I hit, or got hit by, a deer a few weeks ago. The deer damaged a lot of
parts of the car but it didn't hurt the driving or operation at all as far
as transportation goes. With the amount of body damage and age & mileage of
the car, the insurance company has declared it a total loss. They said that
my only options are to sign the title over to them and they would give me
their value of the car or I could withdraw the claim.

I asked about keeping the car and fixing it up good enough for a work car
because it was still serving that purpose right now. They said in Illinois
it had to go through the salvage process. I looked it up and that is giving
it a salvage title and then fixing it, having to go through safety testing
(Fee$), and having it re-titled (Fee$) before it would be able to be
licensed. The part I don't agree with is that it doesn't have to be
considered unsafe to be considered salvage. A person could have a hail
storm that could require body work and paint and the car could be declared a
total loss depending on the value of the car. Should a car be considered
salvage for cosmetic reasons? Evidently Illinois (Ill Annoy) thinks so. If
your car is cheap enough and the repair shop is high enough, you can total a
car by merely scratching it.

Anyway, the car is a 2001 Chevy Prizm, equivalent to a Toyota Corolla with a
different name. It has 139,000 miles but runs great and doesn't require oil
between changes. BTW, I also have a 97 Prizm with over 200,000 miles and it
still runs/drives great, I expect the similar from the 2001. The insurance
company is wanting to give me $3000 for the car. I put $458 in tires on it
4000 miles ago in August, a new AC Compressor $615 last march, and a new
battery a couple of months ago. Before the deer the car was excellent for
the number of miles except the interior could use cleaning (it's a work car
and I work in a dirty plant). The cheapest I have found an equivalent car
is $3995 and I doubt it has as good of tires or as new of an AC Compressor.

I think I'm going to ask the insurance company to buy me an equivalent car
for $3000 since they think it can be replaced for that and I can't find a
2001 Prizm or Corolla (in excellent condition minus dirty) for that price
range.


RogerN

Depending where you live, you should be able to buy back the title from
the IC for a % of the loss value.
JR
Dweller in the cellar


RogerN wrote:
I hit, or got hit by, a deer a few weeks ago. The deer damaged a lot of
parts of the car but it didn't hurt the driving or operation at all as far
as transportation goes. With the amount of body damage and age & mileage of
the car, the insurance company has declared it a total loss. They said that
my only options are to sign the title over to them and they would give me
their value of the car or I could withdraw the claim.

I asked about keeping the car and fixing it up good enough for a work car
because it was still serving that purpose right now. They said in Illinois
it had to go through the salvage process. I looked it up and that is giving
it a salvage title and then fixing it, having to go through safety testing
(Fee$), and having it re-titled (Fee$) before it would be able to be
licensed. The part I don't agree with is that it doesn't have to be
considered unsafe to be considered salvage. A person could have a hail
storm that could require body work and paint and the car could be declared a
total loss depending on the value of the car. Should a car be considered
salvage for cosmetic reasons? Evidently Illinois (Ill Annoy) thinks so. If
your car is cheap enough and the repair shop is high enough, you can total a
car by merely scratching it.

Anyway, the car is a 2001 Chevy Prizm, equivalent to a Toyota Corolla with a
different name. It has 139,000 miles but runs great and doesn't require oil
between changes. BTW, I also have a 97 Prizm with over 200,000 miles and it
still runs/drives great, I expect the similar from the 2001. The insurance
company is wanting to give me $3000 for the car. I put $458 in tires on it
4000 miles ago in August, a new AC Compressor $615 last march, and a new
battery a couple of months ago. Before the deer the car was excellent for
the number of miles except the interior could use cleaning (it's a work car
and I work in a dirty plant). The cheapest I have found an equivalent car
is $3995 and I doubt it has as good of tires or as new of an AC Compressor.

I think I'm going to ask the insurance company to buy me an equivalent car
for $3000 since they think it can be replaced for that and I can't find a
2001 Prizm or Corolla (in excellent condition minus dirty) for that price
range.


RogerN



--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes
Doubt yourself, and the real world will eat you alive
The world doesn't revolve around you, it revolves around me
No skeletons in the closet; just decomposing corpses
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dependence is Vulnerability:
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Open the Pod Bay Doors please, Hal"
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.."

RogerN wrote:
I hit, or got hit by, a deer a few weeks ago. The deer damaged a lot of
parts of the car but it didn't hurt the driving or operation at all as far
as transportation goes. With the amount of body damage and age & mileage of
the car, the insurance company has declared it a total loss. They said that
my only options are to sign the title over to them and they would give me
their value of the car or I could withdraw the claim.

I asked about keeping the car and fixing it up good enough for a work car
because it was still serving that purpose right now. They said in Illinois
it had to go through the salvage process. I looked it up and that is giving
it a salvage title and then fixing it, having to go through safety testing
(Fee$), and having it re-titled (Fee$) before it would be able to be
licensed. The part I don't agree with is that it doesn't have to be
considered unsafe to be considered salvage. A person could have a hail
storm that could require body work and paint and the car could be declared a
total loss depending on the value of the car. Should a car be considered
salvage for cosmetic reasons? Evidently Illinois (Ill Annoy) thinks so. If
your car is cheap enough and the repair shop is high enough, you can total a
car by merely scratching it.

Anyway, the car is a 2001 Chevy Prizm, equivalent to a Toyota Corolla with a
different name. It has 139,000 miles but runs great and doesn't require oil
between changes. BTW, I also have a 97 Prizm with over 200,000 miles and it
still runs/drives great, I expect the similar from the 2001. The insurance
company is wanting to give me $3000 for the car. I put $458 in tires on it
4000 miles ago in August, a new AC Compressor $615 last march, and a new
battery a couple of months ago. Before the deer the car was excellent for
the number of miles except the interior could use cleaning (it's a work car
and I work in a dirty plant). The cheapest I have found an equivalent car
is $3995 and I doubt it has as good of tires or as new of an AC Compressor.

I think I'm going to ask the insurance company to buy me an equivalent car
for $3000 since they think it can be replaced for that and I can't find a
2001 Prizm or Corolla (in excellent condition minus dirty) for that price
range.


RogerN



My daughter just went through that with a California insurance company.
She settled for cash
and she kept the car. The damage was hardly noticeable but expensive to
repair. She still drives that auto.

Bill K7NOM

"Bill Janssen" wrote in message
...
RogerN wrote:
I think I'm going to ask the insurance company to buy me an equivalent
car for $3000 since they think it can be replaced for that and I can't
find a 2001 Prizm or Corolla (in excellent condition minus dirty) for
that price range.


RogerN



My daughter just went through that with a California insurance company.
She settled for cash
and she kept the car. The damage was hardly noticeable but expensive to
repair. She still drives that auto.

