When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
They won't even bother branding it. It needs to be worth more than $7000 before they care. You can thank McLeod for this info; he recently helped me with the same thing.
Once the title has been cancelled by the insurance company take the old title to any vehicle registration office, pay the $31 fees, and you will get a new one in the mail a few weeks later. The title will be cancelled once the insurance company pays for damages when it is declared a total loss. Call the DOL to confirm the title status.
But just because it got hit doesn't mean there is going to be a brand on the title.
The most common way a title gets branded here in WA is if there is a payout from an insurance company after a settlement for a "total loss" or an "uneconomical to repair".
This thread here might explain a little more about what happens:
EDIT:
The threshold value is now 7880 - and that is only if you keep the vehicle and rebuild it yourself.
If you sell it to someone else for them to rebuild, I think the title will be branded, even at the lower threshold values.
he bought it back from the insurance company of the **** who hit him and as long as his repairs pass inspection he can apply to have it retitled the fact that it is lesser in value and 25 years old is ok... he just wound up with a little cosmetic damage and a twisted bumper...
They totaled it for that? The first link McLeod posted is my thread about my truck. I still haven't repaired it, but I've already received the new title in the mail. You only need to get an inspection if the title is branded as salvage, and you need that inspection before you are able to even get a new title.
This is what my truck looks like, no inspection, just took the old title in and paid $31 title fee. I will add that it is illegal to drive your vehicle with a cancelled title. The registration is also cancelled, and will be reactivated when a new title application is accepted. Oh, you can do this by mail too, if you are out of state; the title application just needs to be notarized.
I am assuming It would be prudent to arrange to get it towed to the inspection site, if he can no longer drive it because of the canceled title. He did have to make some repairs that are simply due to age, u-joints I think... but the accident damage is just the stuff in the pictures... I hope he can get everything arranged because someday that truck will be mine.
First off, he didn't buy it back from the insurance company.
What happened is called "Owner retained Salvage" where the insurance company gets reimbursed for the scrap value of the truck, and that amount is DEDUCTED from the insurance proceeds.
There should be NO inspection required to get this thing titled again because it is still in the same owner's name as just before the accident and he is rebuilding it. You should be able to immediately file for a new title seconds after surrendering the old one.
If he sold the truck as is to a different party (to you), that other party (you?) would need to get it inspected and it may (but probably not) have a branded title associated with it going forward. With an older vehicle, I don't think branded titles are necessarily a terrible thing.
I do have to ask why such light damage caused the truck to be totaled.
Is the truck a heap?
I don't see more than $800 worth of damage in that picture and that is a high estimate to have a shop install a brand new bumper.
Insurance companies will usually total a vehicle if the cost to repair is more than 70% of the fair market value of the vehicle in good condition.
A $4000 truck would usually need to have in excess of $2800 damage before they claimed the vehicle a loss and offer a total loss payout.
I wonder if they determined that there was a bent frame or other damage?
It would all be stated right in the insurance co. communications with your dad.
Are you an adult helping your Dad?
People need to remember that they own the vehicle until (if) they surrender it to the insurance company after a FAIR settlement has been reached.
If you read the thread linked above, you will see that your Dad could most likely just go to the DMV and apply for a new title on Monday morning and be back in business. No inspection required.
I say most likely because I know there are always the counter people who don't know enough or care enough to do things properly as per the law. You will need to go around or go above these types of people.
Part of the high estimate I think, is the shop they sent him to (service king) is grossly overpriced. The cheap estimate I got on the big dent in my truck which I would be happy enough to knock out with a sledge hammer and throw some bondo on was about $2300 (from maaco)... which if I went through insurance would probably have totaled my truck. (Neighbor backed into it whilst I was in the bathtub). I think they gave him 3000 for it. The truck is immaculate save for that rear corner, I think I recall dad saying that the driveline issue and stupid CE light are unrelated. They also comped him a rental car for about a week during the estimate process and I think that may be s small factor. He will be quite pleased that he can retain a title on it though! (As far as me getting it-I will be inheriting it and all the motorcycles and the trailer etc)
04-21-2018, 09:22 PM
