Hi,
can anyone help us, we were trying to buy a car to leave here when we return to the UK, we do not have a florida licience because, and i maybe wrong that it is cancelled each time we leave the USA because we do not have a social security no yet. Any advice?
kerry
I live in the USA and can't find an easy way to keep a car at my FL home...
The insurance can be crippling ...
If you have your own home and stay 6 month of the
year its doable but for short term not economical
Totally agree with Ray. You would be amazed at how much insurance costs compared to UK if you have decent personal liability; and you would be silly not to have that.
I did consider my brother(who has lived in the USA - not Florida - for many years and has a perfect insurance record with State Farm)) buying a car and insuring it, with me as named driver, and even then it was best part of $2,000 a year. - you can hire a small car for 10 weeks for that sum.
The other thing if you visit frequently is the cost of taxis to and from airport.
Thank you guys, i am begining to realise that this is not a financially viable option now, just pleased we didnt go ahead and purchase a car yesterday and sort the insurance out afterwards!
My daughter worked for a year near Miami, as part of her degree course, and had to buy and run a car whilst she was there. The insurance was crippling. It used to be an option to keep a car, but not any more, since you have to keep renewing your licence, which is a real pain.
ellie
A social security number isnt relevant in helping you with your license, they want to see either an 1-94 or 1-94W and will only renew to the end of that or if you have a two year 1-94 you now have to renew your license every year. Progressive will take your UK no claims bonus into account. Unless you are going to be there six months a year it isnt really worth it though. And yes it isnt cheap.
Julie
It's not all bad news. My neighbours have purchased two Harley's which they keep in a locked store in the garage. They spend about 7 weeks, twice a year in their home. The bikes are insured for the year but they tell the insurance company when they are not in Florida. This results in a return of some of the money they have paid at the end of the year. They just get new licence issued each time they go over so it's no real problem.
Dave
Dave Lewis
I use Geico, you can get your own quote on the internet on their site. Use a fictitious SSN for the quote. If you actually want to take up the insurance then call them on the phone. They do not in fact require a SSN to insure you. They are helpful and friendly.
Geico have a lower rate for people aged 50 or over - like me.
-
We have already had a big and somewhat aggressive thread about this topic which was sparked off by Mrs Babypowder selling her Sebring Convertible.
I have had a Fl licence for over 10 years and fairly basic insurance costs me around three hundred dollars per 6 months for the first car, half that for the second. This is not unlimited comprehensive cover like UK. However Florida is a NoFault state which means it is harder for anyone to sue you for injury. You should not lose your house in Fl for a motoring accident.
-
Florida may soon no longer be a No Fault state which means that compulsory premiums will go down around sixty dollars per 6 months. I would suggest spending a bit more than the lowest amount on insurance but not necessarily going over the top.
-
Geico do not care that your Fl licence has run out while you are not there. Just get it renewed when you get back.
-
I have old cheap cars so don't insure them comprehensively. I have found them reliable although they're old. I do a few thousand miles a year.
If you can't fix them yourself car repairs can add up horrifyingly in Fl just like in UK.Because of the warm climate you can expect batteries to hold up well for a long time but paint and dashtops perish in the sun. Rust should not be a problem for any car which has been kept inland all its life in Fl as there is no salt put on the road in winter.
-
I have a big Chevy pickup, a Sebring Convertible and a Harley bike. There is no annual MOT equivalent for any of these in Fl. It is also not a legal necessity to insure any motorbike at all if you don't want to. Just like it's not necessary to wear a crash helmet if you are over 21 unless you want to. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't depending on the trip and the temperature.
-
Your annual tax expires on your birthday every year, you can renew online. When you buy a car or bike then you pay a whole years tax for the months running up to your birthday but its very cheap. It will also cost you a oneoff payment of a hundred dollars for a tag (numberplate) the first time you get it for a car, free for a bike.
-
When you buy a car in Fl you have to pay the regular sales tax on top of the price, whether its new or secondhand, private or dealer. It would be illegal for the private seller to put down a lower price for tax purposes so you didn't have to pay so much sales tax. All I can say is that if they ever checked you would be well advised to make sure its believable and that any check or bank transfer was for the stated amount.
-
As far as taxis to and from the airport are concerned I just book a 1 day rental on this site or another one. It'll cost you about £20 for the 24hours with a full tank of gas and extra driver,pick it up at the airport, drive home and then when you have got your own car out the next day and done plenty of running around to use up your tank of gas just get the wife to drop the rental car back to a local drop off point and pick her up to go home in your own car- there is no fee for oneway rentals in Fl with dollar or alamo.
-
When you apply for a Fl license renewal now you will find they give you a bit of paper and the plastic license will arrive in the mail from Tallahassee a month later, with the word "Temporary" across it in red.
When I mentioned this a while ago on this forum I was told it was rubbish but by now there are probably some members here who have such a license.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:I have had a Fl licence for over 10 years and fairly basic insurance costs me around three hundred dollars per 6 months for the first car, half that for the second. This is not unlimited comprehensive cover like UK. However Florida is a NoFault state which means it is harder for anyone to sue you for injury. You should not lose your house in Fl for a motoring accident.-
Florida may soon no longer be a No Fault state which means that compulsory premiums will go down around sixty dollars per 6 months. I would suggest spending a bit more than the lowest amount on insurance but not necessarily going over the top.
[/quote]
You obviously have considerable experience of living in the USA, and your post make much sense. However I feel that this section on insurance could be misunderstood.
In UK third party insurance is really the equivalent of the liability insurance in the USA i.e. even with the most basic insurance in UK, if you are at fault in an accident, you are covered for any damages awarded to property and/or life and limb. The comprehensive element is for the damage you might do to your own car.( there are other advantages but that is the main one)
My understanding in the USA is that if you are at fault in an accident and substantial damages are awarded to the 'innocent party' their insurance company will come after you for the money if your cover is insufficient; and you have assets.
This is why there is such a difference in premium between basic insurance cover and getting say $1Million personal liability insurance.
That is exactly the reason why those USA friends/relatives of mine(with considerably assets) carry considerable personal liability insurance.
If you "were unlikely to lose your house" why would anyone bother with any form of liability insurance?
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks