They’ll give you a check. They’ll offer to sell it to you for a price. Usually what they’ll get for it at auction
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Hail Damage - can my son keep the car?
- Thread starter BH-ATL
- Start date
That's what Cletus Fords 3rd cousins uncle daddy always says
Love it, the hot weather helped you outI had a truck once that was caught in a hail storm, golf ball size dents all over, I just kept driving it and the following August when temps were 95-98 degree range , all but two of them popped back out and you tube has a lot of diy videos...will take some time but can be done
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If they total it out they keep the car. He doesn't get both the car and the money. He may be able to buy it back from them and essentially receive less money. He'll then have to get it inspected by the state (should be an easy pass) if he wants to insure it and continue driving it.
You need to ask the insurance company to consider a payout with "Owner Retained Salvage" and any state specific rules around that option. This is not uncommon and what they will do is give you their estimated salvage value and the Total Loss payout and if you decide to retain then they deduct the estimated salvage value and pay you the balance and you keep the car. The big advantage is the title remains with you so you do not end up with a salvage title(at least it was that way when I did this in New Jersey). When I did it I had a 1990 z28, they valued the payout at $5,600 and the estimated salvage value was $575 so I kept the car, got a payout of 5,025 and did the repairs myself.
It's been a while, but I've seen guys do this. The ins. will total it out. Then you buy it back from the ins. You will have a salvage title. The car on resale won't be so good. But if you drive it a long time, it might be worth it. The key is to buy it back for a very small amount
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Pay for the windshield and drive the car until the wheels fall off.
They'll let you buy it back, but chances are if it really is repairable and a car that is in high demand now since used car prices are high, they already have a reclaiming company to fix it and resell it. The deal you could give them can't really contain what their reselling of the repaired totaled car is.
Had this happen to me with a 2012 Ford Explorer with under 100K miles. The damage IMO was repairable. But they right off said, "It's totaled" and they gave me $11,500 for it. Then they shipped the car to their fixit reseller in Oklahoma or somewhere.... It sucked....really liked that car.
A lot of contradictory advice in this thread. Laws vary from state to state and change yearly. So my advice, from a guy who worked in auto insurance a few decades ago:
Contact your insurance appraiser and tell him you are interested in keeping the car. Do it early in the process. He will know current law, and how to handle the situation.
IF you own the car outright, he usually has the option to list the damage at just below the total loss threshold minus their salvage value, and give you a check for this amount. Then you're on your own. If you repair it, you need to take pictures to prove it's repaired. The insurance company is not likely to pay for hail (or other) damage again without proof it's been repaired. If you just go for liability coverage only they probably won't care.
If it's declared a total loss you can frequently ask to buy it back at salvage value. But I'm pretty sure current law in Georgia is that you have to repair it to at least road worthy conditions and get it inspected by a state inspector before you can get a tag. But the state inspectors have just a few locations, only work a few days a week, etc. They will probably do a FULL inspection, making sure every light works, emissions, brakes, everything. Hail damage alone probably won't keep it from getting a tag, but if you're thinking of going this route I'd research it more first.
If you have a lien on the car (still making payments) then they have to issue the payment to you and your bank or you and your repair facility to protect the lien holder's interest. So if you're still making payments they will probably total it if the damage is enough, and may let you buy back the salvage. In that case you'll get a check for value over what you owe, minus salvage value. And you'll have to do the inspection thing.
Good luck with it.
Contact your insurance appraiser and tell him you are interested in keeping the car. Do it early in the process. He will know current law, and how to handle the situation.
IF you own the car outright, he usually has the option to list the damage at just below the total loss threshold minus their salvage value, and give you a check for this amount. Then you're on your own. If you repair it, you need to take pictures to prove it's repaired. The insurance company is not likely to pay for hail (or other) damage again without proof it's been repaired. If you just go for liability coverage only they probably won't care.
If it's declared a total loss you can frequently ask to buy it back at salvage value. But I'm pretty sure current law in Georgia is that you have to repair it to at least road worthy conditions and get it inspected by a state inspector before you can get a tag. But the state inspectors have just a few locations, only work a few days a week, etc. They will probably do a FULL inspection, making sure every light works, emissions, brakes, everything. Hail damage alone probably won't keep it from getting a tag, but if you're thinking of going this route I'd research it more first.
If you have a lien on the car (still making payments) then they have to issue the payment to you and your bank or you and your repair facility to protect the lien holder's interest. So if you're still making payments they will probably total it if the damage is enough, and may let you buy back the salvage. In that case you'll get a check for value over what you owe, minus salvage value. And you'll have to do the inspection thing.
Good luck with it.
