Frequently Asked Auto Related Questions

Can my neighbor borrow my car tomorrow?
Yes. The law states that all household members or anyone who uses your car on a regular basis must be listed on your auto insurance policy as a driver. Anyone who is not a house hold member and only uses your car on a rare occasion can drive your car.

If my neighbor gets in an accident while borrowing my car, will my insurance premium increase? 
No.  If your neighbor is found at fault and gets a surcharge – it will cause his/her own insurance to go up. The driving record follows the driver, not the car. If a listed driver on your policy gets a surcharge on their driving record, it can make your policy increase.

Will my car insurance policy cover me when I rent a car on vacation?
Yes, your coverage will follow you. We do suggest; however, that you also purchase the coverage offered by the car rental company. Rental contracts are all different, and can be very confusing. Some contracts require that if you get in an accident and the vehicle needs to be repaired, you have to pay the fair rental value for that car for everyday the car is being repaired. Your insurance will not cover that.  Some contracts have been reported to require that you replace the used vehicle you rented with a brand new one, if you total the car. Your insurance will not cover that, it is for Actual Cash Value at the time of the loss. So, unless you understand the rental contract completely, we strongly suggest you purchase the extra insurance to cover these loop holes.

How do I cancel my car insurance?
To cancel your car insurance you must turn your plates and registration in to the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Please let us know when you do this – the Registry does not tell us. Our runner can turn your license plates and registration in for you for an $8.00 fee.

Do I need to tell my Insurance Agent that I paid off my Car Loan?
Yes. If you don’t tell us, we will not know to take the bank off your policy as a loss payee. If you make a claim, the check will automatically be made payable to you and the Bank. To avoid the delay of sending the check back and having it reissued in just your name, give us a call when you pay off your car loan.

I just bought a new car. What do I do?
Never give anyone money for a car if they do not give you the Title. You do not own the car until the Title is signed over to you, even if you give them the money.

1. Who is processing the Registry paperwork? 

The Dealer - Some Massachusetts dealerships are on the “Drive Program”. They are allowed to fax the necessary paperwork to us to be stamped and certified, we fax it back to them, and they issue your plates and registration right from the dealership. Please remember we need your permission before we can do anything, so please call us.

Page Insurance – If dealership is not in MA, is not on the Drive Program, or you are buying the vehicle from a private person, you will need to bring the paperwork into our office to be stamped and certified before it goes to the Registry. 

If you are going to have a loan on the vehicle, the bank will require proof of insurance before they issue you the check to pay for the car. This is called a Binder. You need to call us with the year, make, model, and VIN number of the vehicle so that we can issue the binder. We will also need the name and address of the bank you are using.

Once the bank gets the binder, they will give you the check to purchase the car. You give the seller the check and they give you the Title to the car. You also need a Bill of Sale, unless the Title has a space on the back to write down the sale price of the car.

We will need the Title to the new vehicle, and the bill of sale if applicable. If the vehicle is new, we need the window sticker. We also need the registration of your prior vehicle if you are transferring the plates from that vehicle. After we check the paperwork and stamp and certify it, you can bring the paperwork to the Registry yourself, or our runner can take it for you for a $12 fee.

2. Should I transfer my plates or get new ones?

You can transfer your plates from one vehicle to another if the new vehicle is going to be registered in exactly the same way as the prior one.

For Example:
If Mr. and Mrs. Smith owns the old car and they trade it in for a new car, they can do a transfer the plates if the new car is titled and registered as Mr. and Mrs. Smith. If the new car is bought in just Mrs. Smith’s name, the plates can not be transferred, as the names are not exactly the same. They would have to turn in the plates registered to both of them, and get new plates and registration in just the wife’s name.

3.  If I am doing a transfer, when can I take the plates off the old car and put them on the new car?

You have 7 days from the day you relinquish ownership of the old car, to put the plates on the new car before the paperwork must be processed at the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

If you still own the old car, you can NOT put the plates onto the new car until the paperwork is processed at the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

(Remember: if you are going to sell the old vehicle yourself, you may want to get new plates on the new car so that people can “test drive” the old vehicle. Once you sell the old vehicle, you would then turn those plates in to the Registry.)

*Once your vehicle is registered, you have 7 days to get a Massachusetts Safety Inspection Sticker*

4. How is Sales Tax Calculated?

Your sales tax will be 5% of the purchase price of the car, if you buy it from a dealership that is licensed in the state of Massachusetts.

If the dealership is not licensed, or you purchased the vehicle by private sale, the sales tax will be 5% of book value or 5% of the purchase price – which ever is higher.

Frequently Asked Homeowners Insurance Related Questions

My neighbor has several large trees on our boundary line.  If her tree should fall on my house, whose coverage is responsible?
Your policy will pay for any damages, less the deductible.