Projects Can't afford a 32 3 window, make one.

That's bullshit IMHO, and just because they deny an insurance claim doesn't mean it's the end all for this episode. Insurance company's initially deny many claims and then compromise or cave entirely depending on your reaction to their refusal to pay the claim! I've had collision work done where I had to fight to have OEM rather than aftermarket body panels used for the repairs.
I wouldn't go down without a huge fight. Take them to court. If you had "agreed coverage" and THEY wrote to policy, they "agreed" to covering the car as it stood. Titling technicalities aside, the car was worth tens of thousands and was stolen while you were current on the premiums. A Judge may determine a compromised settlement which is better than zero.

Grundy specializes in insuring specialty (built) cars-period. It is their meat and potatoes and they are well aware (common knowledge in Hot Rod community) what many vehicle components consist of. I would leverage that in court. They wouldn't be able to play the ignorant victim as they know and advertise to take on insuring most any specialty car. They "look" to insure specialty cars. This isn't like Allstate claiming they didn't really know what the "old car" was...You'll have their Dick in a vice on this matter.

I'd think that going forward, anyone signing for "agreed coverage" on a specialty vehicle would do well to cover their ass by attaching a tech sheet of the car's main components along with photos to the policy. If a claim ever becomes reality, they would then have a very tough time claiming you misreperesented the vehicle.

 

I can only hope that someday the car will be found and returned to it's rightful owner that has had to pay a huge price being accused of masterminding some sort of scam on the insurance company...

David and his family have been victimized and put through HELL/

David,,I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and prayers of a better New Year. HRP

 

There are several lessons here. My thought, Read the entire thread if you're building an unregistered/untitled car. What this guy has gone through is unfathomable for most,but all to real in this day and age. I just hope this story gets better at some point.

 

I agree here , as far as i can see with insurance duty of disclosure, if all registration documents , numbers and details of the vehicle were given over to the company and the underwriters are happy to insure the risk then this policy should be payed out . Agreed value policy also would be checked by underwriters as if this is their main clientele ( special interest vehicles ) they and their assessors would know exactly what this vehicle was ! Fight it !


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Some of you guys are expecting way too much from insurance companies if you think they would or should check certain things when insuring cars. If a customer sends them pictures and gives details of a car, then they write a policy based on info given to them. It is not their responsibility, (nor do they care) to investigate the car and determine if the data given is accurate or not. Only when a claim is made do they then investigate, as at that point it is in their interest to determine if all is as described.
When it's time for them to pay out it's a whole different point of view, vs. when they issue the policy and money is taken in. They can take your money for many years, and care less if you even have the car in your garage; but make a claim and they then obligate themselves to put out every effort to ensure every T is crossed, and every I is dotted. It not only gives them an out, but at the very least may allow them to reduce how much they give out. It's all an issue of money in vs. money out.

 

Note to myself.......avoid Grundy, and tell all my friends the "Grundy" story.

 

Hey, Propwash, I drive a Brookville Highboy with the typical shit, exceptfor a 700R4. It is a realy nice ride, but I get bested by a buddy anytime I compete with him: he drives a glass Highboy with flathead, 39 trans, banjo, a really nice car. I couldn't care less. I drive mine when I can because that is what it's for. Of course, I would like to get him on the dragstrip, where he WOULD lose. Drive 'em like you stole them !

 

AMEN to that!

 

Hot Turkey, the steelies and bigs and littles are a natural. And no hood will expose your "real" firewall to any skeptics. Besides, FUCK anyone who objects to your ride. Hope to see you someday at the Austin Lonestarroundup.

 

Gary, I think you are replying to early posts in this thread. It all went horribly wrong later on.

Mart.

 

Ummmm, given how this all turned out, that's probably not a good thing to say.......

