book.
The accident was entirely my own fault - I had not applied the handbrake properly and had knocked the car out of gear while retrieving my handbag from the passenger footwell.
Insurance documents (Barlays) state that insurance not valid if no valid MOT. I expected to have to pay for all damage myself.
Before reporting claim I made appointment for MOT. Assessor arrived before MOT could be carried out and said that in principle I was not insured.
However, a) since the car was clearly in good condition;
b) although the car would clearly fail the MOT because of bodywork damage, the reason for failure had nothing to do with the cause of the accident;
c) There was a good reason which I coud demonstrate with airline tickets for allowing the MOT to expire;
d) and he was a nice guy
he would allow the claim to go through.
He confirmed that an expired MOT will always invalidate your insurance, although some companies allow their assessors some discretion, provided the accident has nothing to do with anything which might cause the vehicle to fail its MOT.
Not worth taking a chance, in my book.
Aug 31st 2011, 11:19 am
#18
RETIRED ;-))
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Benalmadena Pueblo,Spain
Posts: 20,156
Re: Car breakdown, tax and insurance
Further to my earlier post this tale serves to illustrate the important difference between the bald and incorrect statement that no MOT = invalid insurance (with all it's legal ramifications from a police point of view) and the fact which is that it may be deemed invalid by the insurance company but only in terms of paying anything other than 3rd party claims which they are bound to do both for the duration of the policy and regardless of where in the EU the vehicle was located when the accident occurred.
Aug 31st 2011, 12:27 pm
#19
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Puente Esuri
Posts: 6,906
Aug 31st 2011, 12:57 pm
#21
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: In the middle of 10million Olive Trees
Posts: 12,053
Aug 31st 2011, 1:16 pm
#22
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 82
Re: Car breakdown, tax and insurance
Hi Fred James, what UK policy was this with as we are about to have to get new insurance so are looking for the one that will cover us the longest in the EU.
Aug 31st 2011, 1:52 pm
#23
Senior Moment
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: On the edge
Posts: 20,460
Re: Car breakdown, tax and insurance
Further to my earlier post this tale serves to illustrate the important difference between the bald and incorrect statement that no MOT = invalid insurance (with all it's legal ramifications from a police point of view) and the fact which is that it may be deemed invalid by the insurance company but only in terms of paying anything other than 3rd party claims which they are bound to do both for the duration of the policy and regardless of where in the EU the vehicle was located when the accident occurred.
Aug 31st 2011, 2:04 pm
#24
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Puente Esuri
Posts: 6,906
Re: Car breakdown, tax and insurance
Aug 31st 2011, 2:59 pm
#25
Joined: Jun 2006
Location: Granada Costa
Posts: 10,914
Re: Car breakdown, tax and insurance
