Car problems

[kmcf13]

State of Maine

My son (17) has use of the family car provided he pays for a little over half of the insurance. He claims that because he is putting money down on the car, in the event that his driving rights are revoked due to home punishment, that he he is entitled to the remainder of the funds that have not been used. He payed for the whole year in advance and only a few months have gone by. Is he correct in his thinking.

 

[Antigone*]

State of Maine

My son (17) has use of the family car provided he pays for a little over half of the insurance. He claims that because he is putting money down on the car, in the event that his driving rights are revoked due to home punishment, that he he is entitled to the remainder of the funds that have not been used. He payed for the whole year in advance and only a few months have gone by. Is he correct in his thinking.

Really Are you really going to let your son tell you how to run your household?

Please, this is not a legal matter. Tell the brat to get his own car and pay for his own policy, that way you don't have to deal with his arrogance.

 

[justalayman]

He's your kid. He isn't entitled to much of anything you do not allow him, including, believe it or not, the money he earns at a job.

. Is he correct in his thinking

that would be WISHFUL thinking.


If he wants to play that game, tell him he gets food (only enough for sustenance), no tv, no internet, no phone, and if he needs to go somewhere, well, as the song says: these boots are made for walking.

Curfew is anything you make it. House chores are all his.

 

[dave33]

State of Maine

My son (17) has use of the family car provided he pays for a little over half of the insurance. He claims that because he is putting money down on the car, in the event that his driving rights are revoked due to home punishment, that he he is entitled to the remainder of the funds that have not been used. He payed for the whole year in advance and only a few months have gone by. Is he correct in his thinking.

If you want to be fair, sure. Is there anyone that would pay for insurance on a car they weren't allowed to use? If the money had not been payed in advance would you expect him to keep paying?
As was pointed out above, of course you are the parent and what you say, goes. But, I find if I question a situation, I put myself in the other persons shoes. If the situation were reversed, what would you consider to be fair?

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Advise him if he voids the agreement, he will be required to negotiate a new contract, which will include an apportionment for the increase in insurance rates due to him being added, in addition to an allocation per mile for wear and tear and gasoline. The amount can easily be obtained for the insurance cost by calling your company and asking how much your policy will decrease if he is an excluded driver.

 

[justalayman]

The amount can easily be obtained for the insurance cost by calling your company and asking how much your policy will decrease if he is an excluded driver.

why bother with numbers that require support. You simply draw a number out of thin air and say; this is what it will cost you the next time you want us to let you drive the car. If you don't like it, you have shoes or you can purchase your own car and pay ALL of the insurance bill.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

why bother with numbers that require support. You simply draw a number out of thin air and say; this is what it will cost you the next time you want us to let you drive the car. If you don't like it, you have shoes or you can purchase your own car and pay ALL of the insurance bill.

It appears this is an intelligent child with a sense of entitlement. Facts equal credibility.

 

[justalayman]

It appears this is an intelligent child with a sense of entitlement. Facts equal credibility.

that is why I enjoy buying cars. When I negotiate, there is no discoverable basis for the numbers I toss out.

When asked where I got the number I gave them, it's real simple:

I pulled it out of my butt. When asked how I got that number; I like that number


nothing to use to play their psychological games with.

They love to know where a number a comes from. That way they can twist the number around and show why it is not a valid value. I remove that possibility.

Same thing with a kid; it's THIS because I said it's this. No reason to argue back; but I paid 27.2% of the total so I should get to drive the car 27.2% of the time or whatever he wants to argue. With me, it's this much and this is the rules on driving the car; take it or leave it.

 

[stealth2]

State of Maine

My son (17) has use of the family car provided he pays for a little over half of the insurance. He claims that because he is putting money down on the car, in the event that his driving rights are revoked due to home punishment, that he he is entitled to the remainder of the funds that have not been used. He payed for the whole year in advance and only a few months have gone by. Is he correct in his thinking.

A little over half of the insurance.... why a little over half? That's just kind of strange for a "family" car.

Personally? I would tell him that the amount he's paid in stands, and is in holding for any potential fines that his driving might incur. So if he gets a ticket and you pull his driving rights, what he's paid towards insurance goes towards the fines. And until it's an issue? No further discussion.

 

[ecmst12]

His name stays on the policy even when he's grounded. If he ever wants to REGAIN his driving priviledge, he needs to keep insurance on the car that covers him. So no, he doesn't get his money back unless he wants to take his name off the policy and give up the idea of driving until next renewal.

 

[NellieBly]

He's supposed to be able to do what he wants because he's paying car insurance?

 

[LdiJ]

He's supposed to be able to do what he wants because he's paying car insurance?

Forget for a minute that he is your son. Pretend that he is a friend that gets the use of your car as long as he pays a little more than half the cost of the car insurance.

If you told him that he could not drive the car for XXX amount of time would it be right for him to ask for a refund of insurance costs paid a year in advance? I would say yes because you would be breaching the contract.

In this case however he is not your friend, he is your son and you should discipline him in the manner that you feel most befits his crime. A lot of the advice that you have been given on this thread is parenting advice rather than legal advice.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

A little over half of the insurance.... why a little over half? That's just kind of strange for a "family" car.

I suspect that adding him to the policy more than doubled the premium. My son pays three times what I pay for the same coverage with no points.

 

[Zigner]

Forget for a minute that he is your son. Pretend that he is a friend that gets the use of your car as long as he pays a little more than half the cost of the car insurance.

If you told him that he could not drive the car for XXX amount of time would it be right for him to ask for a refund of insurance costs paid a year in advance? I would say yes because you would be breaching the contract.

Because proper behaviour is part of the "contract", and forfeiture of use of the vehicle is a known and agreed to consequence, I would say that there would be no breach on the part of the parents.

That is NOT "parenting" advice

 

[LdiJ]

Because proper behaviour is part of the "contract", and forfeiture of use of the vehicle is a known and agreed to consequence, I would say that there would be no breach on the part of the parents.

That is NOT "parenting" advice

Actually, that still is parenting advice. Because the whole "proper behavior" is based on parental rules and I can just about bet that those rules would be in place whether the teen had a driver's license or not.