driving without third party insurance

[eddusius]

hello, I need some help here. I have to attend court because I was driving the car without the insurance. Situation is that I went to check the car that I found on ebay. It was a good car so I decided to buy it the very last minute. I place a bid and won. I was driving that car back home without insurance. It was late Saturday night. I didn't know that I can buy insurance on internet. Now it's too late. I am going to plead guilty by post, but wan to write a letter to the judge explaining all situation but I am a terrible writer, my friend told I wrote very childish, and I am not English. I don't know how to write it. Can somebody help me to write it? I would be very thankful. Many thanks.

[angel-cake]

Well that is really going to go down well with the court!

I think you will find that no letter is going to be able to get you out of this, no matter how well written it is!

Get your friend to write it for you.....

[eddusius]

I know that I cannot gat rid of it anyway, but need to write mitigating circumstances and don't know how. Everything I wrote sound silly. My friend is in the same situation with English. So trying to find any sentences on internet that might be usefull in my case.

[eddusius]

trying to get as small penalty as possible.

[Postdog]

"I didn't know you could buy insurance on the internet"

Well, you must be the only one who didn't, what with all the ads on TV, the radio, and the internet too. I wouldn't even try to use that as an excuse.

[mattymatt123]

dear sir,

i am a toss pot that doesnt give a crap for your laws that would be an honest letter

[eddusius]

thanks, I wont use it as an excuse than. Just in my defence I am new in this country and at the moment have no tv or radio.

[mattymatt123]

sod off back home then sounds like your doing no better here

[eddusius]

That is extremely helpful of you. Thank you very much!

[mattymatt123]

should we all send you some money??????????

PC though

[eddusius]

what i ask is just advice.

[muchlovex]

I am afraid there is no excuse for driving without insurance - it is the law.

Can you imagine if you were in an accident or perhaps knocked someone over (god forbid). I don't think the judge will be leanent (sorry about the typo), with you. Being new in this country is no excuse.

[viz48]

eddusius......... Go to an organisation call " Citizens Advice". the will explain the insurance and driving laws in the uk and write a letter for you if necessary.

I feel I must apologise for the ignorance and bigotry of some people in the uk!!!

Hope it works out for you.

[eddusius]

thanks Viz48, I will try to ask them tomorow.

[Buenchico]

Here's your letter. (Change the address, dates, etc. to meet your circumstances):

"To: The Clerk of the Court,
Blogsville Magistrates' Court,
High Street,
Blogsville,
Bogshire

10 March 2008


Sir,

I hereby enter a GUILTY plea in respect of the charge against me under Section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which is due to be heard before the Court on 15 April 2008.

I respectfully request that the Court is made aware of the following circumstances relating to this offence:

On Saturday 16 February I travelled to Mucktown to complete the purchase of a Ford Mondeo, registration number P123 ABC, having earlier made a successful bid for it on an internet auction site.

I realised that I should ensure that I had third party insurance cover before driving the vehicle to my home address but, because it was late on a Saturday evening, I was unable to contact my insurance company by phone. I therefore, unwisely, decided to drive the vehicle home without obtaining insurance cover. My intention was that the car should then remain stationary at my home address until such time as I was able to obtain insurance.

I fully accept that my actions were illegal but I wish the Court to be aware that it was my intention to obtain insurance as soon as I could contact my insurance company.

Yours respectfully,

Edward Dusius"

[eddusius]

thank you very much Buenchico. That is exactly what I need! It is perfect! Really thanks. There is another thing: I just was told that if you have insurance for one car (I have insurance for my husband car), it means I can drive antoher car (insurance policy states that): just need to find out more about this. Maybe it is alicable in my case? How do you think? And really thank you all for your quick answers.

[eddusius]

Buenchico, has it hapend to you? How did it end up for you? It lookes that situation is the same like mine. I bought the car on ebay.

[New Judge]

The letter Chris has drafted for you will say all you can possibly have to say. However, it will make no difference to your sentence (which, assuming it is your first offence, will be a fine of about �200 and six points plus about �50 costs and �15 Victim Surcharge).

There are no mitigating circumstances. You knowingly drove without insurance and that's that.

Usually motor policies allow the policyholder to drive other vehicles which do not belong to them (with the owner's permission). This does not seem to be the case here.

I doubt very much whether this has happened to Buenchico.

[Buenchico]

Thanks New Judge! (I hardly need to reply)

No, it hasn't happened to me.

As New judge indicates, the '3rd party - any vehicle' cover which is on most (but not all) insurance policies specifically excludes another vehicle which you own. (That's to stop someone who owns a Ferrari and a Fiesta from just insuring the Fiesta instead of paying the higher price to insure the Ferrari).

It's too late now but what you could have done is told the vendor that you'd give them the money for the car but that you'd regard the drive home as a test drive. If you got home without any problems, you'd phone them to confirm that everything was OK and that the sale was complete. (It would have been best to put the agreement in writing). Since 'title' to the car wouldn't pass to you until you got home, you could then have legally driven the car under the provisions of your insurance policy which permit you to drive someone else's vehicle.

Chris

[eddusius]

I see. You are right, it is too late for me. ech... In this case just letter left and penalty... But thanks all of you very much. I will plead guilty by post, due to circumstances that I cannot attend a court, and pay a penalty and points...

[Annlinda]

Recommended fine for no insurance with guilty plea is now �315.00 costs �65.00 plus �15.00 victim surcharge