Impounded car...

Enter Username Here

I am going to try and keep this with as little detail as possible to avoid being identified.

My car was seized in November last year, by the time I could find out where it was there were outstanding fees on it from the impound yard, which I had no problem with paying (it was gone two months). In the between, an insurance investigator asked a lot of details about the car, which I gave her, but did not give her the permission to have the car crushed.

Two months after being impounded, they told me that they would pay me the value of the car or I would have to pay €2330 roughly to have it repaired. I still said I would repair it, as I was fairly confident that there wasn't that much damage to it (wheel axel and minor damage to the right hand side). They then told me that the car was crushed the previous month, and told me that I would not be getting any of my belongings back from the car as they were all destroyed too. They would however pay me the value quoted by the insurance minus the impound fees, which were over half the value of the car even though it worked out that it had been impounded for less than two weeks. They pressed for the log book or I would get nothing. Told me that I had to have the log book over within two days, so I got a lift to the impound with the log book. I was told afterwards that, that was a big mistake. I got a cheque for less than half the value of the car.

Roll on 8 or 9 months, I know that the car is on the road and being driven around and that the driver is claiming to be me.

What can I do?

SouthWesterly

You should have gotten a certificate of destruction if it was crushed. Did you z?

Padre_Pio

Go to the gardai.

Sono

how do you mean they are claiming to be you? Was the car a total write off? If not then the car may have been repaired and put back on the road which is perfectly legal. They paid you for the car so they took ownership of it, correct? Provided the car was not a total loss then the car is perfectly fine to be put back on the road provided it is roadworthy.

chrisd2019

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058367822/impounded-car

You need to add some key details like why and who impounded your vehicle, was in involved in an accident or similar. If it was crushed there should be an end of life / destruction document.

You say someone is driving it now and claiming to be you, is it the original car or a similar vehicle with the plates attached.

Have you spoken to the Garda?

Enter Username Here

Sorry, I didn't expect any answers to be that quick.

No certificate that it was crushed.

I have contacted Garda they said it will be after the weekend that they will be able to help as they are busy this weekend with the football, they are all being called out.

They are claiming to be me. I would prefer not to give any more information on that.

I was told that the car was a write off, but when the damage was explained to me, I didn't think so. They also took everything that was in the car, that i asked for to be returned or allow me to collect. My son or one of his friends took the car without asking, and parked it in the next estate across from a T-junction. I was away on business when it happened. Apparently somebody hit the car coming around the corner, quite fast. They also took down a wall beside it. The car was impounded by the Garda and is how I know that it was not my car that caused the accident.

It is the original car with the original plates.

I did not know until now that I should have got a certificate of destruction. I was told repeatedly that it was destroyed a month before I got back from Malta. When my son rang me to tell me what had happened, it did not sound so bad and I was more concerned about him, but he was dealt with too.

Not made with hands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122587370#Comment_122587370

Afaik if I "acquired" a car I could submit an affidavit to Shannon to say it's mine. Then they put it in my name.

So the new "owner" may have done that, or it may have been done then flogged to them..

Or if it's still in your name then it's "stolen" and the guards get involved.

Lenar3556

It’s possible the insurance company sold the car, after you accepted their settlement.

“Write off” can mean several different things. In this case, it may have been the case that the insurer deemed the cost to repair exceeded the value of the car. In which case they offered you the value of the car pre accident. But that doesn’t necessarily prevent someone else repairing it who may have lower overheads, access to spare parts etc.

The new owner ‘claiming to be you’ is a separate matter. I would suggest report any concerns you have around this to Gardai and leave it at that.