Bill K7NOMbo

as Bill says, above, you can buy the title back from the insurance company
or make other arrangements - of course IL law is different but I've done
that successfully before - they don't have to total it, they can pay you
less than "full" value, and you keep the car - maybe they are playing with
you, maybe they are telling you the way it is - but at least try asking
"what will you give me to close the claim off if I keep the car" -


** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

Researching a little further, I found that some insurance companies
supposedly use autotrader.com to find vehicle values. A search for 2001
Chevy Prizm's within a 500 mile radius yeilded 84 results with a high of
$7,995, low of $2,500, and an average of $5,337. I don't think $3000 was a
reasonable offer.


RogerN

It shouldn't matter what state you live in. This is between you and the
insurance company. They total the car, and pay you off. They then have a
wrecked car to dispose of and they normally give you right of first refusal
to buy it for scrap value. So, if you opt to keep the car, you receive the
settlement minus the scrap value. This can be a win-win for both parties.
The only loser is the dismantler who would have bought it and parted it out,
making maybe 10 to 100 times his investment back. On top of that, the
dismantler knows the IRS can't tie the selling prices to his actual cost,
the way they can with most retailers, so you can guess what that does for
his income tax.

mnay many years ago, I had a drunk un-insured driver wreck my truck while it
was parked. My insurance company gave me a settlement figure that they said
was the automobile insurance standard for my truck. I asked how the came up
with that number. The said it was via classified ads, dealer sales numbers
and their automobile data base. I said bull$hit... I told them the highest
Kelly blue book would be my minimum. I ended up in a VP's office telling him
that his team had forgotten that they work for me and through no fault of my
own my truck was damaged and that I wanted full compensation for the truck.
He agreed once I laid out that classified ads gave no indication of the
sellers motivation (we were in a recession then, like today). I also told
him that the insurance database was highly suspect as it may not be in my
best interest and that the data base smelled of collusion..... He agreed,
gave me full Kelly blue book and an extra grand for my trouble. He totally
apologized for the fact that I had to come all the way to his office for
satisfaction, within a company where I was the customer. I imagine that his
team then went out and sued the pants off the drunk driver....

Of course, being the idiot that I am,, I bought a used ford bronco and lost
my a$$ in repairs the next 6 months!!!! Variable ventrui carb, who ever
thought of that should have been horse whipped....and don't even get me
started about the crappy build quality of the body!!!


Bottom line is that your insurance company works for you. YOU PAY THEM every
month, SO,make them make it right.


"RogerN" wrote in message
m...

Researching a little further, I found that some insurance companies
supposedly use autotrader.com to find vehicle values. A search for 2001
Chevy Prizm's within a 500 mile radius yeilded 84 results with a high of
$7,995, low of $2,500, and an average of $5,337. I don't think $3000 was
a reasonable offer.


RogerN

RogerN wrote:
I hit, or got hit by, a deer a few weeks ago. The deer damaged a lot of
parts of the car but it didn't hurt the driving or operation at all as far
as transportation goes. With the amount of body damage and age & mileage of
the car, the insurance company has declared it a total loss. They said that
my only options are to sign the title over to them and they would give me
their value of the car or I could withdraw the claim.

I asked about keeping the car and fixing it up good enough for a work car
because it was still serving that purpose right now. They said in Illinois
it had to go through the salvage process. I looked it up and that is giving
it a salvage title and then fixing it, having to go through safety testing
(Fee$), and having it re-titled (Fee$) before it would be able to be
licensed. The part I don't agree with is that it doesn't have to be
considered unsafe to be considered salvage. A person could have a hail
storm that could require body work and paint and the car could be declared a
total loss depending on the value of the car. Should a car be considered
salvage for cosmetic reasons? Evidently Illinois (Ill Annoy) thinks so. If
your car is cheap enough and the repair shop is high enough, you can total a
car by merely scratching it.

Well, when the cost to repair to a condition where
it will pass inspection is greater than 75% of the
blue-book value before the incident, then it
pretty much has to be considered a total loss. If
it was in perfect condition and you want it
restored to perfect condition, then the same applies.

In MO, you can keep the car. You just have to
sign some document, and lose the equivalent of the
salvage value the ins. co. would get from it.

My daughter just totalled my brand-new (10 weeks
old, 3200 miles) Honda Civic Hybrid, and the
insurer ASKED me whether I wanted to keep title to
the wreck.
As she'd gone THROUGH a phone pole and flipped it,
I told them "Uhhhh, No, thanks! Whatever you can
get for it is more than it is worth to me!"

Luckily, no injury at all, and their settlement
was pretty good.
The cheapest I have found an equivalent car
is $3995 and I doubt it has as good of tires or as new of an AC Compressor.

snip
I think I'm going to ask the insurance company to buy me an equivalent car
for $3000 since they think it can be replaced for that and I can't find a
2001 Prizm or Corolla (in excellent condition minus dirty) for that price
range.
Work with them, you might be able to get a bit
more. But, collision insurance is not a
'replacement" warranty, ie. they give you a
replacement of what you were driving before. You
always lose something, as long as it isn't too big
a loss, you just have to accept it. What is your
deductible? Are they saying the VALUE of your car
was $3K or they they will GIVE you $3K? If the
latter, this might be a good deal. If the former,
and they then are going to take off the deductible
and maybe other stuff, then you definitely need to
make a stink.

They can't sue the deer to recoup the damages!

Jon

Jon

RogerN wrote:
Researching a little further, I found that some insurance companies
supposedly use autotrader.com to find vehicle values. A search for 2001
Chevy Prizm's within a 500 mile radius yeilded 84 results with a high of
$7,995, low of $2,500, and an average of $5,337. I don't think $3000 was a
reasonable offer.
OK! Presenting your own research will definitely
help. Are these actual sale prices, or just what
nuts are asking in the classified ads? There are
always crazy asking prices, WAY far above the real
value, and these guys never get that much. Actual
sale prices are generally recorded, as the state
needs to see a bill of sale to assess sales tax,
and so they have a VERY large database of what
models are selling for yesterday, last week, last
month, etc. This has no condition data, of
course, but it gives REAL sale prices. If your
data isn't actual sale data, though, they'll laugh
you out of the office.

Jon

Talk to an accident attorney. Insurance companies will pull anything to
reduce what they have to pay.

