The Fight Is About To Begin

[Asphalt Cowboy]

Got a letter today from the Kansas Department of Revenue telling me that I have 60 days to submit application for a salvage/rebuild title on my Jeep or they're not going to renew my license plate.
First they're gonna' charge me a fee for the salvage tile app. Then they're gonna' charge me for the inspection. THEN after it passes the inspection they'll kick me in the nutts with another fee for the rebuild title app.This craps got to be some kind of state run scam to rack up additional revenue.
I seriousely doubt I'll hear anything back, but here's the e-mail I sent KDOR.
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This is in regards to Title Application Number 064100201005120002
Could someone please explain to me Why I must do a salvage/rebuild title on my Wagoneer? The damage was purely cosmetic in nature and in no way affected the structural integrity of the vehicle. The damage was limited to dents, not collapse just dents, to the roof, hood and right rear quarter panel as well as breakage to the plastic grill. All four doors as well as the tailgate open and close as they should. There was no glass breakage and all of the windows function properly. None of the roof pillars moved, the radio antenae wasn't even bent. The steering, suspention and drivabilty was in no way altered.
The only thing a salvage/rebuild title is going to accomplish is further degrade/destroy the value of my vehicle regarless of how much I invest in restoring it.
I for one refuse to purchase any vehicle that has a salvage/rebuild title. It is a sure indication to me that a vehicle has sustained damage that can, and often does, affect the safety of the vehicle. My 1979 Jeep Wagoneer Did Not suffer anywhere near that degree of damage. My Wagoneer was, and still is, a sound vehicle which can be driven safely. This vehicle would even pass inspection.
So someone please explain to me why the state of Kansas insists on destroying the value of a specialty vehicle so near antique status.
Scott Core
stcore_61@hotmail.com
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No way in "ELL, do I want my Waggie branded as salvage/rebuild. I had a six thousand dollar Wagoneer and it's going to be worth more when I'm done with it. But it won't be if it's branded as salvage/rebuild.
GRRRRRR. I gets a feelin' I ain't gonna' get much sleep today.:banghead:

[skinnyD]

Just your usual State/Gov. B.S.!

[Gambler68]

I would get a written appraisal of the damage it took from a licensed appraiser, and take it to someone who sits at a desk, not a counter. Perhaps you can get a pass on it.

[Asphalt Cowboy]

I would get a written appraisal of the damage it took from a licensed appraiser, and take it to someone who sits at a desk, not a counter. Perhaps you can get a pass on it.

I certainly hope so.

Actually thinking of contacting Senator Moran and the SAG (States Attorney General). I can somewhat understand the states possition on this, but they are painting with too wide a brush. It's kinda' a consumer protection thing. There were a lot of cars brought up here after Katrina, cleaned up, and sold with no disclosure of the flood damages. A lot of people got jerked big time.

Dale at the body shop and the insurance adjuster both thought it rather rediculous having to go through salvage/rebuild title on it.

[JeepsAndGuns]

Was it at any time in in a wreck where it was "totaled"?
I think once something is marked as "totaled" a salvage title is all you will ever be able to get for it. Even if the damage was very minimal and was repairable, but someone didnt want it fixed cause of its age and had their insurance total it.

[joe]

Good luck. All the states are broke so any goofy thing they can come up with to make a buck on paper looks good to them.

Remember there's an election coming up.

[Marvin Gates]

Amen Joe, time to drain the swamp!

[Asphalt Cowboy]

Was it at any time in in a wreck where it was "totaled"?
I think once something is marked as "totaled" a salvage title is all you will ever be able to get for it. Even if the damage was very minimal and was repairable, but someone didnt want it fixed cause of its age and had their insurance total it.

Other than minor damage to the left front of the hood, she hadn't been in any other accident. The body shop that owned her repaired that.

These ought to give you and idea of the extent of damage.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q14/AsphaltCowboy_album/Wag015.jpg
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q14/AsphaltCowboy_album/Wag019.jpg
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q14/AsphaltCowboy_album/Wag017.jpg

All that, was the result of this.
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q14/AsphaltCowboy_album/wag005.jpg

My insurance company is the one who totaled it. Because the repair expense exceeded the value by a bit more than $300. Try as he might, the adjuster simply couldn't make the value equal the repair estimate.

