Write-off "dumped" on drive- what are my options?

Jimothy · Unread post by **Jimothy** » 21 Sep 2010, 20:08

Hi there,

it's now 40 days since my Xantia was written off by my insurance company, but the damn thing's still stuck on my driveway, which is a right blinking nuisance. Everything the insurance company does seems to drag on and on, and I'm now getting pretty annoyed by the whole thing.

The DVLA have sent me the confirmation that the Insurers are now the registered keepers, meaning they're responible for taxing and registration etc. and they've finally sent me the settlement cheque.

Therefore, I essentially have a car that no longer belongs to me parked on my driveway, with no idea of how long it will be before it's taken away.

What options (if any) do i have? Can I:

a) move the vehicle onto the road, safe in the knowledge that the insurers, not me, are liable for taxing it?

b) charge them for parking?

c) have the vehicle towed away at their expense?

d) anything else you can think of?

thanks,
Jim

Unread post by **admiral51** » 21 Sep 2010, 20:29

Check with your local police about what you can do with an abandoned vehicle on your property as i reckon you could get done if you move the car onto the public highway
As for your insurers......you could

1.Send them a letter (recorded delivery) stating that their car is parked on your driveway and if its not moved within 7 days from date of your letter it will be collected for scrap and all costs incured by yourself will be deemed the liability of the insurers.

Send the letter to their debt recoveries department and their legal department,should get a few people involved

2.Was the car recovered to your driveway or driven by you.If it was recovered you could always give the recovery firm a ring as ask their opinion

Colin

Jimothy · Unread post by **Jimothy** » 21 Sep 2010, 20:42

admiral51 wrote: 2.Was the car recovered to your driveway or driven by you.If it was recovered you could always give the recovery firm a ring as ask their opinion

recovered by the salvage agent who would have towed it straight to their yard if it hadn't been so late in the day, apparently-
At the time it seemed quite useful to have it brought back here, as the car was full of my tools which I would have had to fetch myself otherwise, but now I'm kind of wishing they'd just towed it away at the time

Unread post by **admiral51** » 21 Sep 2010, 20:48

In that case id give them a ring and see if there is any chance they could come and get.If they take it back to their yard then they have more chance of the insurers actually doing something about it

Colin

Jimothy · Unread post by **Jimothy** » 21 Sep 2010, 20:52

hmm, might give them a ring but suspect they'll say the insurance company need to instruct them to do so (otherwise, what's in it for them to go to the expense of towing it away?)

HDI Dave · Unread post by **HDI Dave** » 21 Sep 2010, 21:05

admiral51 wrote: As for your insurers......you could

1.Send them a letter (recorded delivery) stating that their car is parked on your driveway and if its not moved within 7 days from date of your letter it will be collected for scrap and all costs incured by yourself will be deemed the liability of the insurers.

Colin

That's what I'd do, or ring the aforementioned recovery agent,as also said.

Or like you say, charge them for parking, per day...it's on your land - there's a well known bloke in Haworth who charges people for using his land,he's even jovial, calls himself Dick Turpin! really!

Depends how quickly you want it shifting,
I don't know about your town, but here in Bradford, there's plenty reports of unscrupulous scrap merchants driving round, or getting wind of an abandoned car, and Hi Ab ing it away,never to be seen again

KP · Unread post by KP » 21 Sep 2010, 21:19

Are there any more details on it??

You could always ask them if they are ok with you selling it on as scrap seeing as they haven't picked it up and they may say yes....
Think of how much it would cost to recover and then arrange flogging it on and you would already be near £100 there

Jimothy · Unread post by **Jimothy** » 21 Sep 2010, 22:24

KP wrote:Are there any more details on it??

Do you mean the car? if so,
T-reg 2.0L petrol Xantia estate - still runs fine, but bonnet, front bumper and lights smashed.

If not, what do you mean?

You could always ask them if they are ok with you selling it on as scrap seeing as they haven't picked it up and they may say yes....
Think of how much it would cost to recover and then arrange flogging it on and you would already be near £100 there

Interesting idea - I've already had a couple of chancers knock on my door making enquiries...

Toby_HDi · Unread post by **Toby_HDi** » 21 Sep 2010, 22:27

Jimothy wrote:..I've already had a couple of chancers knock on my door making enquiries...

Funnily enough I had the same thing yesterday. The Activa is currently on SORN and a bloke came and asked if I wanted to sell it. I told him in no uncertain terms that it was not for sale and never would be for the price he would likely want to pay for it.

addo · Unread post by **addo** » 21 Sep 2010, 23:07

I'd be simply notifying the insurers that as the car was theirs, and on my property without suitable arrangement, I could not be held responsible for its future condition.

And promptly start selling bits on the sly!

citronut · Unread post by **citronut** » 22 Sep 2010, 07:38

i would tell them if they dont move it ASAP you will be changing your insurance company,

regards malcolm

ps.
whats the condition and colour of the rest of the car, as i could do with a good shell to swap my scruffy XANT estate into,

Jimothy · Unread post by **Jimothy** » 22 Sep 2010, 07:42

citronut wrote:i would tell them if they dont move it ASAP you will be changing your insurance company,

you think I haven't swapped already???

whats the condition and colour of the rest of the car, as i could do with a good shell to swap my scruffy XANT estate into,

Scruffy - it was my work horse (I'm a professional gardener), not a loved family car.