cancellation of car insurance

[mogs]

we have a very old car, we've tried to sell it without success but during this time have been paying insurance for it just to sit on our property.

Can we now cancel this insurance as the 2 months renewal is approaching - we don't know what we'll do with the car but certainly won't be driving it so I guess it will just become a feature of our garden. We heard that as long as the battery is removed it's ok not to have it insured when on private property.

Is it necessary to prove renewal insurance or change of ownership in order to cancel any insurance? Is there a template letter to cancel it without any questions?

Many thanks

[nomoss]

Model letter free here http://www.modele-lettre-type.com/

Make sure you send it registered with proof of delivery - lettre recommandé avec accusé de reception, and cancel the bank debit if you have one.

Theoretically it is said the car has to be insured, even off the road, but if it is on your property I don't think you need bother, and if the battery is removed it is not likely to burst into flames.

 

 

[AnOther]

You will almost certainly find that your insurance company will not allow you to

cancel without proof of selling or scrapping the car, or certain

changes in circumstances, but that isn't really a problem, fill in a

certificate de cession naming somebody fictitious as a buyer and send them a

copy.

Insurance is not just about theft or bursting into flames though, it's also in case somebody hurts themselves on or in it.

Your

home insurance would probably not step up to the plate in such

circumstances because the law in France says that a car must be insured

and it would be entirely your responsibility if were not.

Why don't you offer it to a scrappie and get rid of it properly ?

Proof of insurance is not required when registering a car.

[Val_2]

You can get a reduced insurance for a vehicle that is not on the road as theoretically it must be insured at least against a third party.The insurers take the view that should for example some kids decide to play near or on the vehicle and there is an accident, you are the owner are responsible and your insurance would deal with it or the same goes if a thief decides to take the tyres and it falls on him, you again as the owner.

As AnOther has pointed out, only by selling or scrapping the vehicle can you get the written proof it is no longer your vehicle although they may check on a ficticious cert de cession if they wished and then you would be in trouble. There are plenty of autocaisses out there or even your local garagiste might take it for parts as a freebie if it really is a pain and you don't need the money. Put it on le bon coin for parts, my neighbour did this with a car that failed its CT and was going to cost money to put on the road, a bloke bought it and did it up and now it has been re-registered and is back on the road!

[AnOther]

[quote user="Val_2"]they may check on a ficticious cert de cession[/quote]Never happen and why would they ?

If you're worried about that there is nothing whatsoever to stop you 'selling it' to someone in UK or elsewhere outside of France, zero possibility of anybody checking on anything then. [;-)]

[derf]

Is the car French registered?

Les

[EuroTrash]

Am I missing something here but if you're not ever going to use the again, why keep it in your garden, why not scrap it? Then you can cancel your insurance AND have a tidier garden.

[mogs]

[quote user="Val_2"]

You can get a reduced insurance for a vehicle that is not on the road as theoretically it must be insured at least against a third party.The insurers take the view that should for example some kids decide to play near or on the vehicle and there is an accident, you are the owner are responsible and your insurance would deal with it or the same goes if a thief decides to take the tyres and it falls on him, you again as the owner.

As AnOther has pointed out, only by selling or scrapping the vehicle can you get the written proof it is no longer your vehicle although they may check on a ficticious cert de cession if they wished and then you would be in trouble. There are plenty of autocaisses out there or even your local garagiste might take it for parts as a freebie if it really is a pain and you don't need the money. Put it on le bon coin for parts, my neighbour did this with a car that failed its CT and was going to cost money to put on the road, a bloke bought it and did it up and now it has been re-registered and is back on the road!

[/quote]

Could a kind soul help out with translation for Le Bon Coin, ie. parts, failed CT like 1 shock absorber needs replacing, and light bulbs - we don't want much for it but the scrap merchant wouldn't offer anything at all for it which we think considering how much the metal is worth is a bit cheeky - thanks for help

[dave21478]

Stick the details up and I will make an ad for you.