"Jon Elson" wrote in message
...
RogerN wrote:
Researching a little further, I found that some insurance companies
supposedly use autotrader.com to find vehicle values. A search for 2001
Chevy Prizm's within a 500 mile radius yeilded 84 results with a high of
$7,995, low of $2,500, and an average of $5,337. I don't think $3000 was
a reasonable offer.
OK! Presenting your own research will definitely help. Are these actual
sale prices, or just what nuts are asking in the classified ads? There
are always crazy asking prices, WAY far above the real value, and these
guys never get that much. Actual sale prices are generally recorded, as
the state needs to see a bill of sale to assess sales tax, and so they
have a VERY large database of what models are selling for yesterday, last
week, last month, etc. This has no condition data, of course, but it
gives REAL sale prices. If your data isn't actual sale data, though,
they'll laugh you out of the office.

Jon

These were the prices listed on Autotrader.com, I figure the actual selling
prices are lower but from $5337 TO $3000 is a lot of drop. There is a car
local that is similar to mine for $3995, I can ask them for their best cash
price. The problem is I don't have tons of spare time to search and inspect
every car to see if it a suitable replacment.

RogerN

Your problem is that your car isn't old enough.
In Illinois, if your car is over 8 years old, the ins company can just leave
the title in your name.
If it is newer than that, the state assumes that the ins company totaled it
for good reason.

The total fees are $178 including the $4 the insurance company has to pay to
declare it salvage.
You will also need a salvage affirmation form from a licensed rebuilder. You
will probably have to duke him for his time. But, as I read it, if no
essential parts were removed, his signature will get you out of the State
police safety inspection ($95).

So quit your whining.

The insurance company is giving you three grand and leaving you a car
that'll cost a couple of hundred bucks to get legal.

Paul K. Dickman


"RogerN" wrote in message
m...
I hit, or got hit by, a deer a few weeks ago. The deer damaged a lot of
parts of the car but it didn't hurt the driving or operation at all as far
as transportation goes. With the amount of body damage and age & mileage
of the car, the insurance company has declared it a total loss. They said
that my only options are to sign the title over to them and they would give
me their value of the car or I could withdraw the claim.

I asked about keeping the car and fixing it up good enough for a work car
because it was still serving that purpose right now. They said in
Illinois it had to go through the salvage process. I looked it up and
that is giving it a salvage title and then fixing it, having to go through
safety testing (Fee$), and having it re-titled (Fee$) before it would be
able to be licensed. The part I don't agree with is that it doesn't have
to be considered unsafe to be considered salvage. A person could have a
hail storm that could require body work and paint and the car could be
declared a total loss depending on the value of the car. Should a car be
considered salvage for cosmetic reasons? Evidently Illinois (Ill Annoy)
thinks so. If your car is cheap enough and the repair shop is high
enough, you can total a car by merely scratching it.

Anyway, the car is a 2001 Chevy Prizm, equivalent to a Toyota Corolla with
a different name. It has 139,000 miles but runs great and doesn't require
oil between changes. BTW, I also have a 97 Prizm with over 200,000 miles
and it still runs/drives great, I expect the similar from the 2001. The
insurance company is wanting to give me $3000 for the car. I put $458 in
tires on it 4000 miles ago in August, a new AC Compressor $615 last march,
and a new battery a couple of months ago. Before the deer the car was
excellent for the number of miles except the interior could use cleaning
(it's a work car and I work in a dirty plant). The cheapest I have found
an equivalent car is $3995 and I doubt it has as good of tires or as new
of an AC Compressor.

I think I'm going to ask the insurance company to buy me an equivalent car
for $3000 since they think it can be replaced for that and I can't find a
2001 Prizm or Corolla (in excellent condition minus dirty) for that price
range.


RogerN

On Nov 19, 10:00*pm, "RogerN" wrote:
Researching a little further, I found that some insurance companies
supposedly use autotrader.com to find vehicle values. *A search for 2001
Chevy Prizm's within a 500 mile radius yeilded 84 results with a high of
$7,995, low of $2,500, and an average of $5,337. *I don't think $3000 was a
reasonable offer.

Those are asking prices in Autotrader. 139K miles is on the high end
of mileage for a 2001 car. $3000 is a little low-ball but not
ridiculously out of line, whadya expect the insurance company to
offer? Kelly Blue Book gives ranges like $2500-$3700.

Tim.

It's customary for insurance companies to take the position that they
somehow own a customer's car/vehicle when required collision repairs exceed
the value of the vehicle. They don't, but it's a game that they like to
play.

If a vehicle is being financed, that's a different situation, but when an
individual owns a vehicle, it's their property, although the terms of the
insurance contract may have an agreement of transfer.

Most insurance companies probably have a network of buyers of crashed
vehicles, so it's likely that they'll know that they can get a higher value
than scrap weight for a wreck.
Some companies have been found out to have sold seriously damaged, unsafe
for reconstruction vehicles to rebuilders, which have been put back on the
roads, somehow bypassing the salvage titles and any safety evaluation.

If you're certain that there is no structural damage, you'd probably be
better off keeping your vehicle, if you have the time to repair it.
Otherwise, you might condsider advertising it for sale as-is for parts.

If you repair it, and it has a salvaged/reconstructed title, it won't have a
great resale value, so you should plan on owning it until it wears out.

--
WB
..........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html


"RogerN" wrote in message
m...
I hit, or got hit by, a deer a few weeks ago. The deer damaged a lot of
parts of the car but it didn't hurt the driving or operation at all as far
as transportation goes. With the amount of body damage and age & mileage
of the car, the insurance company has declared it a total loss. They said
that my only options are to sign the title over to them and they would give
me their value of the car or I could withdraw the claim.

I asked about keeping the car and fixing it up good enough for a work car
because it was still serving that purpose right now. They said in
Illinois it had to go through the salvage process. I looked it up and
that is giving it a salvage title and then fixing it, having to go through
safety testing (Fee$), and having it re-titled (Fee$) before it would be
able to be licensed. The part I don't agree with is that it doesn't have
to be considered unsafe to be considered salvage. A person could have a
hail storm that could require body work and paint and the car could be
declared a total loss depending on the value of the car. Should a car be
considered salvage for cosmetic reasons? Evidently Illinois (Ill Annoy)
thinks so. If your car is cheap enough and the repair shop is high
enough, you can total a car by merely scratching it.

Anyway, the car is a 2001 Chevy Prizm, equivalent to a Toyota Corolla with
a different name. It has 139,000 miles but runs great and doesn't require
oil between changes. BTW, I also have a 97 Prizm with over 200,000 miles
and it still runs/drives great, I expect the similar from the 2001. The
insurance company is wanting to give me $3000 for the car. I put $458 in
tires on it 4000 miles ago in August, a new AC Compressor $615 last march,
and a new battery a couple of months ago. Before the deer the car was
excellent for the number of miles except the interior could use cleaning
(it's a work car and I work in a dirty plant). The cheapest I have found
an equivalent car is $3995 and I doubt it has as good of tires or as new
of an AC Compressor.

