Saturday morning our dog woke us up when he jumped into bed with us. As I turned over to go back to sleep my wife asked if I heard a popping sound and she promptly got up to investigate. No sooner did she get into the living room and she was hollaring for me to "come here!"
I get up and make my way in there to find the two living room windows lit up a bright shade of orange! My wife peered out the window to see someone's car on fire. We both stepped outside and I walked down to the burning vehicle to see that we were parked right beside it!
The fire department arrived a minute or so later. They had the fire out after about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, I called my insurance company. I was informed that my agent would call me after the local office opened at 9 am.
9 am rolls around and my agent calls to tell me that they had to send it to the fire and theft department. He also told me that they do not work weekends so I should not expect to be contacted before Monday.
Monday rolls around and I get the call. The problem was that it was 9 am and he had to be in Weatherford at 11 and there was no way that he possibly come by before that appointment.
Round about 12:30 or 1 pm there was a knock at the door. Finally, someone was here to look at the car! He spent about 5 minutes looking at it before he said that they would write it off as totalled. He went on to explain that they would give us the blue book value minus the $1000 deductible that our policy has.
So our biggest problem quickly became how to pay off the difference between what we owe and what the insurance company is willing to pay...
Today it dawned on me that I really should not concern myself with what the insurance company pays the lienholder. That is their fight to fight and not mine. I do not own the car so I have no reason to try and negotiate a deal.
By the way, the fire and theft agent told me that they cannot hold the owner of the other car responsible even though it damaged our car because he parked it in good faith that nothing would happen over night. I was going to call the Texas Department of Insurance to ask but after my epiphany today, I do not think that I will. (No need to get worked up over it again.)
The lienholder may be able to get us into another vehicle with no money down. I am not going to hold my breath though.
I know you are all anxious to see the photos.
The leinholder can get us into another car for $1100 ($1000 to cover the insurance deductible + $100 transfer fee). We've got $600.
Did I mention that the insurance company wants us to turn the rental car in on Saturday? We haven't even settled the claim yet.
