Car insurance and death of family member

obi604

My Mother in law died yesterday- Sunday evening. 

my wife needs to use the car urgently (i.e. her mothers car) i.e get on the insurance 

how would the insurance scenario work here? Ring the mother in laws insurance company and try and get wife added (or pointless as the woman is dead) 

or ring wife’s own insurance company and try and add her 

These are the practical headaches one is presented with at these times of death 

Vic_08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058315297/car-insurance-and-death-of-family-member

If it currently exists or can be added to her policy, coverage for driving other vehicles on your wife's current policy will cover that car.

antodeco

Was coming to post the same. Check your own insurance policy and see what it says. If your wife is over 25 it's quite common on insurance to be added. It will be third party cover only, but will get her out in the car at least;

spaceHopper

Ring her own insurance company. She can't drive it under driving other cars, you can only do that with the owners permission and she can't give that.

If it's a case of you need to move the car, you could get it towed. Sorry for your loss.

obi604

Thanks for the replies and comments

Yeah, my wife has "driving of other cars cover" on her policy, but as others say, not much good when the car she wants to drive is owned by someone who has passed away and no permission etc

loyatemu

the executor of the will could give permission I'd have thought. Otherwise, how can you move it - you can't change the existing policy as the policyholder is dead (does the policy lapse on the death of the policyholder?), & you can't take out a new policy on a car you don't own.

feelings

As executor, I was able to amend the policies of both my late parents to add/remove drivers. That was with AXA. I sent them proof of some kind, cannot remember what I sent sorry.

obi604

In the end I never insured the wife as they didn't call me back until too late etc and they wanted 66 euro to add my wife to it it for 28 days.

car has been sitting up for a few weeks now, however it is started a bit and driven around the driveway etc

car is in mother in laws name - who is deceased, her insurance is valid until next February, but probably not as she is deceased. I'm not even sure of the status right now, e.g if car was stolen overnight, is it even insured (I guess the policy has lapsed)

could I get a refund on her insurance? as paid up , but obviously not around anymore so not even a thing

The car is registered in the mother in laws name, would it be best to register it in her husbands name? (note: he does not drive, but just to have it registered to someone) Or best to put in my wife's name (she already has a car registered in her name)

main point being we are most likely going to hold on to the car for a while and simply want to insure maybe the wife and maybe myself on it. but not sure how the insurance works, totally new policy or update our own policies and add this car.

any advice greatly welcome

artanevilla

The car will have to go through probate etc. before registering it in someone else name I think.

obi604

the car is not specifically mentioned in a Will - if that's what you mean

The deceased woman's husband is a named executor and I think her daughter is too.

would this work?

Nody

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121306092#Comment_121306092

The point is the car is part of the estate of your mother; until the estate has been sorted out (paid all taxes, costs, inheritance of what to whom etc.) it can't be given to someone else to insurace as that implies ownership of an asset of the estate. Think of it as an house; you can't sell the house, give it to someone else to own etc. until the estate has been settled and until it is the ownership belongs to the estate of your mother.

Eggs For Dinner

The surviving husband is (and was) technically joint owner of the car and can insure it in his name, with whatever named drivers he chooses, until such time as probate declares any other person to be the legal owner

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121307234#Comment_121307234

Thanks. So first step - send log book off and register the car to the surviving husband. .

Thing is he hasn’t really driven a car in about 3 years so not even sure he can get insurance in the first place to allow named drivers.

Eggs For Dinner

He doesn't have to change the log book. A person can insure it vehicle registered in a spouse's name

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121308918#Comment_121308918

But the spouse has deceased. So not sure you can have a car registered in a deceased persons name.

Eggs For Dinner

It is my understanding that probate has not been resolved, therefore it can proceed as I suggested. Discuss the situation with an experienced insurance executive

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121308927#Comment_121308927

I have tried but none seem to have much of an idea, told me to ring citizens information !!

I rang citizens information initially and they told me to ring insurance company

id trust some of the people on boards over insurance companies

MikeCairo78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121309472#Comment_121309472

It is a very common occurrence - ring the Insurance company confirm the death confirm whom you want to add and they will do this - they will normally ask for confirmation(death cert, but even a link to RIP.ie will commonly suffice) the policy will continue til renewal at which point the Insurers will confirm to you what can be done(some Insurer just cancel, others don't). Just so people are aware it is not a requirement to own a vehicle to insure it - this changed some years ago with the Consumer Insurance Contract Act 2019. People die as a matter of course and Insurers are well used to dealing with the same, so being referred to Citizen Advice is simply a desperate response from an Insurance company