RET

Vanster -

I believe that in CA the insurance company files a form with the DMV stating that a car is totalled. The DMA will not then register the car the following year until and unless the owner jumps backwards through some fiery hoops, surrenders the old title, and accepts a salvage title in its place.

Good luck, and don't give up!

Bob

safulop

Yeah don't let it get stuck with a salvage title, it will have big value problems in future. It's always a huge "buyer beware" that will keep people away successfully.

BigCavolo

Some clear hindsight: USAA offers classic collector's insurance through their own company American collectors insurance. It's nice and you choose your value. No deductible and it's around $300 a year for a 50K valued car. And yes, you can drive it as much as you want.

vanster

I have a Sunbeam Alpine the is a 90pt car that I had insured by American Collectors and I switched it to Haggerty as they had better coverage. I was about to do this with this car

I've been with USAA for 25+ years. They insure my home, and numerous cars including my Airstream
I have never had a claim. This is the first time I have asked them for anything. My offer to them was half of what they offered. It seems to me a fair deal. Even the money they will give me to fix the car albeit giving in on the title will still not pay for the repair. I'm still about 10k out of pocket. I just want my car back

Imo000

The insurance company has your car? I thought it was at Greg's shop.

FLT951

There are two significant issues missing from this thread. The first is the very reason there are salvage laws and therefore salvage cars.
The law requires an owner or an insurance company to alter the title of a car with significant damage to report and record the info as a "salvage" title (not a salvage vehicle. NOTE: one does not equate the other).
Here is the reason and criteria in simplified and logical terms. It is a moral issue not a money issue.
A vehicle in a flood, fire or in a major crash (possible frame damage) are, at best, suspicious of being dangerous even after repair. Nobody wants or will allow that vehicle back on the road without a warning to the next and future buyers. This has nothing to do with the amount spent by anybody to do the repairs. If these conditions occurred the car will 95% of the time be "tainted" titled. No arguments. Done deal. Logical RIGHT!??
On the other hand a car in a hail storm, significant crash with no frame damage, acid spill, vandalism, blah blah blah is not a future threat to a buyer no matter how much it cost. Agreed??!
So, "Total" does not equal "Salvage" title but it might equal "salvage" car. "Salvage" car does not equal "salvage" title nor the reverse.
In this case, I think the car was in a fire. I cannot imagine a carrier allowing the car to be registered in any way other than "tainted" (my word for "salvage" to distinguish from car.
When I get a minute I will give some examples that make it pretty clear how to define further.
Also, "salvage" is not the kiss of death to a knowledgable buyer. It may well be to people with no capacity for logical thinking.
Teaser for the above. Your 80 SC when it was valued at $9500 had its Fuchs wheels stolen when they were worth more than half the value of the car. QUIZ: What happens next? Total the car and issue a salvage title? Pay for new wheels and leave the title untainted? What do you think?
PS: If you are doing "collector" coverage be sure to buy "agreed" value and not "stated" or "actual cash" value.
PSS: Announced elsewhere is the painting in my Avatar is for sale.

YT1

IMO USAA is an unscrupulous company. I believe they prey on veterans by making them feel special. Their rates are too high and apparently their back end service is no better. I went through their ridiculously long certification process and hard sale tactics and was not impressed. My wife works in real estate and doesn't have a good thing to say about them. Now the Legion has sold my name to them so they send me a credit card solicitation every week!

vanster

The latest from USAA yesterday that the person that evaluated the car and agreed it was repairable, resigned from the case and has turned it over to his supervisor.

vanster

I truly regret even getting the insurance company involved. They have become this angry parent and I'm a bad person for this happening and they are going to make damn sure that I will be punished for my actions .

FLT951

^^ Are they willing to pay your claim? That is, pay to either repair or total the car? Are either of the numbers fair?
Maybe if we knew the numbers a better understanding?

Remember to investigate your next carrier in advance. People who have no claims love your carrier. people who do, not so much.
There are others like that out there. There are also carriers who are appreciated in spite of claims. I know of several. Just remember, having an agent is an important part of not going it alone.

Mikebte

Sorry to hear about your car, I would wish it on no person.
I too had USAA at one time and I ended up dropping them for similar issues.
I went with a local agent that deals in auto insurance and is also a Haggerty dealer.
My Haggerty quote was way less using my local agent and haggerty insured it for the amount I asked without an appraisal.

I attempted a online quote not threw my agent and it was a lot more.

Best of luck with your car, looks to becoming along nice.

vanster

I'm asking for 1/3rd of the estimated repair cost which is a bit less than the current value of the car. Useless to talk about agents as that ship has sailed. Also what I'm asking for is half of what they offered. I think I'm being fair

FLT951

Yikes! I'm a sympathizer not an adversary. Even an Otown neighbor.

Without numbers your case is just another mystery.

!/3 of 200,000 estimated repair cost is a bit rich. $50,000 is a bit less than than $250,000 value and still a bit rich. Asking $100, 000 which is half of their offer still a bit off the mark.
Here is the formula in a nutshell.

Unless you are deeply connected no insurance company will pay you one dime more than the market value of the car. Yes, that is an uncertainty and negotiable. If you are adversarial with the carrier it is less negotiable and you will need arbitration.

Unless you are deeply connected no insurance company will pay one dime more to repair your car than it costs to "reasonably" put it back the way it was. That too, is an uncertainty and negotiable. Adversarial blah blah blah. If you started the repairs without them you ARE adversarial. AND in addition to that they will not likely pay more than 51% of the market value to do the repair. That % is not written in blood but it is common. Armed with that you can calculate the settlement of your own claim.

Lastly, ad nauseum, if you were on fire or in a flood you have a bigger problem.

I am here to help because I know a bit about this.

If I had your figures and could relate ……oh well…..its Sunday….. raining …… my Raiders are out. I must just be bored.
Good luck with it.

PS: I note my # of posts is 912. One of the P-cars I never owned. The previous #911 I had 6 of those. Next is 913, I had 2 of those.

One more thing, "being fair" to them has nothing to do with this. Them "Being fair" to you within the guidelines above is what it is all about.

Imo000

I'm willing to bet that now the insurance company thinks you did the fire on purpose. I had this happen to me once where a car was stripped over night (was left our by accident) just before I was ready to fire it up the first time. The insurance company thought I did it to collect money on the car and was one hell of a fight to get anything from them.

If you stand back and look at from the insurance company side, you surely can see how this looks like the fire was an inside job. I would lawyer up and go to war or this will end up in a total disaster. It's already going that way unfortunately.

vanster

interesting concept. I can see how they would or could see it this way.