Bike impound help.

[yorkie_chris]

I would be after suing some tossuer after it had been crushed as well...

[christopher]

Has he tried getting short term cover, like from flexirider.co.uk or similar?

I think the worst thing to come out of this was the attitude that the police took to it all. At the beginning he was going to the station 2-3 times per week with different things they wanted from him, and after that, they'd ask for something, he'd provide it, and they'd say it wasn't acceptable. This happened right down until the only barrier left was the insurance...which they refused to budge on, even after it was pointed out that he can't get insured on it. I think they expected him to pick it up and ride away on it with no insurance and no license, which is just mental. Even after offering to pick it up in a van and leaving it in our garage until he's got his license back and got insurance, they weren't happy. It was a case of he gets insured on it, or his bike's gone.

So now his bike's gone. Madness.

Originally Posted by christopher

Has he tried getting short term cover, like from flexirider.co.uk or similar?

They also wouldn't accept short-term insurance. God knows why. I asked this, because I was going to do a one-day insurance thing through my policy just to get it home, but it "wasn't acceptable".

[yorkie_chris]

I would have thought talking to a brief about that would have been a good idea, because third party insurance is third party insurance however long it's taken out for.

I would definitely get legal advice, as it seems like the police are being @rses about it and preying on the fact that he doesn't know the law inside out whereas a solicitor would.

For instance, there should be no problem with picking it up in a van?

Sounds like the police were being pains about it.

Though i cant believe how apathetic your m8 has been. I'd be camping that police station for that bike if it were mine.

Sorry to hear about it though.

[ethariel]

He really needs to see a solicitor right away, also lodging a complaint against the police officers concerned, also to the police complaints authority and the association of chief police officers.

Really stir the crud up on this one (unless he was a right ar5e at the begining, sounds like they had it in for him).

Bike not been 'sold' to a copper at the station that was dealing with it has it?

If you collect the bike in a van, I don't think they can keep it. Register it SORN with the DVLA, you don't need insurance to HAVE a bike, and nor do you need a licence. Just to ride them..

If you are the registered owner, I don't believe they can KEEP the bike from you. If you pay the impound fees or whatever, and you have the V5 in your name and you come and collect it in a van, they can't KEEP it from you, surely?

Just go to insure it and don't tell them it's impounded.. it's not like they ask....

Definatly sounds like they're being idiots..

[Red Herring]

Somethings not right here, either the police are really hanging themselves out to dry (unlikely) or your mate isn't leveling with you. The police are required to release the bike to anyone authorized in writing by the owner, providing that person has a driving licence and valid insurance that covers them to ride that bike. It does not need to be insured by the owner. How do you think someone who has their vehicle seized after being caught driving on a ban gets their vehicle back? They can't get insurance until the ban is over can they? Most forces have a policy not to allow the vehicle to be taken away on a low loader/van, but not sure about the Mets. Like I said, there's some vital info missing here.....