Car declared Cat B, but mine to scrap?!?
Discussion
Long story, summarised;
3rd party crosses into my path and writes off 4 cars in the following carnage. 3rd party insurance has admitted responsibility and today I received a call from their assessor who declares my car a Cat B total loss. Does blah-blah on market value, etc and offers a decent amount as settlement.
So far so good.
He then explains that if I accept, the 3rd party insurance company will send a cheque for the amount, but minus the scrap value of the car, which is 5% of the settlement amount. I then have to scrap the car myself and get to keep whatever the dismantler offers over the above deduction.
My car was recovered by the police to a recovery depot (CMG at Newport Pagnell in case anyone has 1st hand experience) where it has been accumulating storage costs ever since. As I understand it the 3rd party insurance company will settle these (either through my accident management company, or direct with the recovery service), but would the recovery company just let me collect the car for it to be scrapped? Or am I walking into a £500 (approx) bill which I then have to chase the 3rd party insurers for again?
I haven't spoken to the vehicle rescue depot yet as it was too late today, so that will be my 1st port of call tomorrow, but would appreciate any comments that anyone has...
3rd party crosses into my path and writes off 4 cars in the following carnage. 3rd party insurance has admitted responsibility and today I received a call from their assessor who declares my car a Cat B total loss. Does blah-blah on market value, etc and offers a decent amount as settlement.
So far so good.
He then explains that if I accept, the 3rd party insurance company will send a cheque for the amount, but minus the scrap value of the car, which is 5% of the settlement amount. I then have to scrap the car myself and get to keep whatever the dismantler offers over the above deduction.
My car was recovered by the police to a recovery depot (CMG at Newport Pagnell in case anyone has 1st hand experience) where it has been accumulating storage costs ever since. As I understand it the 3rd party insurance company will settle these (either through my accident management company, or direct with the recovery service), but would the recovery company just let me collect the car for it to be scrapped? Or am I walking into a £500 (approx) bill which I then have to chase the 3rd party insurers for again?
I haven't spoken to the vehicle rescue depot yet as it was too late today, so that will be my 1st port of call tomorrow, but would appreciate any comments that anyone has...
I think I'd just be saying "Thanks, mate, but I don't want the salvage, so I'll have the payment in full and you sort the disposal." Sounds like a ballache in waiting. Even if they sort the fees, do you really want the headaches of arranging collection and sorting any subsequent fees due to delays in collection? Sod that.
A friend recently crashed his Honda into someone. Car was a write off, insurers asked him for the V5, then sent him his cheque.
I was under the assumption that when the car is written off and you get payment the car belonged to the insurance company.
Take the full amount and let them sort it, it sounds like a bit of a headache.
I was under the assumption that when the car is written off and you get payment the car belonged to the insurance company.
Take the full amount and let them sort it, it sounds like a bit of a headache.
Three out of three... I too find it mildly annoying that I am now being burdened with the disposal, but not knowing if this is industry standard or not I just listened to what the assessor had to say and then told him I'd be making a decision tomorrow with regards to the acceptance... Sounds like I am going to have to do some arguing then.
What is odd is that the accident management company dealing with it did not offer this advice at all?
edit: 5 out of 5!
What is odd is that the accident management company dealing with it did not offer this advice at all?
edit: 5 out of 5!
Vee said:
Quadruple the 5% and tell them that that is your charge for having to deal scrapping the car that is necessary because of their f
kwit of a customer. How would they like to proceed ?
kwit of a customer. How would they like to proceed ?
I have to emphasise that this was not the 3rd party insurance company speaking to me, but their "independent vehicle inspector", but I like your thinking
I had a car written off about 3 years ago, the insurers (the 3rd parties - Admiral), started making offers on the basis that the settlement would be less the estimated scrap value. The offers were low compared to market prices and eventually resulted in a conversation where I recited several Autotrader ads and made it quite clear that I wanted 'x' amount and didn't want or would accept any reduction for scrap value of the salvage.
Now, what they hadn't explained, was that they intended to give me back the car (at that time it was with their assessors), and instead made it sound like they wanted to merely deduct the scrap value for their troubles of disposing of the written off car - hence me not being happy about the deduction.
So it came a little as a shock to find that they would agree on the figure I was requesting and, "we'll arrange for the vehicle to be delivered back to you" - cue me thinking "oh, so that's what you meant".
Car sold as a cat D for the value they quoted.
Note - this all went via the other parties insurance, mine were only involved to log the accident.
Now, what they hadn't explained, was that they intended to give me back the car (at that time it was with their assessors), and instead made it sound like they wanted to merely deduct the scrap value for their troubles of disposing of the written off car - hence me not being happy about the deduction.
So it came a little as a shock to find that they would agree on the figure I was requesting and, "we'll arrange for the vehicle to be delivered back to you" - cue me thinking "oh, so that's what you meant".
Car sold as a cat D for the value they quoted.
Note - this all went via the other parties insurance, mine were only involved to log the accident.
A few years ago the missus had an accident (not her fault) which resulted in her car being written off. The third party insurer admitted liability. Our claim was handled by Europa (an accident management co. owned by a PHer, I believe).
We found ourselves in the same situation - vehicle was assessed and written off by an independent assessor. We were then offered the car value minus the 'scrap' value, with us taking the responsibility for scrapping the vehicle. I queried this with Europa who explained that because the third party was only insured for third party coverage, that was the way it had to be done. They suggested that if the other person had full coverage, that we'd have been paid in full and the vehicle would have been scrapped for us.