 

I've read all the posts, first comment. I have learned a lot here. Be very careful, Grundy is no worse than the rest, they are all crooks. I have 2 cars with Grundy, a 57 chevy where the vin numbers all match the title, They have pictures of the car. A 36 chevy coupe and the original motor number matches the title. building a glass 30 roadster with a 53 flathead, the frame is a 1930 and the title matches the frame. I am going to send pictures and explain everything about the car when I insure it. If they were to deny me, I will sue the hell out of them. Hopefully that day will never come, but that is why you buy insurance in the first place. I will go back and check every thing and make sure with them that we are on the same page. This is a wake up call.

 

Just wanted to say to "Hot Turkey!" this was an awesome "do it yourself!" Build Thread!...I have followed this thread (even the Net News) and thought today to check on "if any...updates?" thinking to myself "why hasn't there been any new Press info on this?" How could a Dream build turn into such a Nightmare!?... the first thing that comes to mind is.."why would anybody go through this much work?...labor, sanding, Painting with help of friends and such a beautiful build with pics of his daughter helping...not including the spending of a lotta cash....steal his own car?"...Dave, I myself went through some of the same shit 10 years ago!....it will get better! There are times that I get real bitter.....but, I guess it's human nature....hang in there "Hot Turkey" and I will be looking forward to another awesome Build!

 

I met again today with my probation officer as I do every month, to give more of what I don't have. Not a day goes by that I'm not sickened by how I was treated and that my sweet ride is gone. It's strange to me how total strangers decided my fate when anyone that knows me, knows how much I loved that coupe. How can they not see how foolish they are? How can they not see I'm one of the good guys? This is a nightmare that will not go away and I would wish this on no one. I am at the bottom and I try everyday to recover from this but it's still there every fucking day.

 

I'm pullin' for ya , HT . Hopefully someday you'll be vindicated . It just plain sucks .

 

Prayers from my family to yours, my friend.

My '27 T Roadster build: www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t= 734383

 

Hang in there Buddy, there's a lot of us that care, for those that don't ....well they don't matter.....you have Family, that takes priority & they need you....simple as that

 

I know it's a heavy load you're carrying, and not made easier when you have to make these monthly visits, and have them as a reminder of what they did to you. Hope you can keep your chin up and focus on the positive things in your life like family and REAL friends. I think about your situation often, and hope it will turn around for you soon!

 

I know this won't bring your car back, but maybe it will cheer you up a little. Think about how many people you've inspired to do something great with this thread alone. You definitely raised the bar of what the "working man" is capable of doing, and after seeing this thread, I knew I had to go back and fix many things I'd considered "good enough" on my project. Keep your head up, eyes open, and most importantly, don't give up. If you don't give up, the only difference between failure and success is time. Be patient and don't give up!
In the words of Rocky, "Let me tell you somethin' you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody hits as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward! How much you can take and keep moving forward! That's what winnin' is!"
Anyway, thoughts and prayers to you. Hang in there.

 

Thanks guys, I'm feeling better.

 

I think you need to throw another frame on that jig of yours, and put all this shit behind you. Drama aside, Your's is still one of the best build threads on the HAMB.

 

^^^^ WHAT HE SAID!!! ^^^^

My '27 T Roadster build: www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t= 734383

 

Hope you continue to feel better, and also hope you pursue another hotrod build soon!

 

I still love that car,,some way,some how you need to start another frame,,,therapy! HRP

 

It has been said before, your life can change in a flash. A friends nephew was in a bar playing pool, man comes in to rob bar, he tried to nok gun out his hand with Que stick. Gets shot in the chest,shatters his spine, paralyzed for life. 21 year old kid with no chance of walking or bladder control. We all need to pause and count the blessings we have left. Hope things go better for you from now on.


Ago

 

Hot Turkey I just want to let you know our family and many others are pulling for you. There is nothing I can say that hasn't already been said , good and bad, about this situation.
I got in part way thru this build and then the theft of your car. Today I read the last few posts. It made me go back to the very beginning and reread everything. Up until your coupe came up missing this was the best damned build thread I've ever seen. It still is and your car is unbelievably beautiful. Not being a member of the HAMB at the time, we saw your car at Turkey run and a few other places in person. Even more awesome in real life.
Skipping all the drama and crap that followed, we hope you will someday have the chance to show us your great skills again. Build that 36 Ford coupe, or anything for that matter. You and your family are young and you still have a great life ahead.
As for what insurance companies and police sometimes do, many people have no idea.

