Someone crashed into me - depreciation

LegacyUser · 07-08-2005 2:07pm #1

Someone crashed into the back of my car the other day. It was clear cut that the other driver was at fault. Guards were called etc and my car was towed away. It wasn't driveable due to back dug into the wheels. I have a rental car.

Both me and the other driver are with the same insurance company. What I am worried about it, if they fix it up and I choose to sell it later, I will have to declare that it was crashed into. This will reduce the sale value.

Can I claim for depreciation of the vechicle? This all depends on whether it is written off or not. It is a 2002 reg - probably worth @ 12,000 euros.

Anybody have any previous experience of this? I have been told that you can claim for depreciation.
The other option is to refuse to accept the vechicle back.

greglo23 · 07-08-2005 2:13pm

yes you can claim for depreciation. my brother had a problem with an insurance claim and got a solicitor involved. only then did the insurance co pay the proper amount of depreciation. your other alternative is to have the car written off and take the cash.

LegacyUser · 07-08-2005 2:16pm

Hi Greglo23,
Thanks for the advice, really appreciated.
It is obviously going to cost to get a solicitor involved. Could I tab that on the bill though I wonder?

It is a complete bummer because I really like the car, they don't make them anymore and as much as I'd like to have it fixed I don't see how they could put it 100% back to the it was.

I'll see how it goes. I wonder should I write a letter to the insurance company stipulating that I expect depreciation or will not accept it back.

B

Webmonkey · 07-08-2005 2:20pm

You be surprised who well they can fix them up. It will look like new in the end more than likely

LegacyUser · 07-08-2005 2:23pm

Webmonkey wrote:

You be surprised who well they can fix them up. It will look like new in the end more than likely

Yep - maybe it will look like new - but will it be a "fudgey wudgey" job.
Its still a crashed car and I have to declare that when I sell it.

I usually upgrade just before NCT is due - which means I'll be selling in the next 6 months. I'm not an unreasonable person at all - but I don't see why the "victim" - person person ploughed into - should have to take the hit.

Its a bummer (literally)

P.S - WebMonkey - that sig is cool!!

Webmonkey · 07-08-2005 2:27pm

Its not bad

I had a crash a few weeks ago, same type, only I was at fault. I rear ended a car which rear ended another, it goes on from there ...

At the moment my car is being fixed, i look forward to seeing what it will be like.
Anyway good luck with getting the car back to normal.
I'm sure if you sell the car privatly the buyer wouldnt be "that" worried about it bein crash, just as long as its in good cond. and runs well. Well personally i wouldn't mind that much.

Good luck with it

BrianD3 · 07-08-2005 3:44pm

I doubt if you can claim for depreciation. If the car is repaired properly and put back exactly the way it was before the crash then the insurance company will say that no depreciation has occured. And they'd have a point too.

Also, you don't have to declare to any future buyer that the car has been crashed. It's up to them to examine the car properly for evidence of crash repairs.

greglo23 · 07-08-2005 3:58pm

you legally do have to declare the car has been crashed. as for getting a solicitor involved my brother did'nt have to pay a penny as the insurance company had to pay for the lot including an insurance assessor to value the car before and after. he traded in the car to the dealership who repaired it and there was almost 2000 Euro in the difference between the value of the car post crash from what he was offered 3 weeks before.

quarryman · 07-08-2005 4:03pm

Webmonkey wrote:

Its not bad

I had a crash a few weeks ago, same type, only I was at fault. I rear ended a car which rear ended another, it goes on from there ...

At the moment my car is being fixed, i look forward to seeing what it will be like.
Good luck with it

whatever happened with that? did you end up receiving claims from all the cars or just the one in front? And any word on the insurance premium increase?

that was an unlucky day for you, hope it sorts itself out.

BrianD3 · 07-08-2005 4:21pm

greglo23 wrote:

you legally do have to declare the car has been crashed.

Source?

as for getting a solicitor involved my brother did'nt have to pay a penny as the insurance company had to pay for the lot including an insurance assessor to value the car before and after. he traded in the car to the dealership who repaired it and there was almost 2000 Euro in the difference between the value of the car post crash from what he was offered 3 weeks before

It's irrelevant what the garage offered or traded the car in for. Also, insurance valuations and trade in offers are not comparable. What's important is the value of the car as determined by the insurance assessor. If the car is repaired properly then the value should be the same before and after.

lomb · 07-08-2005 4:36pm

i think they give u 5-10% if u ask for it.

07-08-2005 4:49pm

Not only can you claim, but it is standard to do so. If you're looking for a figure, the general rule of thumb is that depreciation is 10% of the value of the repair works.

zod · 07-08-2005 4:57pm

BrianD3 wrote:

I doubt if you can claim for depreciation. If the car is repaired properly and put back exactly the way it was before the crash then the insurance company will say that no depreciation has occured. And they'd have a point too.

Also, you don't have to declare to any future buyer that the car has been crashed. It's up to them to examine the car properly for evidence of crash repairs.

course you can claim .. in fact you don't have to accept it being fixed..

and yes you do have to admit that the car has been crashed when selling :rolleyes:

BrianD3 · 07-08-2005 5:06pm

zod wrote:

and yes you do have to admit that the car has been crashed when selling :rolleyes:

You do do you? As I said to the other guy - provide a source for this.

Gurgle · 07-08-2005 5:10pm

BrianD3 wrote:

You do do you? As I said to the other guy - provide a source for this.

^^ What he said

How bad of a crash do you have to declare ?
'I scraped the bumper on a pillar once...' ?

