Anybody go through this with a vehicle that was “totalled” by the insurance company? How hard and costly is it to deal with DMV and apply for a rebuilt title? How long could i expect the whole process to take?
Thanks for any info.
Its a bit of a pain in the ass but can be worth it in the end.
I did it a few years ago with a totalled Cutlass Supreme. At the time I paid $120 but I think the fee went up since then.
I submitted my paperwork in October and had the inspection in February. From what Ive heard its a bit quicker now though.
You need receipts for all parts whether you bought them new or used, the title/salvage papers for the parts car if you have one, the salvage papers for the repaired car and you also have to fill out a form explaining the repairs that were made.
The car will be inspected by NY State at the facility on New Karner road by the post office (near the lot). Sometimes theyre really anal about vin #'s and shit and can reject the car for not having everything match up. My friend had a car that had its tranny replaced at some point before he got it and they gave him a hard time with that. Another car he had to pull off a fender to prove it had the vin sticker on it.
The state can and will confiscate parts and/or cars if they cant find the vin or find out the parts were stolen.
When I worked for my friend’s shop him and his dad went thru this quite often because they were always buying, fixing and selling salvage cars.
Pain in the ass, but often worth the savings. Dont do it with hot potentially parts tho! What I mean by that, buy the car from some reputable entity.
Yeah, I paid $580 for the car and got a free parts car so I didnt have alot into the car and I sold it for $3500.
You have to go through DMV’s anti-theft inspection which is $200 even if you miss the appointment. Plus reg and titling fee’s, not sure if they charge for the VIN assignment or not.
They dont change the vin so theres not a fee for that.
They send you a title after passing the inspection and then you have to go register the car.
By this process you will get a rebuild title.
A salvage title is just that, a salvage and was already assigned to a vehicle that was totaled by the insurance.
It’s a huge PITA to get a rebuild in NY, and last I heard the appointment for the inspection fee is around $200 now, which is also non refundable if you don’t pass the first time.
If the car was registered to you when it got totaled and you’re still the owner of it, there is technically a legal loophole in that scenario which I’m going through now.
You just keep driving it as is, and keep renewing registration and keep insurance as is, just make sure it’s liability only as your car will be worth nothing now in the insurance’s eyes.
Most people that end up looking into this matter never bother with trying to make it legal (average Joe’s) especially when Vermont allows you to register a salvage title without a need for rebuilt.
Other issues arrive out of that, which are not often enforced by cops unless you really pissed them off, such as the fact that as an NY resident you should renew your registration for the car in NY within a few months, and the insurance should also be to the car that’s registered in the same state.
But that’s small apples.
Hope that helped.
From what Ive heard all you need to do in VT is have a sheriff look at the car and sign off on it and you will get a title for it.
That might have changed though.
Yeah, from what I understand you just fill out the paperwork, they go outside to double check on the VIN to make sure it’s not stolen and you get titled and registered.
Sometimes I’ve heard they don’t even go outside.
The NY rebuild inspection is not that bad. Just make sure you have records/receipts for EVERYTHING you repaired. If you are missing anything, or the numbers do not match they will fail you. Also make sure to have everything squared away for transporting the vehicle to the inspection station.
Yeah, dont let them see you drive it there on dealer plates especially if the paperwork isnt in a dealer’s name.
We used to park the car down at the other end of the parking lot by United Auto Parts and take the dealer plates off.
Thanks for the info fellas, maybe i’ll give it a shot. Its my sisters car, either gonna repair or sell it…
If she bought it back from the insurance company it might not even have a salvage title and you can have her sell you the car and get it registered normally.
It won’t have a salvage until she sells it.
Sometimes if the owner keeps the car the title doesnt get branded since it never changed hands and the car wont need to go thru an inspection.
And if its over 7 years old it might not even get one at all.
I know some of the older cars my friend sold ended up with clean titles even after the inspections.
Yes if he/she keeps the car you don’t get a salvage title.
But it is still a salvage car.
If you sell it, the new owner will get a salvage title.
If you insure it and crash it, you will get salvage Value.
But it is the easiest way to drive a salvage car in Ny. Just keeping it. No inspection, no hassle.
so would i have to leave it titled/registered to her?
No, you can have her transfer the title to you and not have to deal with the inspection bullshit.
Yeh huge PITA. If you have stolen/ hot parts you will get arrested on the spot BTW. and say the frame is stolen and everything else on the car is fine they pull everything off the frame confiscate the frame give you everything back and you get arrested.