THE HIGHLAND COUNCIL
CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
SCHEME FOR ASSISTED CAR PURCHASE
1. Eligibility
The following category of Officers shall be eligible to participate in the Scheme.
Essential Users
Those Officers who, in terms of their appointment, have to provide a car for the performance of their
duties will be entitled to participate in the Scheme.
In the event of the application being approved by the applicant’s Head of Service and being opposed by
the Chief Executive and/or Director of Finance, the application will be referred to the Personnel
Services Committee for determination.
2. Loan Amount
2.1 The financial assistance shall be in the form of a loan relative to the car which must be provided for the
performance of the Officers duties, and no other car. The amount of the loan will be the net purchase
price of the car (as determined by paragraph 5.1 below) or ?6000 whichever is less.
2.2 The maximum repayment period of the loan will be 4 years.
2.3 Loans will only be awarded to Officers for the outright purchase of suitable car.
3. Interest
3.1 Interest will be charged at a rate determined by the N.J.C. Conditions, currently 4.45% per annum, on
the full amount of the loan for each year of the period of the loan. In the event of the loan period being
reduced the interest will fall to be reassessed, such interest to be recalculated in the reducing balance
basis at the agreed rate (currently 8.9%) per annum on each half yearly balance of the outstanding loan.
4. Repayment
4.1 The Council shall arrange for repayment of loan and interest by instalment, deducted from the Officers
salary over such a period as it may approve, but subject to a maximum period of four years.
4.2 If the Officers contract of employment is terminated, either by the Council or the Officer, before
repayment of the loan, with accrued interest, the Officer shall be required to repay the balance of the
loan, with accrued interest forthwith. The Officers final salary will not be released until all monies due
in respect of any car loan has been repaid.
4.3 In the event of death of the Officer, any balance of loan with accrued interest shall be repayable to the
Council by the legal representatives of the Officer and any salary, gratuity or allowance due by the
Council to the legal representatives of the Officer may be retained by the Council and applied towards
the repayment of the loan and accrued interest.
4.4. The Officer shall be entitled to make supplementary cash contributions towards the discharge of the
loan.
4.5 Upon repayment in full of the loan granted the Officers liability under the scheme shall be deemed to
have terminated.
5. Conditions
5.1 A loan granted under these provisions shall be subject to the deduction from the purchase price of the
car of -
(a) any allowance for the value of a car offered in part exchange for the car to be acquired;
or
(b) the selling price of any car which the Officer has disposed of, otherwise than by part
exchange, during the preceding twelve months; or
(c) any amount received under a motor insurance policy for a car owned by the Officer,
which is totally written off during the preceding twelve months; or
(d) value of any vehicle owned and being retained by the Officer
5.2 The Council reserve the right to request that any application for a loan in respect of a used car shall be
accompanied by a certificate by a qualified automobile engineer as to -
(a) the reasonableness of the price,
(b) the road-worthiness, and
(c) the estimated future life of the vehicle
and also by a certificate by the Director of the Service concerned that the vehicle is suitable for the
purposes of The Highland Council.
5.3. The Officer shall be required to enter into a form of agreement with, and grant a Personal Bond in
favour of the authority for the due repayment of the loan and to declare that he has not entered into a
hire purchase agreement in respect of the car and will not do so.
5.4 Within 28 days of receipt of the sum advanced the Officer, being granted a loan, MUST produce to the
Director of Finance (Travel Section) the following documents:
(a) Receipt of purchase
(b) Evidence of any relevant trade-in allowance
(c) Registration document
(d) Current insurance certificate of vehicle
Failure to comply with the above requirement will result in disciplinary action against the employee
concerned.
5.5 During the period of repayment of the loan the Officer shall undertake to maintain a comprehensive
insurance policy in respect of the car with a Company acceptable to the Council and in which the
Council’s interest is endorsed. A copy of each years renewal certificate must be forwarded to the
Director of Finance (Travel Section) within one month of the renewal date.
5.6 During the currency of the loan, the car will be maintained in road worthy conditions to the satisfaction
of the Council. The Officer will be required to meet the whole cost of maintenance, running expenses,
insurance and road fund licence and to exhibit to the Director of Finance any Ministry of Transport
Test Certificate issued in respect of the car within seven days of the date of issue of such certificate. If
at any time during the period of the loan the car is damaged or destroyed the Officer will take all
reasonable steps to have the car immediately repaired or replaced - the type of car to be purchased as a
replacement having first been approved by the Council.
5.7 During the currency of the loan any change of name and/or address must be notified immediately to the
Director of Finance (Travel Section) to whom any queries regarding this scheme should be addressed.
5.8 The Officer shall not dispose of the car without prior consent of the Chief Executive and Director of
Finance acting on behalf of the Council and in the event of the car being damaged or destroyed they
shall, if called upon to do so, assign the claim against the insurers under the comprehensive motor
policy, to the Council for the purpose of repayment of the amount of the loan outstanding.
5.9 In the event of the Officer failing to observe the conditions of the scheme, the Council shall have the
full right to dispose of the car and to pay to the Officer the proceeds of the sale after deduction of the
amount of the loan outstanding and any expenses incurred by the Council in selling the car. In the
event of the proceeds of the sale of the car being insufficient to meet the amount of the loan outstanding
and expenses incurred by the Council of selling the car, the Officer will pay forthwith to the Council the
amount by which the proceeds of the sale falls short of the amount of the loan outstanding and the
amount of expenses referred to.
5.10 In the event of any dispute arising as to the interpretation of this scheme or any part thereof during the
currency of the loan such dispute shall be referred for decision to an arbiter to be mutually agreed by
the Officer and the Council and failing agreement to be appointed by the Sheriff of Grampian,
Highlands and Islands at Inverness, and whose decision shall be final.
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