I think I'm going to ask the insurance company to buy me an equivalent car
for $3000 since they think it can be replaced for that and I can't find a
2001 Prizm or Corolla (in excellent condition minus dirty) for that price
range.


RogerN

On Nov 20, 12:42*am, Jon Elson wrote:
Actual
sale prices are generally recorded, as the state
needs to see a bill of sale to assess sales tax,
and so they have a VERY large database of what
models are selling for yesterday, last week, last
month, etc. *

The problem with using state sales records is that many people lie
about how much they pay for a used car to reduce the sales tax. I've
seen this happen more often than not when it is a person-to-person
sale with no dealer involved.

Regards,
John.

"the_tool_man" wrote in message
...
On Nov 20, 12:42 am, Jon Elson wrote:
Actual
sale prices are generally recorded, as the state
needs to see a bill of sale to assess sales tax,
and so they have a VERY large database of what
models are selling for yesterday, last week, last
month, etc.

The problem with using state sales records is that many people lie
about how much they pay for a used car to reduce the sales tax. I've
seen this happen more often than not when it is a person-to-person
sale with no dealer involved.

Regards,
John.

--

and some states don't require reporting this. some states don't charge sales
tax on private party sales. the states use their own tables for assessing
property taxes instead of stated purchase prices.

regards,
charlie
cave creek, az

charlie wrote:

"the_tool_man" wrote in message
...
On Nov 20, 12:42 am, Jon Elson wrote:

Actual
sale prices are generally recorded, as the state
needs to see a bill of sale to assess sales tax,
and so they have a VERY large database of what
models are selling for yesterday, last week, last
month, etc.


The problem with using state sales records is that many people lie
about how much they pay for a used car to reduce the sales tax. I've
seen this happen more often than not when it is a person-to-person
sale with no dealer involved.

Regards,
John.

--

and some states don't require reporting this. some states don't charge sales
tax on private party sales. the states use their own tables for assessing
property taxes instead of stated purchase prices.

regards,
charlie
cave creek, az




Maybe so, but it attracts bad kharma...

--

Richard

(remove the X to email)

The democracy will cease to exist when you
take away from those who are willing to work
and give to those who would not.

Thomas Jefferson

charlie wrote:
"the_tool_man" wrote in message
...
On Nov 20, 12:42 am, Jon Elson wrote:
Actual
sale prices are generally recorded, as the state
needs to see a bill of sale to assess sales tax,
and so they have a VERY large database of what
models are selling for yesterday, last week, last
month, etc.

The problem with using state sales records is that many people lie
about how much they pay for a used car to reduce the sales tax. I've
seen this happen more often than not when it is a person-to-person
sale with no dealer involved.

Regards,
John.

--

and some states don't require reporting this. some states don't charge sales
tax on private party sales. the states use their own tables for assessing
property taxes instead of stated purchase prices.

That's what Texas does, and whoever writes those tables is smiking dope.
I bought a care last year for $8200, from a retail dealer on a busy
boulevard. Asking price was $9000. The next year the next system
started, and that car showed to be worth $12,500 for sales tax purposes.

Just another tax ripoff.

On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:03:43 -0800, "Leo Lichtman"
wrote:

It shouldn't matter what state you live in. This is between you and the
insurance company. They total the car, and pay you off. They then have a
wrecked car to dispose of and they normally give you right of first refusal
to buy it for scrap value. So, if you opt to keep the car, you receive the
settlement minus the scrap value. This can be a win-win for both parties.
The only loser is the dismantler who would have bought it and parted it out,
making maybe 10 to 100 times his investment back. On top of that, the
dismantler knows the IRS can't tie the selling prices to his actual cost,
the way they can with most retailers, so you can guess what that does for
his income tax.

In many cases you do NOT have the "right of first refusal" as the
insurance company has a flat-rate contract with a wrecker who gets
EVERYTHING at a fixed price.

Also, whatever the insurance companysays needs to be replaced MUST be
replaced, in many cases with new parts only, in order to put the car
back on the road.

At least here in Ontario.

On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:42:08 -0600, Jon Elson
wrote:

RogerN wrote:
Researching a little further, I found that some insurance companies
supposedly use autotrader.com to find vehicle values. A search for 2001
Chevy Prizm's within a 500 mile radius yeilded 84 results with a high of
$7,995, low of $2,500, and an average of $5,337. I don't think $3000 was a
reasonable offer.
OK! Presenting your own research will definitely
help. Are these actual sale prices, or just what
nuts are asking in the classified ads? There are
always crazy asking prices, WAY far above the real
value, and these guys never get that much. Actual
sale prices are generally recorded, as the state
needs to see a bill of sale to assess sales tax,
and so they have a VERY large database of what
models are selling for yesterday, last week, last
month, etc. This has no condition data, of
course, but it gives REAL sale prices. If your
data isn't actual sale data, though, they'll laugh
you out of the office.

Jon


Up here the wholesale price is set by the auto auctions, and retail is
arrived at by a formula from that.
Auction price is "real wholesale".

RogerN wrote:
I hit, or got hit by, a deer a few weeks ago.

Roger,

My ex-wife got hit by another vehicle a few months ago. My son said they valued her 1992
Oldsmobile Cutlass Seirra (? sp) at $1950 because it was in excellent shape and had a new
paint job on it. Someone hit the RR quarter panel and also pulled the rear bumper off and
that was all. Because it is of a uni-body design - you can't just unbolt the r.r. quarter
panel and bolt another on - it would cost more to fix it than replace it.

They agreed to pay her $1950, but they let her keep the vehicle for $400 and just paid her
$1550. My son paid her the other $400 for the proper total. They are in NC. Not sure
which insurance company was involved. I suspect he'll have to get a salvage title for it.
It seems he told me so, but I can't recall for sure.

He, with help, did the body work and put another bumper on it. So far as I know all is
well.

Each state and insurance company may be a bit different.

Bob in Phx wrote:

Of course, being the idiot that I am,, I bought a used ford bronco and lost
my a$$ in repairs the next 6 months!!!! Variable ventrui carb, who ever
thought of that should have been horse whipped....and don't even get me
started about the crappy build quality of the body!!!

Hold on now. Don't be putting down those American made automobiles while they're trying to
get you to donate *$25,000,000,000* to them to keep up the same old habits! ;-)

I'd demand they go into bankruptcy where they can can those exorbitant United Auto Worker
retirement demands and also shuffle a few other things around! Why should $10/hr
employees guarantee exorbitant retirement plans for people who made 800% of their salaries?

