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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask DH to sell 'his' car?

33 replies

ILoveJoeBrown · 01/01/2020 19:11

We have 3 cars.

A salary sacrifice car in my name, which is our main commuting car.

An ancient diesel which we use to go to the dump or for DH to go metal detecting (basically falling apart but still road worthy so useful for mucky jobs).

3rd one is an executive car (let's say), that we have had for 10 years. I want to sell it but DH refuses to entertain the idea. He says he bought it to be his retirement car, but we won't be retiring for at least another 10 years. The car is currently off the road, untaxed, un MOTd and the battery is in the garage. It's going green as its covered in leaves, algae, dirt etc. Its an aluminium body so isn't rusting but the parts under the bodywork will be.

In the spring we are due to have a new driveway laid so we will have to move the cars on to the road for around 4 weeks while the work is done I have 2 visitors permits so we can park 2 cars in the street, but there will be nowhere to park car 3.

In addition, in order to move a car out if we want the one furthest from the gate, we have to shuffle the cars around as we can only get one car out at a time. If we had 2 cars, we could move each one out independently of the other.

Can anyone out there explain to me why we should not get rid of car 3. No reason why it has to be his executive one (other than he never uses it, as he's either commuting on the train, or using one of the other 2 cars). Is there any reason at all why he is so insistent on keeping the exec car? I just need an objective reason for keeping all 3 cars, when we in reality only need 1 really.

OP posts:
SeasonallySnowyPeasant · 01/01/2020 19:14

YANBU. It won’t be road-worth in 10 years time!

Singlebutmarried · 01/01/2020 19:16

Depends on the car.

Is it a collectible of the future?

If so it needs storing properly, not on the drive.

No reason if stored correctly with a bit of maintenance and tlc every so often that it shouldn’t hold/increase in value and still run.

However if it’s already achieved shed status then I’d get it towed.

winobaglady · 01/01/2020 19:17

If you need too move it onto the public highway it will need to be insured, taxed and tested.
Sounds cheaper to sell it.

fedupandlookingforchange · 01/01/2020 19:19

If he wants to keep it, it needs to be road worthy and in good condition. I say this as someone who has an every day car and a special vehicle. The special vehicle is kept in good condition and is always useable.

busybarbara · 01/01/2020 19:20

Sounds like he might get sod all for it anyway unless it’s really collectible.

ILoveJoeBrown · 01/01/2020 19:21

It's no way a classic of the future. DHs idea is that when the driveway is due to be laid, he'll book it in for its mot and just drive it up to the garage and leave it on their forecourt for the duration. I'm not sure that's legal or wise, as the garage may not want a car just left with them as it'll be on their insurance if something goes wrong and its damaged or nicked?

OP posts:
Singlebutmarried · 01/01/2020 19:27

Well it’ll need to be taxed and insured too.

Also prepare for a storage bill from the garage. Most don’t have room to keep cars for periods of time unless they’re working on them.

An MoT is about 45 mins or so.

What car is it OP?

Howdidido · 01/01/2020 19:28

Is he sure it will pass the MOT? Because they wont let you take it away without one...

SpeedofaSloth · 01/01/2020 19:29

Why not sell car 2, and keep your commuting car plus the exec one? No one I know keeps a car just for tip runs.

RhymingRabbit3 · 01/01/2020 19:35

If he wants to keep it he should pay for a garage to store it in. Just on the driveway it will turn to a rust bucket and be worth nothing.
Why cant he sell it and buy one in 10 years time to use? Is it a really special or unusual car?

RhymingRabbit3 · 01/01/2020 19:37

Or, as PP said, chuck the "ancient diesel" and use the money to do up the executive car and use it more regularly.

ActualHornist · 01/01/2020 19:37

YANBU, but...

Can anyone out there explain to me why we should not get rid of car 3

Because your husband doesn’t want to. If he won’t, then you can’t. He’s being obstinate for sure but not a lot you can do about that without issuing ultimatums or bargaining.

tttigress · 01/01/2020 19:44

I'm intrigued to know what this "executive" car is?

Might be worth keeping depending.on many variables, like the price he bought it for.

Does you husband not normally do any driving? Just using the dectectoring car?

Maybe you should give him a choice of getting rid of the "dectectoring" car or the "executive" car.

ineedaholidaynow · 01/01/2020 19:44

DH (when he was just DP) left his car on my drive when he was relocated to London office, as he didn't need the car. He worked in London for about 18 months, and the car was hardly used in that time. It started to deteriorate as it hadn't been used for so long. Can't imagine your DH's car will be in good shape in 10 years time

TopOftheNaughtyList · 01/01/2020 19:45

If car 3 is un-taxed and no MOT then it should have a SORN and can't be left on the highway. Can it be put in your garage while the driveway repairs are being done? It sounds as though it's already in poor condition and will require loads of work (and much expense) to be used as a suitable retirement car in another 10 years time. I'd get rid.

ILoveJoeBrown · 01/01/2020 19:47

ActualHornist yes he's a stubborn sod!

We could of course sell the rustbucket and do up the exec, but he won't sell the rustbucket either. I now refuse to drive it as the check engine light is on constantly now and he wont go and have it looked at. During the summer, just as I got home after a day out with several gf's at a music festival, the suspension collapsed! It was fixed up (for more £ than the car is worth) and subsequently passed its MOT, but I won't have anything to do with it.

OP posts:
littlepaddypaws · 01/01/2020 19:50

saving it for 10 years ? is it a porsche or the like. i know of someone who has a porsche on his drive but hardly ever uses it, he likes to think everyone is jealous but he's known for being a bit of a twat.no saying op's dh is though Smile

candycane22 · 01/01/2020 19:54

If he really wants to keep it can you rent a garage for it until your drive is sorted?

minisoksmakehardwork · 01/01/2020 20:01

@howdidido, you can take the car away. I booked an MOT at a main dealer for my car as I needed an MOT and couldn't get hold of my regular guy at the time. By the time he got back to me, my car had failed badly but there was no way I was going to pay main dealer prices for the repairs. My mechanic booked me in for the repairs and a new MOT. I picked my car up and drove it straight to my regular garage. If I was stopped I could show that I had an MOT booked that I was on my way to.

As it happens, he redid the MOT first and a lot of things that the main dealer failed me on were not actually fails but advisories.

ILoveJoeBrown · 01/01/2020 20:26

The exec is a Jag XJ, so not that 'special' and certainly not special enough to keep for 10 years when we might be all electric anyway and the car will be taxed so high we won't be able to afford to run it!

I say we sell the exec and the rustbucket tbh, but he knows best (?)

OP posts:
ChocolateCoins19 · 01/01/2020 20:33

It won't pass mot again with engine light on surely?

TARSCOUT · 01/01/2020 20:54

I feel your pain. We have 5 cars on our drive, 3 are roadworthy the other two are apparantly going to be worth a fortune in years to come, as are the other 4/5/6? in rented storage. Oh yes, and the boat which hasn't moved in 12 years...........Just give up, it's not worth it, you can't reason with morons enthusiasts

Bootikin · 01/01/2020 21:04

Ally body but not a collector car means it’s a mass produced jaguar. Waste of time and money. Stupid to keep it outdoors deteriorating. Get rid.

aroundtheworldyet · 01/01/2020 21:32

I wouldn’t bother arguing, let him learn his own lesson. I would sell car 1
Give him half the money and buy a car which is NOT his to use. What with him having 2 cars.

BlouseAndSkirt · 01/01/2020 22:50

He can’t drive the Jag to the MOT without insurance, surely?