Toyota Hilux Surf 1993 - UK car across Europe, Non UK driver/owner?

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Fri 21 Jan 2011 11:45
Toyota Hilux Surf 1993 - UK car across Europe, Non UK driver/owner? - Johann

Hello all, and thanks for the forum, hope you can help me with some legal issues I'm experiencing right now.

I'm not familiar with how this forum works, I asked Honest John this question in anoither section but if it's okay I would like to know if there's someone here with any direct experience in this matter.

I'm Spanish and I have recently bought an UK registered car from his previous English owner in Bulgaria. The previous owner gave me the UK registration certificate and a hand-written receipt for the sale. Insurance and MOT were past due from December 2010.

He assured me everything was in order and that I wouldn't have any problems insuring and driving the car across Europe, that the hand-written receipt was all I need to prove the car is mine, and that the MOT wasn't necessary because the car is not in the UK.

When I tried to make a new insurance problems started to appear, they said a hand written paper for the paid amount of money doesn't prove the car is mine, and that the car needs a yearly road-worthiness check in order to circulate.

The only way to get an insurance is to make it at the "previous" owner's name, they say it would be OK to drive the car in Bulgaria because here they insure the car, not the driver, but I'm not sure if I have an accident the insurance will cover without the road worthiness test up to date.

Could you tell me which of the previous afirmations is correct ? Is it legal to drive like this ? Will the insurance cover if there's an accident ? Would it be possible to cross European borders only with the papers I have ? Is it possible to do an equivalent MOT test in other countries in Europe for an UK registered car? What should I do ?

Many thanks in advance.

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Fri 21 Jan 2011 12:01
Toyota Hilux Surf 1993 - UK car across Europe, Non UK driver/owner? - LucyBC
Where do you intend to use the car? Are you intending to drive in back to the UK and use it here? Where are you trying to insure it?
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Fri 21 Jan 2011 12:11
Toyota Hilux Surf 1993 - UK car across Europe, Non UK driver/owner? - Johann

I intend to use the car in Bulgaria and then across Europe, I'm not interested in going to the UK. Thank you.

I'm trying to make the insurance in Bulgaria after trying with several international insurance companies that denied the petition.

Thank you.

Edited by Johann on 21/01/2011 at 12:14

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Fri 21 Jan 2011 15:00
Toyota Hilux Surf 1993 - UK car across Europe, Non UK driver/owner? - LucyBC
The chances are you need to import it to Bulgaria or insure it in the UK on the UK plates with European coverage.

If the latter you will need a UK address. Most policies are also restricted to the amount of time you can spend outside the UK.

This page covers the import process.

bulgaria.angloinfo.com/countries/bulgaria/motoregi...p

You may be required to pay duty where the previous owner may not have been.

FWIW I would never recommend buying any car which is registered outside the jurisdiction of where you are actually buying it - but you are already beyond that point so no use in me telling you that now.
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Fri 21 Jan 2011 15:35
Toyota Hilux Surf 1993 - UK car across Europe, Non UK driver/owner? - Johann

Thank you for your answer. The problem is, you can't register the car in Bulgaria without having a company or a property here if you're not Bulgarian.

- Do you know if it's legal to circulate outside the UK without the MOT test ? I'm not British, but the car is.

- I can hire a green card insurance, but, if there's an accident, would the insurance cover me without the MOT ?

- Is the UK registration certificate and a hand-written receipt for the sale enough to prove I'm the new owner of the car ?

- Would it be possible to cross European borders only with the papers I have ?

- Is it possible to do an equivalent MOT test in other countries in Europe ?

Thank you

Edited by Johann on 21/01/2011 at 15:37

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Fri 21 Jan 2011 16:24
Toyota Hilux Surf 1993 - UK car across Europe, Non UK driver/owner? - Dutchie
If you live in Bulgaria they p
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Fri 21 Jan 2011 16:25
Toyota Hilux Surf 1993 - UK car across Europe, Non UK driver/owner? - LucyBC

UK insurance only requires the vehicle to be roadworthy - not to have an MOT - but the problem you have is that by failing to disclose what you were actually doing would comprise failure to disclose a material fact and they could refuse to pay out anyway.

My guess is the chap who sold you the car has had it there close to six months and hence needed to dispose. The documents you have are probably enough to get you across most borders but may not stand up to a police check.

Unless you plan to use the vehicle in the UK you need to register it somewhere else and make it fully legal. If you are driving anywhere but in the UK then the UK is the last place you want to have insurance.If you are Spanish that might be your better option.

A green card is not insurance in itself but is only proof you have insurance. European insurers are more flexible about who they will insure than most UK insurers.

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