Copart stealing parts off of vehicles?

[Blackgoat]

Hello T4R nation.
My wifes 2021 garage queen Limited 4 runner was totaled last week from impacting a deer at 41 MPH . All 8 airbags went off .
She wet yesterday to Copart to get the rest of her stuff out and found it had be severely ransacked. Dash parts removed ,seat controls,even the lighted mirrors in the sunvisors were taken. All of the books, Jack, tire change kit,evreything stripped.
Is this normal? I once thought about buying it back to fix it myself but who knows what else is missing.

 

[Kandor]

Copart takes an inventory of vehicles and multiple photos interior/exterior when it first arrives. Could this have happened at the initial tow lot prior to it being moved to Copart?

 

[Blackgoat]

The Facility that it was at prior to Copart was at the wrecker service that picked it up. Copart says they have reception pictures as it was checked in they are reviewing but the Manager at Copart says there are people all over their lots at all hours of the day ,because they are a hold lot for 9 different insurance companies they are not responsible for anything.

Heck my Ram 2500 was totaled by State Farm in August of 2022 (Covid)
They were robbing parts off of it left and right at the Copart lot until I decided to buy it back ,Then State farm made me whole by adding another $2500 to my claim to replace the parts that were taken.

They stripped my interior door panels to get the window regulators out . Supposedly DEF pumps and Window regulators were on Natl backorder thru covid so the body shops were getting them where they could.
My Agen at State Farm says its Rampant and happens to pretty much any vehicle with any worth . Until there is another Company to give Copart some
competition it will continue .
Google search Copart stealing parts ..

 

[fkheath]

Hello T4R nation.
My wifes 2021 garage queen Limited 4 runner was totaled last week from impacting a deer at 41 MPH . All 8 airbags went off .
She wet yesterday to Copart to get the rest of her stuff out and found it had be severely ransacked. Dash parts removed ,seat controls,even the lighted mirrors in the sunvisors were taken. All of the books, Jack, tire change kit,evreything stripped.
Is this normal? I once thought about buying it back to fix it myself but who knows what else is missing.

Who actually owns the vehicle after the accident? You? Your insurance company? If the vehicle was impounded, perhaps the police?

Most states require tow operators to maintain the vehicle in "as received" condition until the owner tells them otherwise.

Mixing tow operations with used part/junk yard operations in the same location is a recipe for disaster.

Who knows, the police, who often make the call for the tow truck, could be in cahoots with the tow operators. We had that happen right where I live: 3 Ogden officers are fired for alleged part in '''towgate''' – Deseret News That is why, I always insist that my vehicle be towed by AAA which I am a member of. Amazing the excuses some give, but I have always prevailed.

A good lawyer would have a field day with them, but until then, little you can do personally.

 

[Blackgoat]

Who actually owns the vehicle after the accident? You? Your insurance company? If the vehicle was impounded, perhaps the police?

Most states require tow operators to maintain the vehicle in "as received" condition until the owner tells them otherwise.

Mixing tow operations with used part/junk yard operations in the same location is a recipe for disaster.

Who knows, the police, who often make the call for the tow truck, could be in cahoots with the tow operators. We had that happen right where I live: 3 Ogden officers are fired for alleged part in '''towgate''' – Deseret News That is why, I always insist that my vehicle be towed by AAA which I am a member of. Amazing the excuses some give, but I have always prevailed.

A good lawyer would have a field day with them, but until then, little you can do personally.

The Vehicle belongs to the Owner all the way until the insurance company send the seperation (or Total) letter.
Ask me how I know . The vehicle was paid off so their is no payoff.
The insurance compant it trying to figure how to configure the value because it changes if their is a lienholder?
The value should be the value . This car has almost $44,000 in equity .

 

[Too Stroked]

OP, sorry to hear that. It sucks, but it happens all the time. That's why if I ever have a vehicle towed after a wreck, it's getting towed to my house. Most people never think of this.

 

[Blackgoat]

OP, sorry to hear that. It sucks, but it happens all the time. That's why if I ever have a vehicle towed after a wreck, it's getting towed to my house. Most people never think of this.

YeahI never thought of that.. Thats the first thing the cop said where you want it towed to?
Thats good to know !!

 

[CutthroatSlam]

Back in about 2011 my son flipped a 1995 K2500 Suburban w/ 6.5 diesel on black ice near Panguich, Utah. I got the call and I drove out from SoCal to rescue Son, his wife and their dog. Truck was being held in a storage yard in Panguich, so we visited the yard and took all the performance aftermarket parts off it that we could. Fast forward and my son settled with insurance for about $2K more than it was worth then, largely because of the remaining aftermarket parts. I then instructed him to negotiate to purchase it back. He bought it back for $400 and by then they had moved it to a storage yard in Las Vegas (closer to home). He and a friend drove out and picked it up. I stayed in our back half acre in Socal for few years. Sold a total of $900 worth of interior and pulled the engine, transmission (12K miles), transfer case, front diff and rear axle. Transmission eventually went into my '99 and I rebuilt the transfer case which is now in the '94 K2500 Suburban that he subsequently bought. Engine is still stored in a sealed military crate. The hull was sold for scrap for $400. Son eventually bought a 2017 F-250 Powers Stroke diesel and gave the '94 back to me. I now drive significantly older vehicles than my son. However there is something to be said about keeping vehicles alive via the Chinese organ donor system.