[georgieb51]

Originally Posted by Boog

So as i understand it George's truck is now a salvage vehicle according to the insurance company. The insurance company values it at $5703. They will reimburse George for the tow and storage fee. The truck is still George's for now. If he accepts their settlement offer the truck becomes their property but he can buy the truck back from them for $1500. Settlement all cleaned up nice and tidy. Now George's truck title will be labeled SALVAGE on any subsequent registrations? That does have an effect on current and future sales values. That just doesn't deal out fair to me. George didn't cause this accident. He certainly didn't want his truck damaged. He now has to decide if it's a good idea to put any more money into this truck, now that it is a SALVAGE vehicle. No one wants to see a truck like this go to a parts yard but how smart is it to proceed with this settlement? Laws vary from states but is there a way to rebuild this truck, in George's state, and then have it inspected and assigned a clean title? Will the truck have to be inspected, once rebuilt, in Iowa instead?
George is the victim here. He did absolutely nothing wrong but has to endure all this to keep what is rightfully his. Doesn't sit well with me at all.
My apology to all. I tend to get worked up some times over stuff like this. I have no dog in this fight but, in a way, we all do. What's happening to George can happen to any one of us too.
This thread is now 9 pages long and i have forgotten what the initial settlement offer was. Is this current offer more or less than the original one?

Hello Boog, You have been very supportive. To clarify, this is the first time they made an offer to settle. Originally the adjustor said that his estimate was that it would cost $5500. to repair. Now they are not talking repair at all because they want to label it as totalled. What I do not understand is that I have the truck in my possession and I have the title. I have before and after photos. It seems that I do not have to accept their judgment that the truck is totalled. I have it in my possession--it will never enter a salvage yard and they have no way of changing the title unless I surrender the title. So now I just wonder where this leaves me? I just want to be done with this episode in my life. What do I do to achieve maximum value out of a settlement? And do I have to accept it in terms of "being totalled and becoming salvaged"? I am beginning to think I might need a lawyer to understand what I should be doing. Overall I get this uneasy feeling in my stomach that says, "George, this adjustor is just not being nice, nor is he being open and honest with you". Should I just write back that I will not accept any offer if it in any way stipulates that my truck is salvaged? I have already made an offer to them that they simply send me money to pay for repairs, the same as any other damaged vehicle, and to just throw "salvage" out of the conversation. He did not accept this approach.