Posted: 9/9/2024 10:49:25 PM EDT
[Last Edit: SigOwner_P229][Edited]
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#1 screw USAA insurance, they're dicks and I will be filing a complaint when this is all done. #2 A tiny dent in the side and USAA wants to total it. #3 it was a friend and fellow arf member that hit it, just a "crap happens" type situation and he feels awful so no hate towards the at fault party please. Just looking for advice on the salvage title or owner-retained stuff. Friend, if you're reading this, don't feel bad, you're not responsible for conduct of your insurance. We're good! I have ZERO ill will towards you! Our family transport is an older model SUV for many reasons but mainly bc the year/make/model is super reliable so finding nice specimens is challenging. Ours wasn't perfect but easily in the top 5% of similar year/make/model. People know of the reliability thus most owners hang onto them so there aren't many on the market. It took a year of searching to find one in this condition when we acquired it 6 years ago. First offer from USAA was insulting; about 1/3 of what it would take to replace it. 2nd offer was better but still very low. 3rd offer is baffling me. It's about 80% of what I would need to replace it. Damage repair estimate: $2412. 3rd offer: $5600 and they still want to total it, (or I can do owner-retained salvage and get $4300 and keep it). WTF? Why wouldn't they just pay the $2412 repair and be done with it? What insurance company wants to shell out more money and do extra paperwork to total a vehicle when the repair estimate is less than 1/2 the value? Lastly, I've tried doing my research. Bmv docs say it has to be repaired to a road worthy state. It's road worthy now, it's just a dent, and we have been driving it for 6 weeks while fighting for a fair settlement value. It has to be inspected by a LEO and receipts for repair parts provided (it's just a dent) in order to get the rebuilt title. Does the inspection just look for roadworthiness or do I have to actually fix the dent? Lastly, on a recent reddit thread (specific to Indiana) a commenter said vehicles older than 9 years and less than $7k value don't even get a salvage title, you get to keep your original title. Is this true? My value is under $7k according to insurance so I think I'm ok. I really don't have time to fix a dent, or go to inspections & mess with multiple trips to the bmv. If this is the case I'm going to take settlement offer 3 and just be done fighting. If I have to deal with all the salvage/rebuilt title stuff I don't know that offer 3 will make up for the headache and hassle on top of the damage. I just want to be made whole and go on with the vehicle I have worked hard to maintain in excellent mechanical condition. I literally just had the whole front end rebuilt and the HVAC system overhauled. I provided $6k in receipts for repair work within the last year and they adjusted the value $235 higher for all of that. Thieves just trying to scam people. |
| I can't speak specifically to the process in Indiana, but I had a similar situation come up when I lived in New York. Insurance totaled my car, and I took the option to pay them the scrap value and keep the wrecked car for myself. They gave me $9,000, I paid a body shop $7,000 to fix it, and I pocketed $2,000. Because the title never changed hands, it never was marked as salvage/rebuilt. I never had to go through the special salvage inspection. It may work differently here, but it's certainly worth a try. |
If all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever.
| My current car has a rebuilt Indiana title, and it's fully covered through Allstate. Still, it's a good idea to check with your insurance company. |
If all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever.
Sáncte Míchael Archángele, defénde nos in proélio
Joined:
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Posts:
13990
EE: 100% (10)
IN, USA
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Originally Posted By weaver791: I can't speak specifically to the process in Indiana, but I had a similar situation come up when I lived in New York. Insurance totaled my car, and I took the option to pay them the scrap value and keep the wrecked car for myself. They gave me $9,000, I paid a body shop $7,000 to fix it, and I pocketed $2,000. Because the title never changed hands, it never was marked as salvage/rebuilt. I never had to go through the special salvage inspection. It may work differently here, but it's certainly worth a try. How did you insure it after the fix? |
"Do not overthink it, gentlemen. It's only a gunfight, not an IRS tax audit." - Louis Awerbuck
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Originally Posted By abnk: How did you insure it after the fix? At the time I only had liability coverage, I didn't bother with collision, so I didn't actually have to do anything at all to continue coverage after it was rebuilt. I just kept paying my premiums every six months. (Someone else had hit my car, and I wasn't even in it at the time, so it was their insurance that paid for the repair.) My current car here in Indiana also has a rebuilt title, and when I bought it I didn't have to do anything special to get collision/comprehensive coverage. I just called my Allstate agent with my VIN and asked to have it added to the list. (The car had previously received damage to the hood, headlight, and fender, which were of course replaced, and to a small area of the frame above the headlight. The frame damage made it an automatic total, but it's in an area that's not easily visible and doesn't affect anything whatsoever, so I didn't hesitate to buy it.) |
If all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever.
Sáncte Míchael Archángele, defénde nos in proélio
Joined:
Sep 2004
Posts:
13991
EE: 100% (10)
IN, USA
|
Originally Posted By weaver791: At the time I only had liability coverage, I didn't bother with collision, so I didn't actually have to do anything at all to continue coverage after it was rebuilt. I just kept paying my premiums every six months. (Someone else had hit my car, and I wasn't even in it at the time, so it was their insurance that paid for the repair.) My current car here in Indiana also has a rebuilt title, and when I bought it I didn't have to do anything special to get collision/comprehensive coverage. I just called my Allstate agent with my VIN and asked to have it added to the list. (The car had previously received damage to the hood, headlight, and fender, which were of course replaced, and to a small area of the frame above the headlight. The frame damage made it an automatic total, but it's in an area that's not easily visible and doesn't affect anything whatsoever, so I didn't hesitate to buy it.) Thank you. |
"Do not overthink it, gentlemen. It's only a gunfight, not an IRS tax audit." - Louis Awerbuck