Expat layup insurance

[Snagger]

Hi all.

I am looking for lay up insurance for my 109 and RR to cover them for loss or damage in storage.  Layup insurance is provided by several of the usual companies, but none of them want to cover expats.

Does anyone know of a reasonable company that deals with folk living overseas with cars in the UK?

[Bowie69]

Can't one of your family over here insure it? 

 

[Snagger]

It’s a fall-back option, but I’d prefer to do it directly if possible.

[Peaklander]

I believe that a normal Joe can't insure a vehicle unless it it registered in their name.

[Bowie69]

Not true, at all. 

[Peaklander]

Well I stand corrected but I have tried and failed to do that with the NFU.

[Bowie69]

Odd, otherwise how would you insure a car you had borrowed, maybe it was an NFU thing. 

[Peaklander]

Daughter bought another car and I stopped her’s from being traded-in for silly money.

There was two weeks left of the month (road tax) so I wanted to run it without losing that if ownership were to be transferred then.

She only wanted one insurance policy, so I asked NFU to insure under my name as a second vehicle. Then I intended to transfer at month end and tax myself.

They said no, I can’t insure a vehicle unless V5 is in my name. I assumed from that, that it must be ‘a thing’ across the industry.

Have you done it? @Bowie69
 

Edit: If I borrow I need to get the insured party to extend their cover to me if I want comprehensive. If happy with 3rd party, through my own policy, then fine. I’ve had to do that too. 

Edited July 9, 2023 by Peaklander

[Bowie69]

Yes, I've bought insurance on my parents' car before. 

Was a while ago, baffles me as to why there would be a limitation like that, I even remember there being a slight price hike if you didn't have the car registered in your name, but was doable. 

Wasn't NFU, don't remember who. 

[Bowie69]

https://www.comparethemarket.com/car-insurance/content/insure-a-car-you-dont-own/

'not all insurers will offer this'.

 

[Peaklander]

The problem arises when there’s no policy on the vehicle, you are not on the V5 and you want to insure it.

My broker said no.

I’m not sure that there would be any results if one were to follow through the linked website. Maybe there would. 🤔 

 

[Snagger]

An additional issue is that my kids don’t drive, so have no licences to attach to the policy.  I don’t know if that would prevent insurance in their name, but I can see it causing problems, and their ages would likely bump up the premium considerably even though the cars would just be in storage.

[landroversforever]

32 minutes ago, Snagger said:

An additional issue is that my kids don’t drive, so have no licences to attach to the policy.  I don’t know if that would prevent insurance in their name, but I can see it causing problems, and their ages would likely bump up the premium considerably even though the cars would just be in storage.

I wonder if it's worth a chat with one of the companies that looks after old/classic/rare stuff.... they might have a handle on who the owners use.

I'll add that I've arranged insurance on cars not in my name. My first car is still registered in Mom's name, but 7-8 years of driving it on the road I insured it even though I'm not on the V5.

[elbekko]

Is it an option to get it explicitly included in a building's insurance, instead of specifically on the car?

[Peaklander]

Ok well clearly my experience doesn't describe the whole industry. It may well be an NFU 'thing'. After all, these brokers set their own limits on what they want to cover and those will determine their risk and ultimately the price of the policies.

I should add, as others have found, that the NFU is competitive and is willing to comprehensively cover my 1996 110 for trips to EU countries and some others and also offers 3rd party (green card) cover for several other non-EU countries.

[smallfry]

Layup cover requires the vehicles to be kept in a locked garage. On a drive or private land is NOT acceptable (just my own experience)

I dont see that being an expat would be a problem, but try RH Specialist Insurance, I have always found them very helpful, reasonable price, and most importantly very helpful if the time comes to make a claim.

[Snagger]

3 hours ago, landroversforever said:

I wonder if it's worth a chat with one of the companies that looks after old/classic/rare stuff.... they might have a handle on who the owners use.

I'll add that I've arranged insurance on cars not in my name. My first car is still registered in Mom's name, but 7-8 years of driving it on the road I insured it even though I'm not on the V5.

I have tried all the companies who advertise in the LR magazines - Lancaster, Sureterm (same company), Flux, Footman James and more.  I don’t think I tried NFU, so I’ll send them an enquiry.

[Snagger]

1 hour ago, smallfry said:

Layup cover requires the vehicles to be kept in a locked garage. On a drive or private land is NOT acceptable (just my own experience)

I dont see that being an expat would be a problem, but try RH Specialist Insurance, I have always found them very helpful, reasonable price, and most importantly very helpful if the time comes to make a claim.

The 109 is in a secure facility, and the RR will join it once restoration is complete.  That is not the problem - it is specifically being expat that has prevented cover from all those I have tried.

[Snagger]

3 hours ago, landroversforever said:

I wonder if it's worth a chat with one of the companies that looks after old/classic/rare stuff.... they might have a handle on who the owners use.

I'll add that I've arranged insurance on cars not in my name. My first car is still registered in Mom's name, but 7-8 years of driving it on the road I insured it even though I'm not on the V5.

I will ask the restorers, but they don’t get involved in such things and have limited contact with storage companies.

Getting driving cover on a car is easy if you are in the same country and have a valid licence.  The problem is me being overseas and my kids not having licences.  That makes layup policies, already uncommon, almost impossible to find.

[jeremy996]

I have bought laid-up cover from Flux and Lancaster in the past, (most recently for my LR90 and the Morgan). Try the classic car insurers, as they are more likely to be exposed to owners who have immobile vehicles for decades.

Do you have any UK presence? Bank account, accommodation address, relative who can hold post? Ideally you need a UK address for UK jurisdiction insurance. Being foreign based is another risk factor for insurance.

[Snagger]

It isn’t the laying up that is the problem, but being expat.  We still own our house, with a UK mortgage, but it is leased out.  All of our extended family and our kids live in the UK, but I don’t think that makes any difference to insurers.

[muddy]

A plan thatcham branch have been very good to deal with for insurance for us, very helpful. Perhaps looking somewhere like piston heads or if goodwood have a magazine or sponsors?

[smallfry]

Could you not have the V5/s in your name and the address as one of the kids, relos, friend ?

Does the insurance co. have to know you are overseas ? After all, its not like you are driving them. 

[Snagger]

16 hours ago, smallfry said:

Could you not have the V5/s in your name and the address as one of the kids, relos, friend ?

Does the insurance co. have to know you are overseas ? After all, its not like you are driving them. 

I think that would constitute fraud, and could have consequences well beyond disqualification of the policies.

[Snagger]

I have had several recommendations from the UAE Land Rover Owners group , many of whom are expats with cars in the UK, so fingers crossed they can help.  Thanks for all the responses above.