Stolen car - Am i liable?

Honest John Back Room » Legal matters
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Wed 19 Dec 2007 20:41
Stolen car - Am i liable? - allan doc
I had my car stolen over 3 year ago and reported it to the police. When the car was recovered it was found to have accident damage to the front of it. This was reported by the police but there was no mention of an accident so i presumed it had been involved in a collision with a lampost or something. After keeping it off-road for several months I decided to scrap it as it wasn't worth fixing so i didn't inform the insurance. I thought this was the end of the matter but i received a letter from a solicitor of a bus company stating that my car was involved in an accident during the period it was recorded stolen 3 year ago with one of their buses. It states that i must pay £450 within 14 days or they will take it to a county court to retrieve the money. This is the first i have heard of this accident with a bus. Since the car was recorded stolen during this time, and i wasn't the driver, am i liable to pay this? This also happened over 3 year ago so is there any time limit a company can claim? Any advice would be great.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 19 Dec 2007 20:47
Stolen car - Am i liable? - Pugugly {P}
You need to see a solicitors yourself. ASAP. Take any supporting documentation with you including a Crime Reference etc. This could end up in a right mess unless you sort it out pronto. The simple answer to your question is no you can't be liable.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 19 Dec 2007 20:51
Stolen car - Am i liable? - Simon
I would tell them to swivel. Inform them in writing of the circumstances - tell them when the car was stolen and how long it was outstanding for, give them the crime reference number that you should have had for it and basically make it clear that the accident was nothing to do with you. Don't go into details about getting the car back after it had been recovered and all that, you will complicate things and they don't need to know that anyway. Just make it clear that the car had been stolen and was correctly reported at the time etc.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 19 Dec 2007 20:57
Stolen car - Am i liable? - bell boy
As said give the crime number to the bus company as they are trying to take you for a ride
Reply | Report as offensive | Link

We give you the low down on how to save on insurance, little-known tricks and tips, what insurance groups mean and how to use insurance aggregators to beat insurers.

Insurance group finder and how to save on insurance

A guide to how much VED you will need to pay on your car.

Road Tax Bands and Rates