To think selling a car to a family member is not a 'favour' and shouldn't be treated as such?

[JaneS]

My brother needs to sell his car as he's moving abroad. He approached me and asked if I wanted to buy it (I'd been trying to decide whether or not to replace my old car). Initially I said no, as I really needed a car then and he wanted me to wait three months, but he said he couldn't find another buyer, so I agreed, looked up the market price on Parkers and said it sounded fine.

Brother told me I could have the car the week before my wedding (when I really needed a car), then apparently forgot about it and said could I pick it up from our parents' house two days after I got married, as he was catching a plane out to his new job that day. I said it wasn't convenient and I could pick it up from the airport he was traveling from (much nearer to my house), if he sorted out the paperwork in time. I didn't chivvy him about this before the wedding as I was busy, but legally I can't do the sale papers myself (obviously).

Upshot is that he's left the country, promising to send the sale papers over, and the car is at my parents house. My parents can't store it there more than a few days and think I should insure myself as a named driver and pick it up asap as my brother was 'doing me a favour' and was 'too busy' to sort out the paperwork.

AIBU to think that my brother was being lazy/taking advantage? He has been very generous about wedding presents but he has also caused me a fair amount of unexpected hassle!

Oh lovely.

He's just responded to my email by telling me I should just drive his car uninsured and make certain I don't have an accident (which is bloody cheeky given he's written off three cars and I've never had an accident, but as if I'm going to do something so stupid as driving uninsured!).

I'd be tempted to tell him to forget it and let your parents deal with him.

I was tempted. I've just had a rather chastened email from him though (I bawled him out, as you might suspect). He's apologized and suggested he'll take some money off ... it's the apology that was good though!

Thanks for the AIBU verdict though, wouldn't have had a go at him otherwise.

think there are a couple of places that will do insurance just for a day or week or so if you just need to drive something for a short amount of time rather than getting proper full insurance.

Can't remember the name but look on the www.honestjohn.co.uk website - great reference site for all sorts of things cars, aimed at ordinary people that need to drive rather than petrol heads and top gear fanatics! Anyway, he (honest john) has recommended a couple of them in his site where he responds to questions, he also has a column in the telegraph on a saturday and they've had a mention in there too.

Hi yes you can insure for yourself to drive without you being the registered owner. We buy our cars private and insure them just before we are about to drive away with them. They ask you when you purchased the car and you say today for example. The DVLA forms are sent off asap by the seller.

Sorry if someone else has said this already, I haven't read the whole thread.

All your brother needed to do was send the logbook with your details on it as new owner and give you the little slip part which confirms he sold it to you. Takes no more than 5 minutes.

Thanks first. The problem was that my brother had left the country, so initially I was a bit worried about getting the slip and sorting it out. But it turns out that (although he apparently thinks it's all a bit of a fuss), he has left the logbook in the car so I can fill it all out myself.

He did apologize quite a lot though ... don't think he realized that driving uninsured was something I felt strongly about .

Brothers hey! I have three of them! They all mean well, but they too are like your brother.

Three, eh? I am glad I only have two! Only joking ... they are lovely really, but my big brother does much prefer appearing generous from a position of superiority, to actually, er, lifting a finger!

Are you still insured on your previous car? Fully comp would be helpful? Or, could you get someone who is insured fully comp to nip over to your parents and collect the car?

No, I'm the only one of my friends who drives (we're students, but I study at a university a long way from my home town, so a car is very useful). My old car is off to the scrap dealer today!

But thanks for replying anyway.