Advice on declaring a write-off

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I have a dilemma. I have a pretty worthless, 19 year old Freelander. Last May, it was written off when a lorry carrying a wide load tried to squeeze past a queue of cars on a narrow road. By "write of", I mean superficial panel damage to all the offside panels. Obviously, it doesn't take much to write off a relatively worthless car! It was a Category N write-off.

At the time, the lorry driver's insurance paid out, no bother, and I was told by them, that it would be written off. I was paid out and bought it back. (In fact, they just reduced the amount of the payout and I kept the car, so ownership of the car never actually changed hands). They never asked for the logbook, or anything like that. Apart from a few e-mails agreeing the value, I have nothing in writing from them at all!

Now, if the car had been properly "totalled" I could have sent the appropriate bits of registration document to the insurer / DVLA, but of course, it wasn't, and it's still my car.

Does anyone know how I go about notifying DVLA? At the time, my insurers were informed, of course. They dropped me like a hot potato, saying "we don't do write-offs", so I had to (at very short notice) go to a specialist company and pay through the nose for the privilege! I wasn't pleased about that, and of course, for the next 5 years, it means I have to answer "yes" to the "have you ever had insurance cancelled", which will hike my premium. All seems a bit unfair considering I was stationary in a queue at the time! Still, I know that's how the game is played...

Anyway, my questions: Will this be recorded on any official database anywhere? If so, how do I find out? Am I supposed to tell DVLA? Again, if so, how? Should the insurance company that paid out, have informed anyone?
 
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Anyway, my questions: Will this be recorded on any official database anywhere? If so, how do I find out? Am I supposed to tell DVLA? Again, if so, how? Should the insurance company that paid out, have informed anyone?

If it is Category N, as in not structural damage - your description suggests it is only cosmetic damage, then it will not be recorded as a write-off.
 
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Thanks all. It seems then, that it's my responsibility to inform DVLA but that I don't need to send the logbook back to them. Presumably I just write to them and tell them, in that case?
 
Thanks all. It seems then, that it's my responsibility to inform DVLA but that I don't need to send the logbook back to them. Presumably I just write to them and tell them, in that case?
Why? It’s not been written off and it’s not been recorded as a write off (why are you insuring it as one?). Your car was damaged, they paid you out and that’s it. No different from any accident you have in your car. You do have to notify insurance companies when getting quotes though. It’s just a no fault claim.
 
Thanks all. It seems then, that it's my responsibility to inform DVLA but that I don't need to send the logbook back to them. Presumably I just write to them and tell them, in that case?

No need to do anything, no structural damage = Category N = cosmetic damage only, perfectly safe to go back on the road.

It is if you bumped into your gate post and scratched a wing, you would not inform the DVLA would you?

It was written off by the insurance, simply because the cost of repairs exceeded the value of the vehicle so as to make it cheaper for them to just pay you the value of the car for its age, to allow you to go out and buy a similar replacement car.
 
So according to the first link I posted the insurer is obliged to notify the 'MIAFTR register' and declare it as write off, whoever that is, surely that records the car as write off?
 
So according to the first link I posted the insurer is obliged to notify the 'MIAFTR register' and declare it as write off, whoever that is, surely that records the car as write off?

Yes, it's a pity the article didn't say what that was, but I did a separate search for it and apparently it's the "Motor Insurers Anti Fraud and Theft Register".

https://www.mib.org.uk/managing-insurance-data/mib-managed-services/cue-miaftr/

However, it's not clear whether Cat N vehicles need to be reported on there. They do seem to have a request form where you can see what's recorded about you / your vehicle (thanks GDPR!) but the link seems to be broken.
 
Yes, it's a pity the article didn't say what that was, but I did a separate search for it and apparently it's the "Motor Insurers Anti Fraud and Theft Register".

https://www.mib.org.uk/managing-insurance-data/mib-managed-services/cue-miaftr/

However, it's not clear whether Cat N vehicles need to be reported on there. They do seem to have a request form where you can see what's recorded about you / your vehicle (thanks GDPR!) but the link seems to be broken.

I read it as the SAR only applying to you, but not the vehicle. Them logging your claim/attempted claims, is to help prevent fraud. The likes of making multiple claims to several companies, for the same incident and multiple crash for cash type of claims.
 
I read it as the SAR only applying to you, but not the vehicle. Them logging your claim/attempted claims, is to help prevent fraud. The likes of making multiple claims to several companies, for the same incident and multiple crash for cash type of claims.
It specifically says on the MIAFTR website:
MIAFTR is a database containing records of written off and stolen vehicles, as defined by the Code of Practice for the Disposal of Motor Vehicle Salvage. MIAFTR was designed and developed to help monitor vehicles written off for insurance purposes, to help trace and recover stolen vehicles and to help detect fraud.
 
It specifically says on the MIAFTR website:
MIAFTR is a database containing records of written off and stolen vehicles, as defined by the Code of Practice for the Disposal of Motor Vehicle Salvage. MIAFTR was designed and developed to help monitor vehicles written off for insurance purposes, to help trace and recover stolen vehicles and to help detect fraud.

I'm not disputing that, but under the GDPR you can only make a SAR for yourself, not for a vehicle. From that I would guess that the OP would not be able to get the details he wants - whether his vehicle has a written off marker against it. MIAFTR would seem to be there for the motor industry, rather than a private owner, though a person can make a SAR to find out what the data the company is storing on him/her.
 
Could you do a check on the vehicle as if buying it? (HPI?)
Or if you have a mate in the trade can they do it?

A mate had an old Discovery and eventually it bit the dust the guy who bought it just chucked spare panels on it and painted it green.
 
Yes, I've been wondering about splashing-out a significant percentage of its market value on an HPI check! You're probably right. It probably is the right thing to do!
 
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