Relative Driving vehicle with expired tags

[lowens1975]

Alabama. I live with a relative who I started out allowing to use my car to drive back and forth to work. I never drive the car, she does and when it came time for the tags to be renewed I told her since she was driving it, she would have to pay for them. That was last June, she's still driving it on expired tags. I've asked her on three separate ocaisions to return my spare keys and stop driving it without proper tags and she's refused. The car has liability insurance but doesn't cover her, if she wrecks it, I'm without a vehicle. My question is, if she gets caught by law enforcement without a proper tag, will I be made liable for it?

 

[LdiJ]

Alabama. I live with a relative who I started out allowing to use my car to drive back and forth to work. I never drive the car, she does and when it came time for the tags to be renewed I told her since she was driving it, she would have to pay for them. That was last June, she's still driving it on expired tags. I've asked her on three separate ocaisions to return my spare keys and stop driving it without proper tags and she's refused. The car has liability insurance but doesn't cover her, if she wrecks it, I'm without a vehicle. My question is, if she gets caught by law enforcement without a proper tag, will I be made liable for it?

Yes, its your car and you have not dealt with the tags/registration properly. You had best get that fixed ASAP.

 

[HighwayMan]

So your insurance company doesn't know she drives it?

Even if she was considered responsible for the registration issue and received any tickets written (as would happen in NY) it is ultimately YOUR car and YOUR responsibility. If I stopped her I would impound the car and then YOU would have to be the one to pick it up from impound and pay the towing and storage fees.

It's your car - if she doesn't wish to fulfill her end of the bargain then you should take it away from her before she gets you into a ton of trouble.

 

[davew128]

And the reason you don't simply pay the registration yourself and go get YOUR car with YOUR keys is?

 

[Bali Hai]

And the reason you don't simply pay the registration yourself and go get YOUR car with YOUR keys is?

He may be reluctant to do that because the female relative might get angry. Personally, I would put a wheel boot lock on the car. 50 bucks is a whole lot cheaper than what's likely to happen.

 

[lowens1975]

So your insurance company doesn't know she drives it?

Even if she was considered responsible for the registration issue and received any tickets written (as would happen in NY) it is ultimately YOUR car and YOUR responsibility. If I stopped her I would impound the car and then YOU would have to be the one to pick it up from impound and pay the towing and storage fees.

It's your car - if she doesn't wish to fulfill her end of the bargain then you should take it away from her before she gets you into a ton of trouble.

I'm living with her, have back issues and don't have an income. Which is why I'm living with her in the first place. I've asked her NOT to drive it. I've told her to park it, no less than three times. And I've asked for my spare keys back three times too. The last time I threatened to disable the car, pull a relay or fuse, so it won't run, and she's threatened to throw me out. And I have no where else to go. I'm trying to do the right thing here, by her and by me. By the way, I'm the widow of a police officer, so I KNOW what she's doing is wrong. I can't stop her and keep a roof over my head. But thanks for the offer to impound it and make things much worse than they already are.

 

[lowens1975]

And "Thanks" to everyone else for replying as well.

 

[HighwayMan]

If you have no income then how do you pay for the insurance?