17953: Raber: Re: 17934: Laleau: Re: 17909: LOCCM: insurance in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: P&M Raber <raber@valkyrie.net>

Regarding car insurance.  It is just a tax as Laleau states.  It also serves
as a liability insurance so that people cannot sue you in court for any
damages if you get in an accident. If you are at fault in an accident though
it is good to pay some money up front to the other guy.   However not having
government car insurance updated can land you in jail, get you roughed up or
just cost you lots of money.  I will give you my experience.  WE left in
July 2001 but kept a parked car.  We came back the following march for 3
weeks but were out of town.  On the way back to town (good Friday) the
Carrefour police decides that since thousands of cars are on the road trying
to get to their families, they will do an inspection of papers.  You can't
always go by the sticker on the car since half the time you go pay you
insurance they are out of stickers but when stopped you get to show your
receipt of payment. (and of course you keep checking every few weeks to see
if they have sticker so you get stopped less often) Well, my spouse had been
in the country in December and renewed the license plate but at that time
the insurance was not yet expired and they would not allow advanced renewal
for it.  So we are in front tof the St. Charles church and the armed police
waves us and others over.  Our insurance had expired in February or
something.  My spouse is taken into the police station and I am left in a
stopped car in the middle of a traffic jam with four children in the heat
(dust was unbearable plus the key to power the windows was in the police
station).  Half hour later he is still not out.  I start making phone calls
to various people so they know what's happening.  In the end, 45 minutes
later, we are released after paying a bribe.  Another unfortunate fellow who
must not have had money was being slapped around inside the police station.

One good tip:  when renewing car insurance, the quickest is to use the
Petion-Ville office above the police station.  Another good place is the
Carrefour one on the second floor of CRIC CRAC market building.

As far as carrying private insurance the price is not worth it unless you
are at great risk of being car-jacked or having another type of  full
vehicle loss.