Question
Can I avoid paying for insurance for my car while I am away for active duty military leave?
The car is owned by my father (because he has good credit) and I'm the co-signer. We took out a loan and are required to have full coverage no matter what, but if the vehicle isn't being driven and it's off the road does it really matter? I've already talked to my dad's insurance and they said the only thing they can do is take me off the policy (currently listed as a temporary driver to the vehicle ). They are still going to put my dad as the primary driver for the car, and they said we have to keep full coverage on it. My dad isn't going to drive the car at all, and he said he's not going to pay for the insurance cost every month. Im already going to be making payments on a car while I'm away, and I don't want to pay for insurance if I'm not even driving it. Any advice?
Answer
The reason banks require comprehensive and collision coverage on a vehicle in storage is because it could be damaged by a fire or a collapse of the building in which it is stored. In addition to the bank, Massachusetts requires any vehicle registered in the state to also be insured. If you took the vehicle off of your father's policy you would have to return your license plates/tags to the state until you re-insure it. It's possible that getting yourself removed from the policy and paying your father for the vehicle's portion of the insurance premium while you're deployed would be the least expensive option. However, there are two other options I would recommend looking into.