Insuring a car owned by someone else?

Are you able to advise re a suspected side effect of insurance companies' measures against "fronting"? An elderly neighbour's car is owned and registered to him. He has not driven for several years and does not intend to again. He wonders if his son as a named driver can be made the sole named driver which should reduce the premium.

My neighbour says he has been told by the insurer that he can only do this if he sells the car to his son.

Is that correct? I doubt it is. Would it not be possible for the keepership to be transferred by notifying DVLA, while ownership remains with the father?

Asked on 4 April 2013 by Mr Curious

Answered by Honest John

If one of the disclosures required by the insurer is "do you own the car", then it can't be owned by one person and insured by another. But that term would preclude any car kept under a leasing or PCP agreement, so I think you are correct. Even so, why not transfer keepership of the car to the son?

Tags: legal and consumer advice insurance owning

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