Insuring Car Outside NY
We’re buying a weekend home in CT, and it just occurred to us that we could now change our car registration, legally and legitimately, to CT and thus pay lower insurance rates. Any reason not to do this? Given that Brooklyn is our primary home and we’ll be spending more of our time here, is…
We’re buying a weekend home in CT, and it just occurred to us that we could now change our car registration, legally and legitimately, to CT and thus pay lower insurance rates. Any reason not to do this? Given that Brooklyn is our primary home and we’ll be spending more of our time here, is there any advantage to keeping our NY registration?
Thanks for any insights!
Another issue might be a future permit parking in Brooklyn may not allow out of state plates. Presumably you’d have time to switch back if that becomes an issue.
Ethically, not registering at your primary address is stealing from your neighbors.
Insurance is expensive in Brooklyn because there are a lot of high risk drivers. Assuming they are higher risk than you, then you are increasing the risk in the pool, which increases your honest neighbors’ rates.
This sounds like a question for your insurance agent. I think that the determinant, as far as your insurance company is concerned, is where the car is parked the majority of the time. If that is Brooklyn, then that’s where you need to register your car.
pmmtenement, that is some serious big brother action on the part of your insurance company! You didn’t have a homeowners policy with the same company, did you? Or, I wonder if this somehow showed up in a credit check done by your insurance company. Your credit report would list your addresses, and if the second home wasn’t showing up then that could have been a tip off to your insurer.
“Small fish in a big pond? Yeah, same for the drug dealer on your stoop. Same for the guy who did his work without permits, sells you the house and leaves you with the DOB headache.”
Yup. Scott free. Insurance co’s don’t really care…
[…until you file a claim ;> ]
***Bid half off peak comps***
Small fish in a big pond? Yeah, same for the drug dealer on your stoop. Same for the guy who did his work without permits, sells you the house and leaves you with the DOB headache. For crying out loud, you just bought a second home. You can’t make your mortgage without saving on insurance? Need the insurance money to cover the gas for all your travel? Ever been the party trying to collect from someone who has no insurance (never mind the person who’s suddenly not covered)? Next time your insurance agent makes a suggestion like that, ask him to put it in writing. Want to know the downside of registering in CT while having a primary residence in Brooklyn? Talk to the owner of the car in this photo: http://bit.ly/c3GAxL
“I don’t think there is a split on whether this is legal or not. There appears to be a split on whether it is worth the risk. It is not legal – or ethical.”
insertsnappyname here said it all. do you really need to ask us whether it’s worth exposing yourself to the possibility that you will not be covered in the case of a serious accident that injures you or another party? the insurance company will wash their hands of you faster than you can say insurance fraud.
I don’t know if it’s legal, I would say it’s unethical, but mostly I would say it’s just plain dumb. You want the truth right?
tybur6 — I think the OP was actually asking if anyone knew how could he get a straight answer. (Answer: call the CT DMV and ask).
A bunch of anonymous postings with no citations to actual independent sources may not actually satsify the OP (especially given the contary advice from his presumably licensed insurance broker and stories of common usage by persons who do not claim they are knowingly committing insurance fraud).
For all I know, even if Brooklyn is the primary home, maybe the OP intends to keep the car in CT most of the year or intends to do most of his driving in CT (say all summer and occasionally during the rest of the year) adn only drives into and out of NYC. Maybe that woudl satisfy CT laws.
Your scholarship question is a little too harsh. The better question would be “I have a second house in CT and my kid could get a full ride to UConn if we are residents there. Our guidance counsellor at HS here in NYC suggests changing our primary residence to CT for the last year after the school year starts and the student would still be allowed to finish out the year here. Should I do that?” Posters here would point out that in-state scholarships mean not just changing you voter registration (even assuming that would be possible) but probably would mean sending your kid to high school in CT, paying property taxes on your car, maybe one parent living in NY during the week for ease fo commute. etc. Others would say they know of peopel who did that for Rutgers, or U Mass without any problems.
Then someone would finally point out why not call U Conn admissions and find out exactly what it means to be deemed a resident, and then it would be a lot clearer.
It is all good until you actually have an accident and they discover you don’t actually live there. Living there, means 6 montsh out of the year. Can you prove that?
“legally and legitimately”
“Brooklyn is our primary home”
Hmmm. Ah people get away with auto insurance fraud all the time. Small fish, big pond.
***Bid half off peak comps***
The original posters question about where to register their car has no impact on your ability to get and pay for car insurance. You’ll pay pretty much the same rate no matter where this other person has their car listed.