While I'm busy acting as executor of my grandfather's estate I have one car related problem that I hope people can advise me on.

My grandfather had a Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 (the garage was local) which is now just over 3 years old. I've checked with his insurance company and it's still covered for third party fire and theft until the end of the policy in June.

My question is how often should I run the car? It's been parked in his garage for around two weeks now and is perfectly secure but I'm worried about possibly mechanical deterioration.

I do know I'll have to add the car to my insurance policy as his policy was just for him and mine is just for me to drive the furby although the expense can be reclaimed I'm in the middle of buying a house so money is tight (yes it all happens at once!)

Any ideas?

Thanks.

A couple of weeks won't hurt it , but I'd want to take it for a run round once a month.

Does your insurance not cover you third party to drive other cars?

It might be worth chocking the wheels with bricks whilst it is standing and not putting the handbrake on. Having owned a Nova and a Corsa the drum brakes on the back can bind on if the car is left.

Hope this helps

I wouldn't worry too much. I leave my punto at home while I'm at uni for months on end, a car only 3 years old should be fine. I do always leave the handbrake off though as skodacious says.

At the same time there's no harm in turning it over every few weeks I guess.

Most of the damage comes from being left outside, but seeing as it's in the garage it should be fine. I'd take it on a trundle round town (get the engine warm) every month or so.

It may be best to run it al least once or twice a month to make sure the battery does not go completly flat , newer cars that have alarms etc fitted , will be draining power very slowly in the background , and you dont want to go back after 6 weeks and find its flat .

Thanks for that Guys. I'll be over there tomorrow evening so I'll take a look at the back brakes and see what state they are in.

Being 26 my insurance doesn't cover me on other cars, even those like the corsa that are much less powerful than the furby.

Fingers crossed that I can pass it on to one of my cousins as soon as possible.

Thanks once again.

Being 26 my insurance doesn't cover me on other cars

Ey how does that work??? When I turned 25 I was automatically entitled to drive other cars 3rd party with my fully comp insurance.

Ey how does that work??? When I turned 25 I was automatically entitled to drive other cars 3rd party with my fully comp insurance.

Perhaps that's why they were

IIRC you are only covered 3rd party on another vehicle if that vehicle is subject to insurance cover!!!!!!!!

Used to work for churchill Insurance a long time ago

Slightly confused now so I've got the certificate out of my wallet and now it says I can drive another vehicle with the owner's permission.

That could be a stumbling block - I have to assume as an executor I have permission so I would now be covered third party only.

Having looked at the previous certificate which ran out a month ago the limitation was on there. I hadn't bothered to read the new certificate 100% as I knew what was on the old one and there were no changes at renewal time.

Thanks for the help everyone - later today I'll have to brave the corsa. Could be interesting now I'm used to the furby.

Just had a thought about the thread that low-mileage cars can have problems. Here is a reference, but I'm afraid I cannot trace the original thread which generated my question.

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/showthread.php?p=315263&highlight=service#post315263

PS If inheritance tax is a consideration, a lower valuation before any servicing etc would be a good idea, though others will have more experience of cars than I.

Regards

Mo

Thanks for that Mo. Fortunately my grandfather was very careful about servicing so it was serviced every year on time and has a valid MOT certificate. It does only have 5000 miles on the clock though. It was all done in late February from what I've found so I don't need to worry about that.

I've managed to get it valued both for trade and retail prices from the servicing dealer (another branch of the same outfit which supplied it). Must say they were very helpful but as they don't own any Skoda dealerships I can't post a comment in the reviews section.

I am keen to get it passed on quite quickly because of the possible problems of low mileage and one of my cousins does want it so that's not a problem. I just have to double check everything with the solicitor.

IHT only affects you over

My insurance company told me where to go as I don't own the car, even if I am legally responsible for it.

From talking to my grandfather's insurance company the policy is valid as it stood which was fully comp for him to drive. While it's in the garage it's covered until the policy expires in late June but as it was an older person policy (arranged through Help the Aged) they are not going to like 26 year old me!!!

Some good news for those of us who hate taxes though - the IHT boundary has gone up to

With house prices the way they're going that's not as much as it sounds.

With house prices the way they're going that's not as much as it sounds.

Too true!

Time for an update on this.

I called the servicing dealer last week who told me it really ought to be run once a week. That's more than I had expected but they are supposed to be the experts and my grandfather felt they'd always treated him well so I'll accept that as a professional opinion.

When I checked the fine print on my insurance there was a nice little phrase saying I had to have the vehicle owner's consent. Ah, small problem, can't really ask him. I suppose I could ask the ashes when I collect them on Friday but I doubt I'll get an answer!

So I called my insurance who told me they wouldn't cover me to drive it and I couldn't add it to my policy as I don't own it. I can't actually sign it over to me as it will cause problems with the probate and distribution of assests so that was my insurance out the window.

Next stop was my grandfather's insurance who, two days after he died, told me the car would remain insured for third party, fire and theft. Perhaps they could add me to the policy just so I could give it a run, even if it was just for this evening. They couldn't add me to the insurance as there is no named driver on the policy to vouch for me (but I could technically remove the named driver by reporting he was dead!). Additionally they decided the policy has to be cancelled this evening.

So now I'm left with a car that needs to be given a run but which no one can actually run. Needless to say I'm unimpressed with both insurance companies and am currently drafting a letter to my grandfather's company over their change of heart. They did ask me to write to them with a copy of the death certificate so they can have something my grandfather left me - his knack of writing letters that hit home without being rude.

The irony of it is his insurance was arranged through Help the Aged - you'd think they'd have a fairly clear cut policy for this sort of situation to avoid too many problems, but obviously not.

The sooner the car is distributed the better. At least I know who it will eventually go to, it's just a matter of when.