This sounded like cr4p to me at the time, and it still sounds like cr4p to me now, but with my wife and son in hospital (he was born prematurely do to the force of the impact) I just accepted this and got it sorted by selling to a 'we buy any car, even non-runners' bloke who I'd sent the assessors report*.
Europa/somebody paid the storage costs directly.
We weren't left out of pocket but it was a ball-ache to sort out and something I didn't need at the time. I was also left disappointed with Europa who I felt should've fought a bit harder for my interests - I'm sure they made a few bucks out of the whole thing.
We found ourselves in the same situation - vehicle was assessed and written off by an independent assessor. We were then offered the car value minus the 'scrap' value, with us taking the responsibility for scrapping the vehicle. I queried this with Europa who explained that because the third party was only insured for third party coverage, that was the way it had to be done. They suggested that if the other person had full coverage, that we'd have been paid in full and the vehicle would have been scrapped for us.
This sounded like cr4p to me at the time, and it still sounds like cr4p to me now, but with my wife and son in hospital (he was born prematurely do to the force of the impact) I just accepted this and got it sorted by selling to a 'we buy any car, even non-runners' bloke who I'd sent the assessors report*.
Europa/somebody paid the storage costs directly.
We weren't left out of pocket but it was a ball-ache to sort out and something I didn't need at the time. I was also left disappointed with Europa who I felt should've fought a bit harder for my interests - I'm sure they made a few bucks out of the whole thing.
- incidentally, the guy who bought the car ended up scrapping it rather than repairing it as intended - he said that the damage was far worse than the independent report had documented.
Edited by DJ_AS on Tuesday 16th December 22:55
DJ_AS, it sounds exactly as what I am going through, except for my 3rd party being fully comp. Guess I'll find out more tomorrow, but at least I go into it a bit more informed. Certainly don't want to be lumped with a wreck in the garden, Mrs Q is already sick of the sight of the disassembled Westfield in the garage
This is actually quite common if getting paid out by a third parties insurance company, they have no interest in your car. I was at one time insured with an Admiral Group company until I had to make a non fault claim, ended up telling them to cancel my policy and repaired the vehicle myself. Roll on a few years until an Admiral customer ran into my car in a car park and due to its age rendering it a write for a new door, within 4 days without me even putting in a claim Admiral paid me the full value of the car plus keep the car which Im driving yet.
A morning of phone calls later...
Called the recovery yard 1st, and they said that they will be happy to scrap the car, but won't make any payments. They also said that they will not release the car until storage and recovery fees have been paid for, which if I wanted to collect the car myself, I would have to settle. Either that, or arrange for the 3rd party insurer to pay them, then on the same day get a scrap collector to collect it. Hassle.
Then called my own insurer, who said that they are not dealing with the case as it is a no-fault claim. Good, but an insurer who wants repeat business (with 3 cars) could have made a better effort. I will speak to my brokers and make sure next years renewal is not with them.
Then called my accident management company who said that they are merely there to get me into a credit hire car and that the 3rd party insurer is not legally obliged to do anything other than what is on offer. Great, but there's not much management going on if I have to do all the chasing.
Then finally I have spoken to the vehicle assessor and told him that I'd be happy to accept the settlement amount as offered, but if they are going to let me dispose of it, I will not accept their scrap deduction as I will let the recovery yard dispose of the car. He is going to write it in report to the 3rd party insurer, and they should then contact me...
I'm sure to be continued...
Called the recovery yard 1st, and they said that they will be happy to scrap the car, but won't make any payments. They also said that they will not release the car until storage and recovery fees have been paid for, which if I wanted to collect the car myself, I would have to settle. Either that, or arrange for the 3rd party insurer to pay them, then on the same day get a scrap collector to collect it. Hassle.
Then called my own insurer, who said that they are not dealing with the case as it is a no-fault claim. Good, but an insurer who wants repeat business (with 3 cars) could have made a better effort. I will speak to my brokers and make sure next years renewal is not with them.
Then called my accident management company who said that they are merely there to get me into a credit hire car and that the 3rd party insurer is not legally obliged to do anything other than what is on offer. Great, but there's not much management going on if I have to do all the chasing.
Then finally I have spoken to the vehicle assessor and told him that I'd be happy to accept the settlement amount as offered, but if they are going to let me dispose of it, I will not accept their scrap deduction as I will let the recovery yard dispose of the car. He is going to write it in report to the 3rd party insurer, and they should then contact me...
I'm sure to be continued...
Toaster Pilot said:
This is mental, I had a Cat B write off a few months ago and the insurer sent it to Copart from the recovery yard
Granted it was at-fault so it was my own insurer paying out
I think therein lies the difference. If it was my insurer, they'd asked me for the V5C and let me get on with my life...Granted it was at-fault so it was my own insurer paying out
Ledaig said:
Car sold as a cat D for the value they quoted.
Bear in mind, OP, that you have said the car has been classified as a Cat B write off, for which the official description is:RAC said:
Category B: body shell should be crushed. Signifies extensive damage, although some parts are salvageable. Should never re-appear on road, although reclaimed parts can be used in other road-going vehicles.
So, you can't sell it on for repair (I *think* that is procedural rather than legal; not sure?) but it's certainly not something you can easily turn round to someone who wants to repair it. Your only realistic option (other than telling the ins co not to be so f*g stupid) is to break it, sell what you can and then weigh in the scrap, but that could be a complete PITA depending on your circumstances, knowledge & skill.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff