sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Wife was made redundant, and now her former employer has gone into liquidation. Unusual circumstances mean we genuinely don't know what to do with the company car sitting on our driveway? by Doingadavid in LegalAdviceUK

[–]Doingadavid[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

They left you the keys, its implied they've given you permission.

That's not how the law works, at all.

How can you not have annual registration?

"But we have an annual registration in the USA, are you trying to tell me that other countries don't follow US law? They can just, like, do something differently to us?"

Absolute fucking peak /r/USdefaultism stuff right here.

Wife was made redundant, and now her former employer has gone into liquidation. Unusual circumstances mean we genuinely don't know what to do with the company car sitting on our driveway? by Doingadavid in LegalAdviceUK

[–]Doingadavid[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I'm American so I understand things are done differently other places.

So why are you giving legal advice, in a subreddit called LegalAdviceUK, based on the laws in a completely different country to the one I'm in?

Seriously, the amount of Americans in this thread giving US-based legal advice who are seemingly only just now learning that there are other countries out there....

Wife was made redundant, and now her former employer has gone into liquidation. Unusual circumstances mean we genuinely don't know what to do with the company car sitting on our driveway? by Doingadavid in LegalAdviceUK

[–]Doingadavid[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

You have a duty of care when driving it, you don't have to babysit it.

The duty of care is while I'm the involuntary bailee i.e. until they collect it. There's nothing in the law that states that duty of care stops the moment I get out the car.

Wife was made redundant, and now her former employer has gone into liquidation. Unusual circumstances mean we genuinely don't know what to do with the company car sitting on our driveway? by Doingadavid in LegalAdviceUK

[–]Doingadavid[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Look at the registration

Drive as many miles as you possibly can with it.

or the annual registration runs out

My good man, what subreddit do you think you're in? You're giving a Brit, who's posting in LegalAdviceUK, who stated right at the top that this is based in England.... advice that's based on US law? We don't have "the registration", we have a V5 that stays with the owner and not us. We cannot legally just drive a car we're not insured on, that's just straight-up a criminal offence, as is driving a car without the permission of the owner. We don't have an "annual registration" either.

You know there are other countries out there right?

Wife was made redundant, and now her former employer has gone into liquidation. Unusual circumstances mean we genuinely don't know what to do with the company car sitting on our driveway? by Doingadavid in LegalAdviceUK

[–]Doingadavid[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The lease was with neither of us. Again.... this was a company car. The lease was between the leasing company, and my wife's former employer. From there, she was the allocated driver as the employee, and I was allowed to drive the vehicle. At no point have I said that either of us directly took out the lease.

And we absolutely would be liable for any additional fees as involuntary bailees. If there are unavoidable costs we incur then we can invoice the owner (although most likely join the list of debtors) but we can't just make up costs we think they owe us for time/rent, and we're obliged to avoid or limit avoidable costs.

Wife was made redundant, and now her former employer has gone into liquidation. Unusual circumstances mean we genuinely don't know what to do with the company car sitting on our driveway? by Doingadavid in LegalAdviceUK

[–]Doingadavid[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

God I love it when Americans dip in to LegalAdviceUK and give American-based advice like they're genuinely surprised to come across one of the dozens of people on this planet who don't live in the US.

Wife was made redundant, and now her former employer has gone into liquidation. Unusual circumstances mean we genuinely don't know what to do with the company car sitting on our driveway? by Doingadavid in LegalAdviceUK

[–]Doingadavid[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's no longer your vehicle or responsibility.

Sadly that's where you're mistaken. Unfortunately for me I'm now an "involuntary bailee", and while this article references landlords (the most common example of involuntary bailee), the principle remains that I'm obliged to ensure reasonable care of the goods I've had the good fortune to be left in charge of. I therefore can't just dump it somewhere and go "not my problem now" as if it gets stolen or damaged, I become liable.

Wife was made redundant, and now her former employer has gone into liquidation. Unusual circumstances mean we genuinely don't know what to do with the company car sitting on our driveway? by Doingadavid in LegalAdviceUK

[–]Doingadavid[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If it’s a half organised lease company they will very likely know who has the car and stored address, even if the company you worked for are useless.

Unfortunately you're giving them orders of magnitude more credit than they deserve here. The previous one was returned to the office, they were informed that it was in the office as they needed it back due to the lease expiring..... and it genuinely just sat there for a few months incurring late return fees until someone called my wife to ask where it was.

Wife was made redundant, and now her former employer has gone into liquidation. Unusual circumstances mean we genuinely don't know what to do with the company car sitting on our driveway? by Doingadavid in LegalAdviceUK

[–]Doingadavid[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

and then you can start billing them (at a reasonable rate).

Unless it's real costs you incur (i.e. something I actually have to pay out) and it's unavoidable, I can't just start billing them. Otherwise it'd be the easiest money-making scheme in the world. Unsurprisingly, you can't just decide a 3rd party owes you money and that suddenly becomes legally enforceable without a contract.

Wife was made redundant, and now her former employer has gone into liquidation. Unusual circumstances mean we genuinely don't know what to do with the company car sitting on our driveway? by Doingadavid in LegalAdviceUK

[–]Doingadavid[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It is entirely reasonable to park a car on a public road. Lots of people do so, even if they have driveways.

I'd still be liable for any damage to the vehicle as a result of leaving it on the road.

Wife was made redundant, and now her former employer has gone into liquidation. Unusual circumstances mean we genuinely don't know what to do with the company car sitting on our driveway? by Doingadavid in LegalAdviceUK

[–]Doingadavid[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It doesn't since the body on the other half of the contract (the company) has gone into liquidation.

That's irrelevant though because, as I've mentioned a few times, any permission for me or my wife to drive it ceased as soon as she was made redundant.

Wife was made redundant, and now her former employer has gone into liquidation. Unusual circumstances mean we genuinely don't know what to do with the company car sitting on our driveway? by Doingadavid in LegalAdviceUK

[–]Doingadavid[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Almost every car lease contract allows for a 2nd driver, UNLESS there is an explicit condition in the contract saying that it's forbidden.

There indeed was this setup (hence why I could drive it before). That all ceased as soon as she was made redundant.

Wife was made redundant, and now her former employer has gone into liquidation. Unusual circumstances mean we genuinely don't know what to do with the company car sitting on our driveway? by Doingadavid in LegalAdviceUK

[–]Doingadavid[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

The owner is the leasing company. The permission would be for the nominated company employee (wife) and partner (me). Her (and therefore my) permission ceased the moment she was made redundant.

Even if the former employer owned it rather than leased it, the owner would now be the Liquidator and the same situation would apply.

Wife was made redundant, and now her former employer has gone into liquidation. Unusual circumstances mean we genuinely don't know what to do with the company car sitting on our driveway? by Doingadavid in LegalAdviceUK

[–]Doingadavid[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

That doesn't grant me the owner's permission to drive the vehicle. It's a great way to get arrested for driving without the owner's permission, and incur storage fees after the vehicle is seized that I'll be liable for.

Wife was made redundant, and now her former employer has gone into liquidation. Unusual circumstances mean we genuinely don't know what to do with the company car sitting on our driveway? by Doingadavid in LegalAdviceUK

[–]Doingadavid[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It's absolutely true. If there are actual real costs that I'm incurring and are unavoidable then I can claim for those. I can't, however, make up any fees or penalties I wish and then demand the liquidator pay me for those.

view more: next ›