My understanding was that its only if a car is written off and then repaired.

lomb · 07-08-2005 5:41pm

u dont have to tell anyone if its a private sale, its sold caveat emptor, for a trade sale, they dont have to tell unless asked, if they say it wasnt in good faith ie they didnt know thats ok also, as long as its fit for the purpose intended and is not unsafe.

LegacyUser · 07-08-2005 6:59pm

BrianD3 wrote:

I doubt if you can claim for depreciation. If the car is repaired properly and put back exactly the way it was before the crash then the insurance company will say that no depreciation has occured. And they'd have a point too.

Also, you don't have to declare to any future buyer that the car has been crashed. It's up to them to examine the car properly for evidence of crash repairs.

I disagree sorry, if I was buying a car - I would expect to be told "It was in a crash - but it has be fully repaired by a main dealer garage.". It is up to you to get a independent mechanic to view inspect the car.

To say that "no depreciation has occured" is a load of cods wallop .. becuase my car has been crashed into and if I sell it I will declare it as so (honesty!!).
Even if the do fix it - it has still been crashed - and it wasn't crashed by me - so why should I have to take a lower price when I'm selling it later.

I'm going to a solicitor on Monday.

Webmonkey · 07-08-2005 7:25pm

quarryman wrote:

whatever happened with that? did you end up receiving claims from all the cars or just the one in front? And any word on the insurance premium increase?

that was an unlucky day for you, hope it sorts itself out.

Well the lady I hit claimed off me and the one she hit claimed off her but in the end it all comes back to me. I.E. everyone claims off me.
No word on my insurance premium yet, i'm guessing it will be about 4 - 4.5k?
Pretty crap but sh*t happens.
I am trying to pay off my loan in 6 months now rather than 4 years as agreed as I want to be able to get another one for next years premium!.

Bubby - Keep us updated on what the solicitor says. Good luck on getting your car sorted out

LegacyUser · 07-08-2005 7:38pm

Webmonkey - were the two cars written off?
Cause writing off a new Beatle and a 98 Toyota Avenisis will bump your insurance up by @ 1000. That includes going up in engine size with the new car !! I'd say if your car is written off - then go for a smaller engine size for a few years while premium comes back down.

Volvoboy · 07-08-2005 7:50pm

Chances are if you get the car fixed through the insurance company the work will be top noch, I'm a panel beater, and they'll replace the rear panel, bumper, bootlid, lights and everything else in between, i wouldn't be too fixed on claming that its been through the mill.

LegacyUser · 07-08-2005 9:33pm

Volvoboy wrote:

Chances are if you get the car fixed through the insurance company the work will be top noch, I'm a panel beater, and they'll replace the rear panel, bumper, bootlid, lights and everything else in between, i wouldn't be too fixed on claming that its been through the mill.

Volvoboy - that sounds pretty promising. From your experience though - they won't patch it up if its bad? Also, I don't understand what you mean by "i wouldn't be too fixed on claming that its been through the mill.".

B

boardsee · 07-08-2005 11:59pm

What kinda car is this were talking about here anyway

unkel · 08-08-2005 12:40am

lomb wrote:

they dont have to tell unless asked

That's exactly it

BrianD3 wrote:

you don't have to declare to any future buyer that the car has been crashed. It's up to them to examine the car properly for evidence of crash repairs.

Unless they ask, BrianD3

BrianD3 wrote:

And they'd have a point too

No they don't. It might look like it was never crashed, but if the potential buyer asks you if it was crashed and you confirm, it will take away from the value of the car

Webmonkey · 08-08-2005 10:12am

bubby wrote:

Webmonkey - were the two cars written off?
Cause writing off a new Beatle and a 98 Toyota Avenisis will bump your insurance up by @ 1000. That includes going up in engine size with the new car !! I'd say if your car is written off - then go for a smaller engine size for a few years while premium comes back down.

No the cars I hit were ok. (Fixable)
Just boot damage which costs a lot of labour to fix. 4200 for the toyota and 2500 for the Nissan Micra.
My car will be ok also, though you would consider it a write off. I baught all the parts from my local scrap yard and sent them back to my garage. Parts are in ok cond. Will look like new when re spray painted. Looking forward to seeing the finished product. I'll send a pic of it once its done

LegacyUser · 08-08-2005 11:52am

Webmonkey - if you didn't write off it might not be too bad!

Just got onto the insurance company. Car still hasn't had the damage evaluated yet. They hope to have it done by next Friday. I can keep the hire car until they have this all sorted (no issues there).

If the car is fixable they will do do and also give me 10% of the ex. vat repair figure.

For example - if damage costs 3,000 euro to repair, then I will get 300 euros for depreciation.

I'm happy enough with that - I can put it away till I sell the car next year. I always sell @ 6 months before NCT.

LegacyUser · 09-08-2005 9:23pm

Over 5000 euros damage - including the right chassis leg gone. Over 25% of the car to be repaired. Insurance company going for repair rather than write off

Going to be very difficult for me to trade in my car at the end of the year now without loosing a lot on it

Webmonkey · 09-08-2005 10:11pm

aw man, just to let you know though that 5000 is probably exaggerated. They will up the price if the ins. company paying. It mightn't be as bad as it looks though anything happening to the chassis isn't the best.
When you get it back it will probably look like nothing ever happened it but i understand your point of it depreciating because of it. I'm sure you'll find a private buyer though that won't give a f**k about it being crashed just as long as it works and is looking good.

thatkindofgirl · 10-08-2005 6:32am

BrianD3 wrote:

I doubt if you can claim for depreciation. If the car is repaired properly and put back exactly the way it was before the crash then the insurance company will say that no depreciation has occured. And they'd have a point too.

We had our 03 Almera backed into (while stationary in a car park) when it wasn't quite a year old and we were able to claim depreciation.

Someone crashed into me - depreciation

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