"Tim Shoppa" wrote in message
...
On Nov 19, 10:00 pm, "RogerN" wrote:
Researching a little further, I found that some insurance companies
supposedly use autotrader.com to find vehicle values. A search for 2001
Chevy Prizm's within a 500 mile radius yeilded 84 results with a high of
$7,995, low of $2,500, and an average of $5,337. I don't think $3000 was a
reasonable offer.

Those are asking prices in Autotrader. 139K miles is on the high end
of mileage for a 2001 car. $3000 is a little low-ball but not
ridiculously out of line, whadya expect the insurance company to
offer? Kelly Blue Book gives ranges like $2500-$3700.

Tim.

The insurance company says the go off of the local selling prices and asking
prices, not Kelly Blue Book values. I've seen KBB values be way off before.
My car has had new tires in August with 4K miles for $458 and a new AC
Compressor last March for $615, plus an new $60 battery in September. For a
Chevy/Geo Prizm or Toyota Corolla, 139K miles isn't that bad. I have
another Prizm that my wife drives with 208K miles and has been worked on
less than most 20K mile Dodge Neons. I figure I have another 60K miles left
with little or no trouble, very few 2001 cars will give me 60K trouble free
miles, especially the ones I can get for $3000. If the insurance company
can get me an equivalent car with just as good of tires and 2 years left on
the AC compressor warranty and they can find it for $3K then that's fine
with me. The cheapest I've found in this area is $3995 with 124K miles and
I haven't been able to look at it yet.

RogerN

"RogerN" wrote:

I think I'm going to ask the insurance company to buy me an equivalent car
for $3000 since they think it can be replaced for that and I can't find a
2001 Prizm or Corolla (in excellent condition minus dirty) for that price
range.


You can ask but they don't have too. The value to you and the value they appraise it at
are totally different numbers.

Wes

I want to keep the vehicle but the insurance company is telling me that I
have to either turn it over to them for salvage or withdraw the claim.

Can I offer to fix the car myself for less money? If I could replace the
door, hood, headlight, fender, and windshield, shoot a coat of paint, I'd be
good (enough) to go for maybe $2500 or so. Although I don't make a living
as a body man I could do the job to my satisfaction. I'm fully equiped and
experienced to weld MIG, TIG and Oxy/Acetylene and have general machinist
skills plus composite experience. I have a week left of vacation this year
and If I got the parts together I think I could do the job in that amount of
time. If I wanted to I could probably be a body man but I make a living
being an industrial electrician.

RogerN


"Wild_Bill" wrote in message
...
It's customary for insurance companies to take the position that they
somehow own a customer's car/vehicle when required collision repairs
exceed the value of the vehicle. They don't, but it's a game that they
like to play.

If a vehicle is being financed, that's a different situation, but when an
individual owns a vehicle, it's their property, although the terms of the
insurance contract may have an agreement of transfer.

Most insurance companies probably have a network of buyers of crashed
vehicles, so it's likely that they'll know that they can get a higher
value than scrap weight for a wreck.
Some companies have been found out to have sold seriously damaged, unsafe
for reconstruction vehicles to rebuilders, which have been put back on the
roads, somehow bypassing the salvage titles and any safety evaluation.

If you're certain that there is no structural damage, you'd probably be
better off keeping your vehicle, if you have the time to repair it.
Otherwise, you might condsider advertising it for sale as-is for parts.

If you repair it, and it has a salvaged/reconstructed title, it won't have
a great resale value, so you should plan on owning it until it wears out.

--
WB
.........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html


"RogerN" wrote in message
m...
I hit, or got hit by, a deer a few weeks ago. The deer damaged a lot of
parts of the car but it didn't hurt the driving or operation at all as far
as transportation goes. With the amount of body damage and age & mileage
of the car, the insurance company has declared it a total loss. They said
that my only options are to sign the title over to them and they would
give me their value of the car or I could withdraw the claim.

I asked about keeping the car and fixing it up good enough for a work car
because it was still serving that purpose right now. They said in
Illinois it had to go through the salvage process. I looked it up and
that is giving it a salvage title and then fixing it, having to go
through safety testing (Fee$), and having it re-titled (Fee$) before it
would be able to be licensed. The part I don't agree with is that it
doesn't have to be considered unsafe to be considered salvage. A person
could have a hail storm that could require body work and paint and the
car could be declared a total loss depending on the value of the car.
Should a car be considered salvage for cosmetic reasons? Evidently
Illinois (Ill Annoy) thinks so. If your car is cheap enough and the
repair shop is high enough, you can total a car by merely scratching it.

Anyway, the car is a 2001 Chevy Prizm, equivalent to a Toyota Corolla
with a different name. It has 139,000 miles but runs great and doesn't
require oil between changes. BTW, I also have a 97 Prizm with over
200,000 miles and it still runs/drives great, I expect the similar from
the 2001. The insurance company is wanting to give me $3000 for the car.
I put $458 in tires on it 4000 miles ago in August, a new AC Compressor
$615 last march, and a new battery a couple of months ago. Before the
deer the car was excellent for the number of miles except the interior
could use cleaning (it's a work car and I work in a dirty plant). The
cheapest I have found an equivalent car is $3995 and I doubt it has as
good of tires or as new of an AC Compressor.

I think I'm going to ask the insurance company to buy me an equivalent
car for $3000 since they think it can be replaced for that and I can't
find a 2001 Prizm or Corolla (in excellent condition minus dirty) for
that price range.


RogerN

I doubt that the insurance company would be willing to have an individual
repair their own car.

They might feel that there would be more risk involved if an owner did the
repair, rather than an actual repair shop.

I've encountered situtions (similar offers to do repairs at less cost), and
the insurance companies weren't interested.

They probably also consider that they could end up insuring the vehicle for
more than it's actual value.

Keep your electrical job, body shops aren't healthy places, and no matter
how careful you might be, others in the body shop may have some downright
dangerous work habits (yeah, same for electrical work).

--
WB
..........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html


"RogerN" wrote in message
m...

I want to keep the vehicle but the insurance company is telling me that I
have to either turn it over to them for salvage or withdraw the claim.

Can I offer to fix the car myself for less money? If I could replace the
door, hood, headlight, fender, and windshield, shoot a coat of paint, I'd
be good (enough) to go for maybe $2500 or so. Although I don't make a
living as a body man I could do the job to my satisfaction. I'm fully
equiped and experienced to weld MIG, TIG and Oxy/Acetylene and have
general machinist skills plus composite experience. I have a week left of
vacation this year and If I got the parts together I think I could do the
job in that amount of time. If I wanted to I could probably be a body man
but I make a living being an industrial electrician.

RogerN


"Wild_Bill" wrote in message
...
It's customary for insurance companies to take the position that they
somehow own a customer's car/vehicle when required collision repairs
exceed the value of the vehicle. They don't, but it's a game that they
like to play.

If a vehicle is being financed, that's a different situation, but when an
individual owns a vehicle, it's their property, although the terms of the
insurance contract may have an agreement of transfer.

Most insurance companies probably have a network of buyers of crashed
vehicles, so it's likely that they'll know that they can get a higher
value than scrap weight for a wreck.
Some companies have been found out to have sold seriously damaged, unsafe
for reconstruction vehicles to rebuilders, which have been put back on
the roads, somehow bypassing the salvage titles and any safety
evaluation.

If you're certain that there is no structural damage, you'd probably be
better off keeping your vehicle, if you have the time to repair it.
Otherwise, you might condsider advertising it for sale as-is for parts.

If you repair it, and it has a salvaged/reconstructed title, it won't
have a great resale value, so you should plan on owning it until it wears
out.

--
WB
.........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html


"RogerN" wrote in message
m...
I hit, or got hit by, a deer a few weeks ago. The deer damaged a lot of
parts of the car but it didn't hurt the driving or operation at all as
far as transportation goes. With the amount of body damage and age &
mileage of the car, the insurance company has declared it a total loss.
They said that my only options are to sign the title over to them and
they would give me their value of the car or I could withdraw the claim.

I asked about keeping the car and fixing it up good enough for a work
car because it was still serving that purpose right now. They said in
Illinois it had to go through the salvage process. I looked it up and
that is giving it a salvage title and then fixing it, having to go
through safety testing (Fee$), and having it re-titled (Fee$) before it
would be able to be licensed. The part I don't agree with is that it
doesn't have to be considered unsafe to be considered salvage. A person
could have a hail storm that could require body work and paint and the
car could be declared a total loss depending on the value of the car.
Should a car be considered salvage for cosmetic reasons? Evidently
Illinois (Ill Annoy) thinks so. If your car is cheap enough and the
repair shop is high enough, you can total a car by merely scratching it.

Anyway, the car is a 2001 Chevy Prizm, equivalent to a Toyota Corolla
with a different name. It has 139,000 miles but runs great and doesn't
require oil between changes. BTW, I also have a 97 Prizm with over
200,000 miles and it still runs/drives great, I expect the similar from
the 2001. The insurance company is wanting to give me $3000 for the
car. I put $458 in tires on it 4000 miles ago in August, a new AC
Compressor $615 last march, and a new battery a couple of months ago.
Before the deer the car was excellent for the number of miles except the
interior could use cleaning (it's a work car and I work in a dirty
plant). The cheapest I have found an equivalent car is $3995 and I
doubt it has as good of tires or as new of an AC Compressor.

I think I'm going to ask the insurance company to buy me an equivalent
car for $3000 since they think it can be replaced for that and I can't
find a 2001 Prizm or Corolla (in excellent condition minus dirty) for
that price range.


RogerN

On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:07:09 -0500, "Wild_Bill"
wrote:

It's customary for insurance companies to take the position that they
somehow own a customer's car/vehicle when required collision repairs exceed
the value of the vehicle. They don't, but it's a game that they like to
play.

If a vehicle is being financed, that's a different situation, but when an
individual owns a vehicle, it's their property, although the terms of the
insurance contract may have an agreement of transfer.

Most insurance companies probably have a network of buyers of crashed
vehicles, so it's likely that they'll know that they can get a higher value
than scrap weight for a wreck.
Some companies have been found out to have sold seriously damaged, unsafe
for reconstruction vehicles to rebuilders, which have been put back on the
roads, somehow bypassing the salvage titles and any safety evaluation.

If you're certain that there is no structural damage, you'd probably be
better off keeping your vehicle, if you have the time to repair it.
Otherwise, you might condsider advertising it for sale as-is for parts.

If you repair it, and it has a salvaged/reconstructed title, it won't have a
great resale value, so you should plan on owning it until it wears out.


Tell the insurance co you will take what they are offering BUT you
get the tires, battery, AC compressor and any other useable parts
required to bring your replacement vehicle up to standard.

Inthe future, when driving low value cars co-insure.
You buy the minimum required coverage with maximum deductible (if
collision is required) and if something happens you take your lumps
and don't involve the insurance co.
If YOU fix a damaged vehicle, without insurance involvement, it does
not get branded, no inspection is required, and you still own the car.

If insurance is involved, it's generally not worth the hassle to fix
it.

"Paul K. Dickman" wrote in message
...
Your problem is that your car isn't old enough.
In Illinois, if your car is over 8 years old, the ins company can just
leave the title in your name.
If it is newer than that, the state assumes that the ins company totaled
it for good reason.

The total fees are $178 including the $4 the insurance company has to pay
to declare it salvage.
You will also need a salvage affirmation form from a licensed rebuilder.
You will probably have to duke him for his time. But, as I read it, if no
essential parts were removed, his signature will get you out of the State
police safety inspection ($95).

So quit your whining.

The insurance company is giving you three grand and leaving you a car
that'll cost a couple of hundred bucks to get legal.

Paul K. Dickman


The car might cost a couple of hundred bucks to get legal but out of the 3
grand I'll have to also have to pay salvage price for the car, get front
glass, a passenger front door, front fender, front headlight, hood, and
washer fluid jug. Plus do most of the labor myself and have it painted. I
might be able to bend the door and fender to get it to operate, saving a
good bit of cash. Even if I left everything as is it would likely cost me a
grand for salvage, fees, and paying a rebuilder for his time.

Update.

I called the insurance company today and they told me that the $3000 figure
came from only one similar car. The person I talked to was supposed to get
with her boss and get a more accurate figure.

She mentioned it having 139K miles and I realize that is considered high for
similar looking cars made by the big 3 but not for a Prizm or Toyota
Corolla. The Corollas even have a higher reliability rating then the more
expensive Toyota Camry. I bought this car for the purpose of economical and
reliable transportation for work and I need the replacment car to fill that
need. Perhaps I can find a replacment with a little cosmetic damage for
reasonable money if I can't buy this one back.

RogerN


"RogerN" wrote in message
m...

Researching a little further, I found that some insurance companies
supposedly use autotrader.com to find vehicle values. A search for 2001
Chevy Prizm's within a 500 mile radius yeilded 84 results with a high of
$7,995, low of $2,500, and an average of $5,337. I don't think $3000 was
a reasonable offer.


RogerN

Good advise.

I wasn't planning to change occupation to a body man but I could fix my car
to my satisfaction for much less than the $4500 estimate. And if the
insurance wanted to I could drop the full coverage. I just think the
insurance should pay the maximum they are willing to pay without considering
it a total loss.

