Some punks egged my wife's car

[MillCreek]

As a matter of fact, Washington does have mandatory accident report filing if the damage is over $ 500, and it is a misdemeanor to not file one.  I am not mentioning any of this at this time, since I would like to resolve this amicably if at all possible.  I have had teenagers of my own. 

[gunsmith]

Wow!
I had thought eggs were pretty harmless.
I have egged a lot of cars, in San Francisco "gangsta rap" guys would drive around
with their stereo's super loud...I just got tired of being woken up
@ 3 am so I would throw things.

[Monkeyleg]

Gunsmith, eggs did a lot more damage to the types of paints used years ago. If left on too long, the egg would really blemish the paint.

I've only vandalized someone's property once. That was about sixteen years ago. It was a new Cadillac owned by one of the drug dealers in the neighborhood. They had been causing a lot of trouble for the neighborhood. The last straw for me was when a rival shot up one of their cars with a full-auto, with some of the rounds hitting a house where the kids were still up and watching TV.

I filled a heavy-duty freezer bag with paint stripper, drove by the Caddy, and lobbed the bag onto the hood. It slid up the hood, over the roof, and down over the trunk. It was good paint stripper and did a good job.

[Nitrogen]

Too bad we don't live in Texas, where I could shoot the little bastards.

Thanks for doing your part to improve the gunowner stereotype.

[Monkeyleg]

Yeah, Nitrogen, that was over the top. Vandals really get me steamed. They rarely get caught, as vandalism usually isn't a high-priority crime, so the cops don't do investigations.

At the same time, though, it costs the property owner. This is the third time some punks have vandalized my wife's car. $250 deductible here, $250 there, and pretty soon the dollars add up.

[MillCreek]

So the neighbors turned this over to their insurance company, and I have to take it in today for an estimate at their shop.  The KBB value of my truck is only around $ 1500-1700, and the repair will likely cost at least $ 2500 or so.  This concerns me that they will likely just total the truck.  In Washington, our law provides as follows:

When deciding if a car is going to be declared totaled or not the actual cash value (ACV) should be determined. The WA insurance regulator notes that actual cash value means your cost to replace your car with a like car. This includes the retail price, plus all applicable taxes and fees.

According to the Office of the WA Insurance Commissioner Like Car means a car that is the:

    * same make and model;
    * same or newer year;
    * similar body style, options, and mileage as your car; and
    * in as good or better overall condition.

To achieve likeness, the WA Insurance Commissioner states that you or the company must itemize and confirm in a dollar amount any deductions or additions for options, mileage or condition. An insurer must consider information that you supply when it determines deductions or additions. However, shared information may not always produce a change in the value.

The insurer can adjust and settle your claim using one or a combination of the following methods:

1. Offer to replace your car with a like car that is available for your inspection within a reasonable distance from where you garage your car.

2. Offer you a cash settlement based on the actual cash value to purchase a like car. To arrive at a cash settlement offer, the insurer may use one or more of the following:

    * find and offer you a like car in your area;
    * obtain a quote for a like car from two or more licensed dealers in your area;
    * find two or more like cars advertised for sale in the local media within the last 90 days; or
    * use an independent company to determine the value of a like car in your area.

3. If you and the insurer both agree, the insurer may use other appraisal methods, such as using independent auto guides.

So I am thinking about looking on Ebay Motors, Craigslist and Auto Trader to try and come up with some comps of a like car supporting a higher value for my truck than KBB.  The sticky wicket is there are not a lot of 1986 Mazda B2000s out there on the market, and the late 80's models that are all have considerably higher miles, upwards of 150K, as opposed to my 20K miles. 

Any suggestions on how I should approach this?  Bear in mind that my primary goal is to have my existing truck repaired with a minimum of non-covered out of pocket expense.  I do not want a new used truck or $ 1500 cash. 

[Brad Johnson]

Stick to your guns and insist your truck be repaired.  It will cost them far less to eventually repair it than to spend week or even months trying to fight it.

