Driving without insurance

[petethemanc]

Ok, i was pulled over yesterday by traffic police and they said that my car ws uninsured. I beleived it was and had all my docuementation in the car, but as it turned out, the insurance had been cancelled by Halifax due to payment issues. Now i know i should always keep a check on my account but generally its the same in and same out. But what i hadnt realised is there was some fraud in my account in August and because of the freeze i had on my account at the time this stopped two payments. And the insurance company wrote to me at my old address so i was none the wiser. Im not going to complain to much as i should have had my affairs in order, but i am going to contest the fine and points as A) ive never had so much as a parking ticket in 18 years of driving, and B) If the insurance company had written to the correct address than this may have benn avoided. So, i rang a different insurance company and have insured the car correctly as requested, and i went to the police station to show the docuements and then i could go to the recovery and pay the £190 release fee. But i had a real jobsworth of a policewoman who asked if i had informed the new insurance company that i had been stopped with no insurance. I replied yes even though i hadnt (stupidly i know) as i thought well im contesting this and im innocent until proven guilty. Anyway this was dragging on whilst i was waiting and the i told the police woman that i needed to get back to work. So she said that the insurance company had not back to the insurance bureau so i should come back tomorrow as they closed at 1700 hours. I need my car for my job as i travel and i have done everything asked of me so whya re they being like this.

[ptol]

Err, sorry to be the one to tell you, but by not telling your new insurance company about that, your new insurance is probably not valid, and you could be accused of fraud. I don't know if thats actually what happens in real life, but Police do know all the ways people cut corners, and on occasion do look for them.

Edited January 7, 2011 by ptol
replaced 's c a m s' with 'ways people cut corners' because of the word censor... :(

[Al27]

Ok, so no insurance = 6 points and a fine, up to a ban.

 

Since it sounds like you're guilty you need to concentrate on trying to get 6 points and the £200 fine.

 

Tell us about how you were defrauded and how the insurance company had your old address. What address is on your insurance certificate? Did you request a replacement back in Aug/Sept?

[petethemanc]

In June i changed vehicle and address, but the insurance company still hold my old address. Now when i spoke with them, they told me that the call was listened in to but not recorded. When before they told me all calls were recorded. I KNOW i informed them of both changes as i did them both at the same time. As for the fraud, this was due to some money being taken out in foreign countries, and because the bank knew it wasnt me they put a freeze on the account until they could contact me. So my arguement is yes there will still bea fine to pay, but that should be covered by the insurance company as they have not amended the policy as instructed. And forgive me if im wrong, but on the paperwork to recover the car it states:

 

 

To recover the vehicle you will need to appear at Accrington

 

You will need

 

Driving license

Valid insurance

Proof of ownership

 

Now i was always under the impresson that in this country you were indeed innocent until proven guilty, i am appealing the points and fine so therefore have NO endorsements, also, i have been on several insurance companies for quotes, and they all ask the same question. IE have you been convicted in the last five years.....i have not.

[ptol]

[posted in error]

[Al27]

In June i changed vehicle and address, but the insurance company still hold my old address. Now when i spoke with them, they told me that the call was listened in to but not recorded. When before they told me all calls were recorded. I KNOW i informed them of both changes as i did them both at the same time. As for the fraud, this was due to some money being taken out in foreign countries, and because the bank knew it wasnt me they put a freeze on the account until they could contact me. So my arguement is yes there will still bea fine to pay, but that should be covered by the insurance company as they have not amended the policy as instructed. And forgive me if im wrong, but on the paperwork to recover the car it states:

 

 

To recover the vehicle you will need to appear at Accrington

 

You will need

 

Driving license

Valid insurance

Proof of ownership

 

Now i was always under the impresson that in this country you were indeed innocent until proven guilty, i am appealing the points and fine so therefore have NO endorsements, also, i have been on several insurance companies for quotes, and they all ask the same question. IE have you been convicted in the last five years.....i have not.

 

Ok, here are the harsh facts.

 

You have been charged with having no insurance.

 

You either had insurance or you didn't. It's your responsibility to make sure you have insurance, not the insurance company.

 

You're thinking along the lines of "Yes I had no insurance, but..."

 

Mitigating circumstances may reduce your penalty but it doesn't actually alter the fact you were uninsured.

 

I'm not being unsympathetic, but advising you of how the court will see it. They may ask why you didn't contact your insurance company as soon as you knew your account was frozen and pay them with funds obtained from elsewhere.

 

The insurance company has cocked up with the address issue, but that didn't prevent you paying them. If you want the sue the insurance company afterwards for the value of any fine I don't rate your chances for the same reason - they have merely stopped the contract because you did not pay them.