I'm not sure about now but used to you could get your insurance money and
choose to get the car fixed or not. If I would be satisfied with less money
than the estimate I don't see why they can't go with that. Other than that
I'm not going to settle with them claiming I can replace the car for
significantly less than I actually can. I think the only claims I have had
in the last 25+ years is 2 deer accidents.

RogerN


"Wild_Bill" wrote in message
...
I doubt that the insurance company would be willing to have an individual
repair their own car.

They might feel that there would be more risk involved if an owner did the
repair, rather than an actual repair shop.

I've encountered situtions (similar offers to do repairs at less cost),
and the insurance companies weren't interested.

They probably also consider that they could end up insuring the vehicle
for more than it's actual value.

Keep your electrical job, body shops aren't healthy places, and no matter
how careful you might be, others in the body shop may have some downright
dangerous work habits (yeah, same for electrical work).

--
WB
.........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html


"RogerN" wrote in message
m...

I want to keep the vehicle but the insurance company is telling me that I
have to either turn it over to them for salvage or withdraw the claim.

Can I offer to fix the car myself for less money? If I could replace the
door, hood, headlight, fender, and windshield, shoot a coat of paint, I'd
be good (enough) to go for maybe $2500 or so. Although I don't make a
living as a body man I could do the job to my satisfaction. I'm fully
equiped and experienced to weld MIG, TIG and Oxy/Acetylene and have
general machinist skills plus composite experience. I have a week left
of vacation this year and If I got the parts together I think I could do
the job in that amount of time. If I wanted to I could probably be a
body man but I make a living being an industrial electrician.

RogerN


"Wild_Bill" wrote in message
...
It's customary for insurance companies to take the position that they
somehow own a customer's car/vehicle when required collision repairs
exceed the value of the vehicle. They don't, but it's a game that they
like to play.

If a vehicle is being financed, that's a different situation, but when
an individual owns a vehicle, it's their property, although the terms of
the insurance contract may have an agreement of transfer.

Most insurance companies probably have a network of buyers of crashed
vehicles, so it's likely that they'll know that they can get a higher
value than scrap weight for a wreck.
Some companies have been found out to have sold seriously damaged,
unsafe for reconstruction vehicles to rebuilders, which have been put
back on the roads, somehow bypassing the salvage titles and any safety
evaluation.

If you're certain that there is no structural damage, you'd probably be
better off keeping your vehicle, if you have the time to repair it.
Otherwise, you might condsider advertising it for sale as-is for parts.

If you repair it, and it has a salvaged/reconstructed title, it won't
have a great resale value, so you should plan on owning it until it
wears out.

--
WB
.........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html


"RogerN" wrote in message
m...
I hit, or got hit by, a deer a few weeks ago. The deer damaged a lot of
parts of the car but it didn't hurt the driving or operation at all as
far as transportation goes. With the amount of body damage and age &
mileage of the car, the insurance company has declared it a total loss.
They said that my only options are to sign the title over to them and
they would give me their value of the car or I could withdraw the claim.

I asked about keeping the car and fixing it up good enough for a work
car because it was still serving that purpose right now. They said in
Illinois it had to go through the salvage process. I looked it up and
that is giving it a salvage title and then fixing it, having to go
through safety testing (Fee$), and having it re-titled (Fee$) before it
would be able to be licensed. The part I don't agree with is that it
doesn't have to be considered unsafe to be considered salvage. A
person could have a hail storm that could require body work and paint
and the car could be declared a total loss depending on the value of
the car. Should a car be considered salvage for cosmetic reasons?
Evidently Illinois (Ill Annoy) thinks so. If your car is cheap enough
and the repair shop is high enough, you can total a car by merely
scratching it.

Anyway, the car is a 2001 Chevy Prizm, equivalent to a Toyota Corolla
with a different name. It has 139,000 miles but runs great and doesn't
require oil between changes. BTW, I also have a 97 Prizm with over
200,000 miles and it still runs/drives great, I expect the similar from
the 2001. The insurance company is wanting to give me $3000 for the
car. I put $458 in tires on it 4000 miles ago in August, a new AC
Compressor $615 last march, and a new battery a couple of months ago.
Before the deer the car was excellent for the number of miles except
the interior could use cleaning (it's a work car and I work in a dirty
plant). The cheapest I have found an equivalent car is $3995 and I
doubt it has as good of tires or as new of an AC Compressor.

I think I'm going to ask the insurance company to buy me an equivalent
car for $3000 since they think it can be replaced for that and I can't
find a 2001 Prizm or Corolla (in excellent condition minus dirty) for
that price range.


RogerN

"RogerN" wrote: (clip) I just think the
insurance should pay the maximum they are willing to pay without
considering it a total loss. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That is the total loss value minus the salvage value, isn't it? The total
loss value is what the car was worth before the accident. That is the part
you haven't settled with them yet.

Yes, exactly, And I would be willing to settle for a little less to save
them money and save me time and convienience and fix it good enough myself.
But either the insurance can't work with me due to the Illinois law or they
are unwilling to work with me. If it is due to their own stubborn ways,
then the least I can do is make it cost them as much as I can.

RogerN

"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"RogerN" wrote: (clip) I just think the
insurance should pay the maximum they are willing to pay without
considering it a total loss. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That is the total loss value minus the salvage value, isn't it? The total
loss value is what the car was worth before the accident. That is the
part you haven't settled with them yet.

"RogerN" wrote in message
m...
Yes, exactly, And I would be willing to settle for a little less to save
them money and save me time and convienience and fix it good enough
myself. But either the insurance can't work with me due to the Illinois
law or they are unwilling to work with me.

God's will, dummy.
LMAO

J

John R. Carroll wrote:
"RogerN" wrote in message
m...
Yes, exactly, And I would be willing to settle for a little less to save
them money and save me time and convienience and fix it good enough
myself. But either the insurance can't work with me due to the Illinois
law or they are unwilling to work with me.

God's will, dummy.
LMAO

J

It certainly could be Jesus trying to make it clear that you should
spend more time worrying about poor people and less time worried about
birth control providers...

If all things that happen were God's will then there wouldn't have been any
point in Jesus teaching to pray "thy will be done". God's will is done in
Heaven, not necessarily on Earth. You need to understand the basics before
you can rise to pre-school level.


"John R. Carroll" wrote in message
...

"RogerN" wrote in message
m...
Yes, exactly, And I would be willing to settle for a little less to save
them money and save me time and convienience and fix it good enough
myself. But either the insurance can't work with me due to the Illinois
law or they are unwilling to work with me.

God's will, dummy.
LMAO

J

I don't consider baby slaughter to be birth control, do you?