If they get pissy, tell them you would be more than happy to take another vehicle in kind as long as it's (list your vehicle's mileaage and condition here).

Brad

[Jamisjockey]

The parents want to handle it outside their insurance,

Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!

I can almost guarantee they will have personally understimated the cost of the repair by at least fifty percent.  When you give them the body shop estimates prepare for stares, stammers, and at least one "Like hell I'm going to pay that!"

Get your estimates immediately and present them promptly.  Don't give the parents time to think about it, and dang sure don't fall into the "we have a buddy at a different shop" trap.  Whatever you do get the check from them right then and there and take it to the bank or sign it over to the body shop immediately.

Brad

Not necessarily.  I've taken care of two of my wife's accidents outside of insurance.  I did insist that in once case they get a second opinion.  She hit someone's tail light while backing out.  The first estimate seemed high, and included replacing a bunch of front end stuff.  When I looked at the car, there was paint transferance from another colored vehicle (other than my wife's).  In other words, they hit somone or vice versa either before or after my wife hit them square in the tail light.  I was pissed, but I had them do another estimate, which was about $800 less.  Paid them the lower amount.  Made them sign a note saying they recieved payment for the damage from me.  That and a hearty GFY!

[Brad Johnson]

I was pissed, but I had them do another estimate, which was about $800 less.  Paid them the lower amount.

Which is why, as the person who was hit, you never take care of insurable events outside of the insurance company.

If someone hits me I don't give a rat's rip what they think the repair should be.  The repair cost will be exactly what a reputable body shop, my reputable body shop, says it will be.  If the person who hit me wants multiple estimates, I'm have no problem with that.  But they will be multiple estimates from the shops of my choosing.  I will not, ever, let the person who hit me decide who does the work or limit the amount paid just because they don't like the numbers.  They hit me, not the other way around.

Brad

[Jamisjockey]

I was pissed, but I had them do another estimate, which was about $800 less.  Paid them the lower amount.

Which is why, as the person who was hit, you never take care of insurable events outside of the insurance company.

If someone hits me I don't give a rat's rip what they think the repair should be.  The repair cost will be exactly what a reputable body shop, my reputable body shop, says it will be.  If the person who hit me wants multiple estimates, I'm have no problem with that.  But they will be multiple estimates from the shops of my choosing.  I will not, ever, let the person who hit me decide who does the work or limit the amount paid just because they don't like the numbers.  They hit me, not the other way around.

Brad

The paint on the damage was obviously not from my wife's car.  The paint was green, my wife's car was silver.  Also, my wife had inspected the damage and said she only crushed the light.  He didn't bother calling for over two weeks, and then when he did he went and got an estimate before I could see the damage.  I looked at the damage and my eyes didn't agree with what my wife had said happened. 

[Brad Johnson]

That's when you file a claim and let the insurance company's attorneys fight it out.

Brad

[MillCreek]

Just an update on my truck situation:  I had a nice meeting on Friday with the field adjuster.  Safeco sends someone out to look at all totaled vehicles.  He was impressed with the condition of my truck and how I had kept it up over the years.  I had used the Net to find several comps of 'like cars', as defined under Washington state law.  I presented him with five printouts of two other late 80's B-2000 trucks, and three more recent trucks of 20,000 miles mileage.  The price of the comps ranged from $ 1600 to $ 9500.   I told him that my preference was to have my existing truck repaired, but if Safeco really wanted to get me a two year old truck costing three times the repair estimate, they could. 

The upshot of all this is that he valued my truck at $ 3500, more than the repair estimate of $ 2600.  So he is going to forward the file as a repairable vehicle.  He said that I should be hearing from the repair adjuster soon about cutting me a check and then taking it to a body shop of my choice. 

So although I am still unhappy about the truck being hit, at least I will have the same truck repaired.  Those Mazda B-2000s run for a long time, and since it has a readily-accessible engine with no electronics, I can do a lot of the work myself on it. 

[yesitsloaded]

I have an 86 Starion. I feel your pain. Some dumb A hit me while parked and drove off. I learned to do body work.