It used to be, here in Kansas, that salvage title was only required when the vehicle was rendered unsafe to operate. Then we had the rash of unscrupulouse car dealers buying cars after hurricane Katrina and bringing them back here. They'ld do a down and dirty cleanup on them and sell at outrageous profits. Now, anything that has been totaled by an insurance company is required to go through the salvage/rebuild title.:banghead:

[Eugene 1]

Actually it started when they had the Flood in St. louis and certain local car dealer was bringing cars from the flood down here to Wichita and KC selling them as new back in the early 90s ... but that is KS for you

[jsc7002]

Where is KS are you located? Did the damage come from this last snow storm we had last year?

[Asphalt Cowboy]

I'm up at Council Grove.

It was the 8th of Jan when I flipped her. We had about three inches total snowfall. The winds was blowin' upwards of 35-45 which gave us some monsterous drifts.
I had to dig my front axle loose twice on the way to work Wed. night, didn't make it home till afternoon on the 8th. What really stunk is half our people were callin' in cause they couldn't get out. Close half of them live in town, I'm better'n 15 miles out where the plows run last.

[JeepsAndGuns]

My insurance company is the one who totaled it. Because the repair expense exceeded the value by a bit more than $300. Try as he might, the adjuster simply couldn't make the value equal the repair estimate.

Since it was totaled, that is why they are making you apply for the salvage title. I dont think there is any way around it no matter what you do. It was totaled and as far as the state is concerned, its being rebuilt. They dont care about how much damage, little or small.
Good luck with whatever you do.

[Warmachine]

I have to agree with JeepsAndGuns.

I fought to keep my '84 Daytona off the salvage/totaled/rebuild black list many moons ago. A lady rear ended me at a stop light and broke the back hatch glass. No real body damage to mine or hers, the plastic bumpers had slight paint crinkle, but it popped the window. At the time, the only estimates for the window were more than I "paid" for the vehicle (drawback of telling the courthouse I only paid $100 for it). They chose to use the paid amount rather than the blue book value as the cut off....many years later, it's the other way around. Long and short of it, I lost.



Unscrupulous car dealers have been playing the flooded car game for decades. You should have seen all the Florida car hauler convoys headed south out of Iowa after the flooding in the Des Moines area a few years ago. States can only do so much to protect the people, unfortunately the few can get the shaft for the many in the name of the greater good.

[TPICherokee]

When a rig pulled out in front of me once, I tagged it and the insurance adjuster came out and offered me $900 plus a salvage title. I told him no. He said if I can produce receipts to help him with the value, he'd see what he could do.

I faxed him over the receipts, he called the next day, offered me 3k for the damage and wouldn't total it. I was happy. The rig was my 1979 Cherokee.

In my accident, the fender, bumper, the core support, front core support and the inner fender were damaged. The adjusted also thought the frame was bent which is why I got so much. It was just one of the 6" springs that were on it (collision first hit with bumper then the shackle which bent the spring) but it made it look like the frame was bent up. I had it checked out and the frame was perfect.

I would almost say it is too late, couldn't you have told the adjuster that the damage on the roof or hood was already there so he wouldn't include that in his estimate?

[Asphalt Cowboy]

I would almost say it is too late, couldn't you have told the adjuster that the damage on the roof or hood was already there so he wouldn't include that in his estimate?

Wish I had thought of that then, but that could be a two sided sword. Everything that was fine pre-roll increased the value and the size of the settlement. Everything declared as pre-roll would have decreased the value, and thus the settlement.
I did tell him thaough that I would be furnishing all of the repair parts. Figured I'd be able to find them cheaper than Dale could, not to mention his time cost for parts search. All the adjuster could subtract there was Dale's part search cost.

The guy was a bit of a flake (didn't have all his bolts in the same bin), but I have to give the adjuster credit. He spent something like two hours goin' over her with a fine tooth comb, took like a bazzilion pic's, trying his best to increase the "Before" value to offset against the damage estimate.
I had the black Soft8 wheels on at the time and he called them "Styled" wheels. The 45 dollar wallyworld am/fm/casset became a "Stereo Sound System". He even made note of the undercoat and rust proofing the original owner had applied.