"Stuart Wheaton" wrote in message
...
John R. Carroll wrote:
"RogerN" wrote in message
m...
Yes, exactly, And I would be willing to settle for a little less to save
them money and save me time and convienience and fix it good enough
myself. But either the insurance can't work with me due to the Illinois
law or they are unwilling to work with me.

God's will, dummy.
LMAO

J

It certainly could be Jesus trying to make it clear that you should spend
more time worrying about poor people and less time worried about birth
control providers...

I would think that a "reasonable" insurance agent/processing person could
see this situation as you'd like to keep your car, and the claim needs to be
finalized, so reaching a quick solution would be best.

In terms of simplicity and "reason", it could be thought of as if you had a
$1000 (or other number) deductible policy.

The insurer pays an amount, and the insured makes up the difference for the
repairs.. not too difficult, and it's a practice that the insurers are
completely familiar with.

Claims with deductible coverage are processed every day, nothing out of the
ordinary, and the vehicle titles aren't affected.

--
WB
..........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html


"RogerN" wrote in message
m...
Good advise.

I wasn't planning to change occupation to a body man but I could fix my
car to my satisfaction for much less than the $4500 estimate. And if the
insurance wanted to I could drop the full coverage. I just think the
insurance should pay the maximum they are willing to pay without
considering it a total loss.

I'm not sure about now but used to you could get your insurance money and
choose to get the car fixed or not. If I would be satisfied with less
money than the estimate I don't see why they can't go with that. Other
than that I'm not going to settle with them claiming I can replace the car
for significantly less than I actually can. I think the only claims I
have had in the last 25+ years is 2 deer accidents.

RogerN


"Wild_Bill" wrote in message
...
I doubt that the insurance company would be willing to have an individual
repair their own car.

They might feel that there would be more risk involved if an owner did
the repair, rather than an actual repair shop.

I've encountered situtions (similar offers to do repairs at less cost),
and the insurance companies weren't interested.

They probably also consider that they could end up insuring the vehicle
for more than it's actual value.

Keep your electrical job, body shops aren't healthy places, and no matter
how careful you might be, others in the body shop may have some downright
dangerous work habits (yeah, same for electrical work).

--
WB
.........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html


"RogerN" wrote in message
m...

I want to keep the vehicle but the insurance company is telling me that
I have to either turn it over to them for salvage or withdraw the claim.

Can I offer to fix the car myself for less money? If I could replace
the door, hood, headlight, fender, and windshield, shoot a coat of
paint, I'd be good (enough) to go for maybe $2500 or so. Although I
don't make a living as a body man I could do the job to my satisfaction.
I'm fully equiped and experienced to weld MIG, TIG and Oxy/Acetylene and
have general machinist skills plus composite experience. I have a week
left of vacation this year and If I got the parts together I think I
could do the job in that amount of time. If I wanted to I could
probably be a body man but I make a living being an industrial
electrician.

RogerN


"Wild_Bill" wrote in message
...
It's customary for insurance companies to take the position that they
somehow own a customer's car/vehicle when required collision repairs
exceed the value of the vehicle. They don't, but it's a game that they
like to play.

If a vehicle is being financed, that's a different situation, but when
an individual owns a vehicle, it's their property, although the terms
of the insurance contract may have an agreement of transfer.

Most insurance companies probably have a network of buyers of crashed
vehicles, so it's likely that they'll know that they can get a higher
value than scrap weight for a wreck.
Some companies have been found out to have sold seriously damaged,
unsafe for reconstruction vehicles to rebuilders, which have been put
back on the roads, somehow bypassing the salvage titles and any safety
evaluation.

If you're certain that there is no structural damage, you'd probably be
better off keeping your vehicle, if you have the time to repair it.
Otherwise, you might condsider advertising it for sale as-is for parts.

If you repair it, and it has a salvaged/reconstructed title, it won't
have a great resale value, so you should plan on owning it until it
wears out.

--
WB
.........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html


"RogerN" wrote in message
m...
I hit, or got hit by, a deer a few weeks ago. The deer damaged a lot
of parts of the car but it didn't hurt the driving or operation at all
as far as transportation goes. With the amount of body damage and age
& mileage of the car, the insurance company has declared it a total
loss. They said that my only options are to sign the title over to them
and they would give me their value of the car or I could withdraw the
claim.

I asked about keeping the car and fixing it up good enough for a work
car because it was still serving that purpose right now. They said in
Illinois it had to go through the salvage process. I looked it up and
that is giving it a salvage title and then fixing it, having to go
through safety testing (Fee$), and having it re-titled (Fee$) before
it would be able to be licensed. The part I don't agree with is that
it doesn't have to be considered unsafe to be considered salvage. A
person could have a hail storm that could require body work and paint
and the car could be declared a total loss depending on the value of
the car. Should a car be considered salvage for cosmetic reasons?
Evidently Illinois (Ill Annoy) thinks so. If your car is cheap enough
and the repair shop is high enough, you can total a car by merely
scratching it.

Anyway, the car is a 2001 Chevy Prizm, equivalent to a Toyota Corolla
with a different name. It has 139,000 miles but runs great and
doesn't require oil between changes. BTW, I also have a 97 Prizm with
over 200,000 miles and it still runs/drives great, I expect the
similar from the 2001. The insurance company is wanting to give me
$3000 for the car. I put $458 in tires on it 4000 miles ago in August,
a new AC Compressor $615 last march, and a new battery a couple of
months ago. Before the deer the car was excellent for the number of
miles except the interior could use cleaning (it's a work car and I
work in a dirty plant). The cheapest I have found an equivalent car
is $3995 and I doubt it has as good of tires or as new of an AC
Compressor.

I think I'm going to ask the insurance company to buy me an equivalent
car for $3000 since they think it can be replaced for that and I can't
find a 2001 Prizm or Corolla (in excellent condition minus dirty) for
that price range.


RogerN

RogerN wrote:
I don't consider baby slaughter to be birth control, do you?

Of course I don't, that is why I admire Planned Parenthood, because they
supply birth control to young women to prevent unplanned pregnancies.

Sounds OK so far. Are these young women they supply birth control to, are
they under age and if so why can Planned Parenthood give them birth control
without parent permission but the school nurse can't give them an asprin
without their parents permission?

"Stuart Wheaton" wrote in message
...
RogerN wrote:
I don't consider baby slaughter to be birth control, do you?

Of course I don't, that is why I admire Planned Parenthood, because they
supply birth control to young women to prevent unplanned pregnancies.

In article , Stuart Wheaton wrote:
RogerN wrote:
I don't consider baby slaughter to be birth control, do you?

Of course I don't, that is why I admire Planned Parenthood, because they
supply birth control to young women to prevent unplanned pregnancies.

Planned Parenthood is also the largest provider of abortions in the U.S.