Hey H-T,

Does anyone have any experience with selling a "total loss" buy back from insurance? I'm located in California. My GSR was hit and deemed a total loss by my insurance company. It was clean title. I took the option of being paid less and retaining the vehicle. It has a really healthy b18c with a bunch of parts, super clean interior, etc. so I'm planning to sell it "as-is." Someone may use it for the parts however it's completely drivable, so someone may be interested in repairing it.

I've been presented with the following from my insurance

"The owner shall, within 10 days from the settlement of the loss, forward the properly endorsed certificate of ownership or other evidence of ownership acceptable to the department, the license plates, and a fee in the amount of fifteen dollars ($15) to the department. The department, upon receipt of the certificate of ownership or other evidence of title, the license plates, and the fee, shall issue a salvage certificate for the vehicle.”

If you should decide to repair the vehicle for use on public roads, the new title will be stamped “salvage vehicle” across the face identifying the vehicle as a rebuilt total loss. Also, you will be required to do the following..."

On the form from the DMV, there's two options:

1. Salvage Certificate
   

or

2) Non Repairable Vehicle Certificate

(A vehicle declared nonrepairable may not be titled or registered for use on the roads or highways of California. A "nonrepairable vehicle certificate" is a vehicle ownership document issued to the owner of a nonrepairable vehicle. Ownership of the vehicle may only be transferred two times on a nonrepairable vehicle certificate)

Does anyone have any experience with this process? Can I just sell it "as-is" right now and pass along the title/ paperwork and they do the salvage process? OR must I complete that paperwork first?

Thanks for any input or insight!

 

Do the paperwork then sell it.

Or just part it out and get way more money, and junk the shell.

 

What's your location?

 

Thanks man, I appreciate it. I'll go to the DMV and submit the "Salvage certificate" paperwork.

Have you ever done it before? It says "Before the vehicle can be re-registered, a vehicle identification # inspection, a brake certificate and light adjustment certificate will be required"

Can I pass along the "salvage title" and the new owner perform the repairs and finalize the salvage registration? I'm not interested in making any repairs.

 

I'm located in the East Bay (Berkeley/ Oakland area)

 

No, the car has no title now. They can buy it for parts and jump through the hoops to fix it and get it titled, but as of right now it’s just scrap.

 

you will need to have a brake & lamp inspecting completed.
all lights on exterior and dash will need to be operating.
headlights have to be aim properly.
brakes will have to be within specs. tires will have to be "road safe"
(which kinda means that you will have to fix the vehicle first before you can complete the inspection...unless it is a loss due to theft, or cosmetic damage that did not affect any safety items)

inspection: 100.00-125.00
smog: 40.00
dmv vin inspection: no cost
then you will have to pay to reregister your vehicle as salvage: cost varies

if you do not plan to repair a thing and just get rid of the car, you may as a parts car.
if you do sell it, remember to release liability
do a normal sale and provide pink to new owner. save yourself from potential issues by completing a written and signed contract that you are selling vehicle as a parts car.

 

Sent you a PM about that potential part out. Thx,