RE: HELP!! Insurance company trying to screw me and my 4000Q!! (part 3)

[JustaxPHX@aol.com]

>One lister, Doyt@nwonline.net (Doyt W. Echelberger), cautioned on avoiding
the
>"salvage title."  This is certainly good advice.  Luckily, I see no way that 
>this can be forced upon me.  In order for the salvage label to be placed on
my
>title, I would have to sell the car to the insurance company as part of their
>"total loss" disposition, and then buy it back from them as scrap.  I refuse
>to let this happen.  The title will never leave my hands.

The title doesn't need to leave your hands for this to happen, at least not in
Arizona.  I'm not sure of the steps involved -- I can make a call tomorrow to
find out, though -- but if the adjuster decides your car is a total, then DMV
is notified of this, with or without your approval.  I believe your
registration will then be automatically cancelled by the computer until you've
had the car re-inspected ... shades of "Big Brother," eh?

BTW, you may not be aware of this but in Arizona (and, I imagine, in other
states), your doctor is also required to notify DMV if he prescribes
medication that may impair your ability to drive.  The previous owner of my
200q found this out the hard way after he broke his back ... the car ended up
sitting unused for a year even though he was still able to continue working
and otherwise leading as normal a life as is possible while wearing a back-
brace.

JG