I PURCHASED a car from a main dealer in 2013 and also a three year service plan + MOT for additional £422. The car has been written off in an accident and only received one service from the plan.

The driver of the other vehicle was charged with careless driving. I contacted the dealer in the hope of transferring the plan to a new vehicle but was informed that as the plan had commenced they could do nothing.

Check the wording of the plan. I suspect it will state that it is linked only to this vehicle, but if not, the dealers you named to me should be asked at the highest level to reconsider, as they are enriched to the cost of unused services.

It is possible that any clause that allows them to keep the balance if the car is written off is an unfair contract term. The moral is that anyone buying a service like this ought to study the contract before signing, and ask lots of questions.

MY car was stolen and I got a payout from the insurance company. The car has now been recovered. Can I get it back? I would pay back the money to the insurer for it.

I suspect not, as you will have signed a form on settlement of your claim that the insurance company has the right to your car. But do ask them – they may be prepared to sell the car to you, though not necessarily at the amount of your settlement.

IF a man remarries after the death of his first wife what rights has the second wife got on his estate? Can he leave her out and will the entire estate to the children of his first marriage?

Yes, up to a point. If there is no will, second wife gets the house, contents and a sum of money (which has recently been vastly increased) before the kids get anything. But making a will overcome this and leave all to children, though wife always retains a legal claim on a third of the moveable estate (that is everything excluding the house). Then she has no automatic right to stay in the house unless she has her name on the title.

I INHERITED my grandmother’s flat – she died this year. The flat is in her sole name. I took out a personal loan recently on the inherited flat and a month later received a letter from the inland revenue saying that I owes £16,000 inheritance tax. I have no idea what this is about.

Strictly speaking it is not you who is due the inheritance tax but the estate from which the flat was inherited. But if the tax is due, then the Government is able to utilise assets in the estate to pay it, so has in effect first call. However, it is unusual for a flat to be actually passed over to the beneficiary without the tax already having been paid. You will need to ask the executor of the estate how this has come about, and why tax has not been paid if due.