DAMN KIDS / THIEVES!!!

So I go outside and my truck is gone! I didn't have it in the garage b/c I've had some stuff from work taking alot of space up the last week. I call the police... while I'm filling out the report over the phone, the officer says... hold on! We might have just found your vehicle. She says I'll call you back. Sure enough, that was it. So in a 5 min span of finding my vehicle missing, the police had located it (that was the upside).

Now the bad part! IT WAS IN A POND! (Insert F bombs!) There's a few lakes / ponds surrounding my neighborhood. Apparently some kids didn't know the difference between a tow vehicle and a tow boat. They decided to pull out my navigation/head unit in order to find their way home I guess.

I was scheduled to go pick up the new duramax tomorrow as we've been waiting on the lift to get installed. This truck was getting traded in b/c the taxes were gonna kill me if I sold it to an individual. The deal was locked in, I had already paid for the lift and now this!

But heres the worst part! It might not even get totalled. I don't know if there's enough damage to total it, as the damage would have to equal $17,000. Water was into the cab, and according to my brick layer (who saw them pulling it out of the water) the water was up to my mirrors, but the truck was at a steep angle. I know the engine was totally submerged, and I heard the electronics clicking when I was looking into the truck. The front floorboards were totally soaked, but not the back. I don't know if the power seats are totalled or what, they were still working at the time. This is going to be a bad deal if they don't total this thing.

So we've had the good, the bad, and the worst parts. Now the dumbest part.... I left my keys in the ignition. It's habit... I have a garage and truck is normally in there. BUT I always lock it w/ the keys inside. I have a keypad that allows me in. I don't know how they could have got in, unless I didn't lock it, as the window wasn't busted.

The bright side to this whole thing is, one of my neighbors supposedly has a camera that might pick up part of my driveway (according to the police). I haven't asked around yet, but we'll see.

All this, a week before memorial weekend! Luckily almost all my friends have trucks w/ trailer hitches.

I think someone needs a beer... (and a blowdryer..lol j/k)Thats a bummer bro, hope everything gets worked out.

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quote:

DAMN KIDS

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Evidence? I'm just saying don't blame it on someone without proof. Sucks to hear about you truck getting stolen by someone. Hopefully they total it for you.

-Steve

Fight for all new wiring if they make you keep it. Flood damaged vehicles are known for having electrical problems in their future.

i think you might have a short that could lead to a fire that surely would total it

If the engine was running while submerged, your motor may well have been transfomed into a money pit.

I had a car totalled in a flood. In my case, I was driving on the street in an unbelievable storm and the water on the street was rising very quickly. In an instant it was above my hood and the motor was running while the car started floating. All the motor oil was flushed out by water, damaging the engine (according to the service station guy and the insurance guy.) When I went to look at it a couple of days later, the brakes were already rusting.

They might have let me keep it, but this was the second year in a row with a "100 year flood." The year before, they payed a lot of claims to repair cars, only to find that a month later the car would have an electrical problem and the month after that something else would rust out, and the month after that....

So in my year, the adjuster was simply totaling everything that came his way because they learned from the prior year that flood damaged cars are money pits with continual problems.

Does your state have a "title brand" for flood damaged vehicles? If so, push to get it totalled, because your truck will forever be branded as "flood damaged," which lowers its value significantly.

Sorry to hear your story. Hope everything works out for you.

Yep they do have a Flood Title. You know, the last two weeks we've had MAJOR flooding. Maybe that will help.

Steve,

The only reason I say kids is b/c of how it was done, and the fact that there were paintballs throughout the neighborhood. I guess possibly not even related. And yes I'm quick to throw the kids thing out there, but generally in my area, that's really the only crime we see.

Insurance companies typically total a vehicle once cost to repair exceeds 70% of NADA value.

They told me their policy was 60% ... that's where the $17,000 amount came from.

threaten to switch to another carrier if they don't total it. loss of commission can be persuasive to an insurance agent.

"I left my keys in the ignition. It's habit..."

I would keep that to yourself, especially the habit part.

^^^^^^^^
When he parks in the garage...

Tanner needs to read his policy very carefully. I am not making coverage determinations either way, but an insurance policy is a contract in which both parties have duties. One of these can be for the vehicle owner to take prudent steps to protect his property.

Regardless, this is just an "off the record" suggestion.

I've already talked w/ the agent about that brandon. They said it wasn't an issue.

That's good to hear Tanner. Good luck with your claim.

Craig, not all companies are the same. Some go to 100% of value, some 60% and everything in between. If it was up to the dash it's a total.