I am at it again myself - I bought a 4x4 in UK a while back and have run it into the ground over the last year. Its pretty ruined now, but an entirely honest description on LeBonCoin asking for what I paid for it last year has brought people swarming - The ad went up Yesterday morning and within 3 hours I had 20-odd calls. Mostly from African types wanting to export it to Africa. I reckon I could have added an extra grand to the asking price and still sell it with ease.

I used to be uneasy selling crummy old cars, but have now decided that as long as my ad is honest, if people want to pay good money for something I would have just scrapped in UK, then so be it!

[Chancer]

Hi Dave, good to see you still posting from time to time.

Do you have yet another cheapo basic insurance recommendation for me?

I have been with your last one for a few years Assuravenue IIRC but like all the others the price goes up a high percentage each year so would like to shop around again

Changing might be a problem this year though as I am in the UK and the avis d'échéance has arrived in France so I may well just put up with it one more time and let the renewal go ahead automatically but will definitely change next year.

Its the first time that I have actually benefitted from the forced renewal.

[dave21478]

Hi,

Yes, I am still here, posting occasionally.

Cheap insurance isn't easy these days - I have really struggled to get good prices of late.

I think you have a similar philosophy to me....ie the cheapest, most basic cover I can possibly get away with? It seems that all the shady wee companies have dried up or ramped the prices up high.

Assuravenue became very dear for me after I changed cars a while back - I change cars a lot....always have done - my neighbours are sure I am either mental or a drug dealer as I have owned more cars in the last 18 months than he has owned in the past 30 years.

I am currently on minimum cover with Direct Assurance. Its not what I would call "cheap" but it was the best I could find and I am not exactly a high risk.

On the plus-side, Direct Assurance are an absolute pleasure to deal with (relatively speaking) compared to Assuravenue.

[mogs]

Have sent you a PM Dave, thanks for your help much appreciated

[Chancer]

[quote user="dave21478"]Hi, Yes, I am still here, posting occasionally. Cheap insurance isn't easy these days - I have really struggled to get good prices of late. I think you have a similar philosophy to me....ie the cheapest, most basic cover I can possibly get away with? It seems that all the shady wee companies have dried up or ramped the prices up high. Assuravenue became very dear for me after I changed cars a while back - I change cars a lot....always have done - my neighbours are sure I am either mental or a drug dealer as I have owned more cars in the last 18 months than he has owned in the past 30 years. I am currently on minimum cover with Direct Assurance. Its not what I would call "cheap" but it was the best I could find and I am not exactly a high risk. On the plus-side, Direct Assurance are an absolute pleasure to deal with (relatively speaking) compared to Assuravenue.[/quote]

Yes same philosophy, it started of well with Ineas and was initially only costing me €108 per year including breakdown cover without franchise, now my pal who has opened my mail said the renewal was €160, its a 7cv vehicle, 110 bhp TDi.

I also used to change vehicles more often than my underwear, perhaps less in later years but since moving to france I wont do so until my vehicle dies due to the cost of the carte grise (change of ownership), trouble is no matter how much I abuse my vehicle I cannot kill her.

The UK system does not penalise you for frequently cahnging vehicles but you pay pretty much the same amount in annual road tax, my car was £110 road tax in the UK, not sure what it is now but the carte grise cost me about the same.

Its coming up to 10 years now my carte grise was €150ish, 10 years insurance and breakdown cover say €1300 plus 5 contrôle techniques at say €50 (all costs averaged over the period) so my fixed running costs have been €170 per year in the UK it would be what £150 road tax, £250 insurance, £80 breakdown cover and £50 MOT? I am not sure as I am well out of touch but from what friends tell me its of that order.

Assuravenue appear to be a no contact organisation like so many these days, you cannot contact them via the rubrique on the website, last time I looked it had been non operational for over 18 months [:-))] this is an internet insurer that cannot fix the most important comms tool on their site for 18 months!!!! For me its just a vignette to show that I am legal, being tiers only I will never be claiming, the poor 3rd party will have the grief of contacting them.

No better in the UK it seems, I tried 4 days running to get through to Direct Line for landlords and racked up over a tenner in mobile phone charges without any success, I can get through in 10 seconds to the sales line but they just transfer me again to customer services who must use the same phone system as the DRIRE!!!