rolled MH onto the side - and the towed

[hikerman]

In Quebec I slid into a ditch with my 2008 Monaco Cayman towing my
2014 Honda CR-V. By the time the MH was drug out of the ditch it was
declared 'totaled'.I was able to drive my Honda toad back home to Texas. It can probably be repaired, but what about DIMINISHED VALUE? 'Rolled on side' would not look good on a Car-Fax.
Does anyone have experience with this situation?

[mich800]

People get too wrapped up in liking or disliking Carfax. It's no different than any other tool. It should't be your only tool in your box and misused can lead to issues like any other job where you do not have a solid plan.

[LanceRKeys]

I just look at it for myself and make my own decisions.

[Dave_H_M]

So what alternative are you considering? :h

[thomasmnile]

LanceRKeys wrote:
I think carfax is kind of a joke.

And can contain erroneous info.

[drsteve]

A unibody car that has been rolled onto its side likely has more damage than a few scratches and dents. It may not be repairable due to issues with suspension alignment and structural integrity, or it may simply be too costly (labor intensive) to return it to its original state.

Interested to hear what the body shop has to say about it.

[mkirsch]

Say what you want about carfax but it is more than we had. I say better to at least have a chance at finding out a car's history than none at all.

[hikerman]

Tripalot, we were south of Ottowa headed for the US border when google maps sent us on a very tiny rural road due to a road closure.We were only driving about 10-15mph as a big truck was coming towards us and he had his rt wheel on the 10 inch shoulder. As we tried to match his courtesy, our shoulder gave way! We were rescued by St Michel, Trucking and towing firm. After the tow to storage yard, we spent 5 nights in St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu waiting for the appraiser. Very good people and experience under the conditions.

[LanceRKeys]

My last car had several run ins with wildlife. I fixed it all myself, clear carfax. The car I have now has a clear carfax, but the rear bumper doesn’t quite match the rest of the car and the trunk lid doesn’t close just right. Most people would never notice. I think carfax is kind of a joke.

[wildtoad]

What aspect of “Diminished Value” are asking about? I’ve only heard that term used when your car is damaged by someone else and want to be compensated for the DV.

[rockhillmanor]

Just a note about Carfax.

Contrary to what all the TV ads would like you to believe....

NOT all new or used cars are on Carfax, NOT all service centers report to carfax, NOT all insurance companies report to Carfax.

Basically 'no' one is 'mandated' to report to Carfax. Therefore not ALL cars will show up on Carfax no matter what.

Except in parts of the strange world of California. Some counties do report to Carfax about smogging and also when they do that wonderful nazi act of reporting to carfax and informing you that you must junk your car for smog reasons. :R

[Lwiddis]

“Diminished value” is usually a term for partially determining the amount of loss in a lawsuit, not for what you did to your RV and toad.

[Tripalot]

Having just returned from a recent trip to Quebec, I would be curious to know where this accident occured. We found a lot of construction and poor driving conditions on our trip. I am so glad to hear you are all safe and well.

[ItsyRV]

If the toad was insured in Texas, you have a SOL of 2 years to file a diminished value claim against your policy. Texas requires the insurance company to compensate you for diminish value as a matter of law. It's not what you think is right, what the insurance company says is right, what your neighbor thinks is right or what some stranger at the RV park thinks is right; the law says you get it, so you get it.

To prove diminished value and the proper amount is where things get a little bit of a problem. Just like the insurance company used smoke and mirrors to come up with some ridiculous reduce value of a vehicle in a total loss claim, you use their same smoke and mirror tactics to increase your diminished value and force them to pay. You will need to find comparable's that were not in any accident and compare their price (value) to those in a similar accident with damages. The difference is your diminished value.

Don't underestimate how much the insurance company will fight this as not paying diminished value is their gravy profits because so many people don't file these claims. So the insurance company assumes everyone is a fool and fights you hoping for you to give up. Of course, some will not care and simple figure how many people them scammed out of diminished value and pay you what you are entitled too simply because they made so much off those they ripped off by not paying.

[dodge_guy]

Diminished value only comes into play if it was totaled and then repaired or not totaled but repaired improperly! As far as Carfax goes.....well don’t get me started!