A seized car is a problem. A seized van is usually a business at a standstill. Jobs get cancelled, tools are locked inside it, and storage charges accrue every day it sits in the compound.

The process for getting it back is the same whoever you are, but the urgency is not.

Why vehicles get seized

Most seizures happen because no valid insurance was in place at the time, under section 165A of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Police can also seize a vehicle being driven without a licence, or used in a manner causing alarm, distress or annoyance.

For a business this often happens to an employee rather than the owner, and the first the company knows about it is a phone call from a driver standing at the roadside.

What the pound will want

Expect to produce evidence that you are the registered keeper or entitled to the vehicle, a valid driving licence for whoever will drive it away, and insurance that covers the vehicle from the moment of release.

There is also a statutory release fee, starting at £150 for smaller vehicles and rising with weight, plus a daily storage charge. Confirm the exact figures with the pound holding the vehicle, since they vary by vehicle class and are revised periodically.

Vehicles that are not claimed can be disposed of, so this is not a situation to leave for a week.

Why a standard policy often will not do

This is where most people lose time. Impounds will generally only accept cover that is in force at the point of collection, and many standard annual policies are declined because they were arranged specifically to release the vehicle, or because they will not incept immediately.

Impound release policies are built for this. They run for a short fixed period, typically around 30 days, and are written to meet what the pound requires. You would then arrange normal annual cover separately once the vehicle is back.

Where it gets complicated for a business

If the van is on a fleet policy, check whether the driver was actually covered to drive it before assuming the fleet insurer will resolve it. Where the seizure followed a licence issue, that may also affect the main fleet policy at renewal.

It is worth getting advice on both at once rather than dealing with the release and the consequences separately.

Acting quickly

The single biggest cost in a seizure is usually not the release fee. It is the work the vehicle is not doing.

If a van has been seized, call Alternative Insurance Brokers on 0161 388 2520 and we will arrange cover that the pound will accept.