Want to see what it takes to total a Festy?

[econoaddict]

thanks thats one i wasnt sure of ..man why cant they jus let us list work done i mean some of the guys cars on here have a ton of work an mods i hate kelly blue book thats a book that should be burnt saying 500 bucs for a good festy

I was into 280z cars back when and carried full coverage on one, everytime I changed or added stuff I had to take receipts for the new stuff in and let my agent copy them and she would adjust numbers accordingly.
This was a very nice Z car, it did well at shows I entered.
The car was stolen and recovered, I got a check for everything that was stolen or damaged no questions asked, they looked at it and compared to the lists and pictures they had and cut me a check. To be honest if they would have totaled it and cut me a check for what they set as a value I would have been a very happy camper.

[tulsacarman]

That's good advice for the person that has more than liability but I do my own body work and haven't had a moving violation or at fault incident in over 25 years. I have less incentive to pay extra to my insurance company to cover someone else's mistake. This strategy has saved me a huge amount over the decades.

My driving without full coverage plus the fact that I love my own vehicles plays a major role in why I strive to live accident free. I don't want my insurance to go up, I don't want to damage someone else's property and I don't want to pay to have to fix my own vehicle.

However, if I'm hit by someone else using an insurance company that treats the claimant in this manner then the independent appraisal is my only hope for fair settlement (outside the lawyer thing). Even if you had to go the litigating route you'd still be in a better position with documented history, certified appraisals and comparative market research.

[batstiva]

Geez, somehow I managed to miss this thread until now. Gotta pay more attention.

Manx, I know laws differ from state to state, but if I were you, I would go to your agent and remind him that the car in question is owned by you, not him. He does not have the authority to do anything with the car, or its title, until you accept payment and sign the title to them. Under the law here in WV, he cannot do anything until that happens. You need to talk to a lawyer, and have that lawyer explain the facts of life to your agent. Your agent had no right to file any paperwork on a car he/the insurance company did not own. Again, I know laws vary from state to state, but I went through this with my Probe a few years ago. All my agent could do was recommend that the car be totaled, and make me an offer. It was up to me to accept that amount, and surrender the car to them, or negotiate a settlement that allowed me to keep the car. My insurance carrier could do nothing with the car until I accepted their offer, and signed the title over to them. They then cut me a check, and signed the title over to a salvage company who came out and picked up the car. My advice, talk with a lawyer in your state, and find out what your rights are. I'm pretty sure that he will tell you the insurance co. had no authority to file any paperwork with the state on a car that they did not/do not own.

[blkfordsedan]

Your biggest problem is that you're dealing with the other guy's insurance company (who could care less about you and only wants to get off as cheap as possible)....and it's State Farm. They are notorious for that kind of stuff around here. If you were also a St Farm customer, it would not be an issue. They're great if you are an insured customer and a royal pain if you get hit by one of their insured. If you have full coverage yourself, you may get some help from your own insurance company agent. I've had them make a call on my behalf to help settle up.

As for the totaled issue, I had the same thing happen to me. A guy with State Farm insurance ran into the back of my '86 Lincoln LSC. They totaled it and sent me a check. They then told me to mail them my title so they could have it remade as a "salvage" title and send it back to me. I smiled and told them "no problem". Needless to say, I never sent it!:wink: