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?
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?