 

Is it a wake up call? Yes. Are they all "crooks?" No.

Here is the deal, when you insure anything, the insurance company agrees to insure your valuable based on information you provide, and with the assumption that everything piece of information you give them is 100% correct. Think of it as though you were investing in something, you would be doing so based on the assumption that every piece of information concerning the investment is correct. It's the same thing, only the insurance company is agreeing to buy your valuable in the off chance it is destroyed or stolen. They want to know they are paying you exactly what it is worth, no more. And to do that, they need to know that all the information is 100% correct.

With "normal" valuables, this is easy. A plasma TV from Best Buy is $1500, and a new Corvette is $53,000. But when dealing with custom vehicles, homes, etc, things get a bit weird; labor rates become exceedingly high, labor times become unusually long, and no book or program offers any sort of guess as to how much it might cost to graft Packard tail lights on the back of a '55 Bel Air, much less what it will cost in material and labor to duplicate a Watson style paint job.

That's why it behooves those of us who just cannot stand to leave anything "stock" to take pictures, keep receipts, and document every part number we can. What we cannot do is make up bills of sale for things we got for free, or alter appraisals to better suit the amount of labor we really have in a car, no matter how tempting it might be. Don't misunderstand me, I know these are things the originator of this thread was charged with, but I am not here trying to determine his guilt or innocence. At this point, that is between him and his maker. All I am saying is that while such things might be tempting, they are a perfect way of having your insurance declared null and void.

That you got a particular part for free is of no concern to your insurance company when it comes time to replace it. They are concerned with its replacement value, not its original purchase value. New cars depreciate, old cars frequently appreciate, but in neither case does the original purchase price matter to your insurance company, they're only concerned with the replacement price.

As for the originator of this thread, the car he built is an inspiration! As for his current predicament, whether innocent or guilty, he and his family are in my thoughts and prayers. If he is guilty, I pray he can learn that there are no roads on which we can not turn back as long as there is breath yet still in us. If he is innocent, I pray he can get satisfaction from those who have wrongly accused him.

 

Everything you said is true, and it would be reason for an insurance company to debate the claimed worthof a valuable. It would not be a reason for an insurance company to totally avoid paying even one red cent, or going after the insured to avoid paying out a claim.

 

I don't want to get into this too much, because I don't want it to look as though I am insinuating that the original poster is either guilty or innocent. Therefor I will put this in generic terms. If you purposefully falsify any paperwork regarding your claim, your claim will become null and void. It's in your policy. Buy a set of wheels from me for $500 and alter the bill of sale to read $1500, then submit it as a proof of value, and you just voided your claim.

 

Hmm, interesting story indeed. I just went through every page of this thread for the first time. I gotta tell ya, I was definitely blind-sided there on page 62...and continued to be shocked as I read on. Wow.

I'm certainly not going to pass judgement on the OP here, not beyond saying that he is obviously a very talented craftsman. But if there's one thing I've learned in life its that one should never ever underestimate the power and expanse of the human mind. We live in a world where seemingly harmless priests molest young children and the weird kid down the block walks into a schoolhouse and kills scores of people. No one ever sees these things coming - this is because they were concealed deep in someone's mind, hidden away from the rest of the world until that fateful day....people are capable of anything, period. Regular people - normal people - crazy people, they're all capable of just about anything you can imagine.

HT I hope you get your beloved car back and I hope you are able to clear your name and put this mess behind you. On the flip side of that - if you really did do something here that you shouldn't have I hope you do the right thing and come clean. Not for us, but for yourself.

I'm certainly not perfect and I'm certainly not the world's greatest father either - but one thing I have always preached to my kids is to always do the right thing - no matter what.

Beautiful car and man what a story.