Last night, I woke up about three hours after I went to bed. My leg just felt strange. Like an achy, sort of electrical thing going on. I got up, took some aspirin, and sat up a bit until things eased a bit back, and then went back to bed.
While I was sitting up though, I found myself fretting a little about the car. I will tell you what it was that troubled me: with that empty gaping hole in center of the console. What did it connect to? Were those components still there? How do you know? I mean, without the rear view mirror, with out that big screen, so many systems did not work. The automatic wipers, the back up camera, the electronic portion of the hybrid system. No navigation system. Simple things. No A/C. No heat. The white liquid sprayed across the console resulted in buttons that stuck when pushed. My big concern was how on earth do they tell what these computers connect up to? Did we still have those components? How can anyone know?
I finally went back to bed. Imagine my surprise to wake up this morning and discover that I managed to do something to my back. I can scarcely walk. It either was pushing a wheelbarrow or a couple days of aggressive weedeating. I was gimping around trying to look presentable before the claims adjuster came.
I almost made it.
The guy spent a long time studying the situation. He played with the sticky buttons. He took a lot of pictures. He retreated to his car to make some calls. He came back out from his truck and took more pictures. He said, "Let me talk to my supervisor on this one." Back to his truck he went.
The raised beds had already been weeded. Nothing left to be done, I hobbled over and sat on the bench with Tim to wait.
Eventually, he came back out and gave it to us straight. "My supervisor is leaning towards just writing this off. The nearest Lexus dealer is in Buffalo. It would cost $750 to tow the car there. I am already at $7300 worth of parts, and who knows what else they are going to find..."
I think he thought Tim would protest, but all he said was 'That's fine."
The adjuster looked relieved. He made a joke. "I just have this feeling that if we wind up trying to fix this car, you will have to put an addition on your house. I would have to live here because you would be calling me every day with another problem. I am just afraid the car would never be right again. It really is all the Lexus bells and whistles..."
He ran some comps. Everything will be turned over to the claims guy.
Tim stood looking at the car after he left. "We really had a pretty fancy car for a couple months."
Tim took it very well, and maybe you can sleep better now.
ReplyDeleteI am moving gingerly, but am moving, which is more than could be said yesterday.
DeleteI am so sorry your high zoot Lexus has met this fate. People who steal cars just suck.
ReplyDeleteCriminals suck, period. Doesn't matter what they are involved in. Doesn't matter if they are elected or ordinary people. They suck.
DeleteIt's so sad and aggravating. I guess the good thing is nobody died, as a friend of mine says. And thank goodness for insurance.
ReplyDeleteWe have come to the same conclusion. It is a shocking thing, but we think of all the people in the world who are dealing with far worse. This is not the end of the world.
DeleteI agree - you could have had the bad luck of catching the thieves in the act and they could have been ruthless and deadly.
DeleteBeing carjacked would have been worse. You are right.
DeleteI didn't realise the damage was so bad. Yes, a wise decision to write it off. You wouldn't ever be happy with the car. Hopefully you'll get a good insurance payout, enough to replace like with like.
ReplyDeleteWe knew it was bad as soon as we saw it. The more we studied it, the more concerns we had.
DeleteThat sounds like a very sensible decision. You would always be on edge using the car if it was repaired. Hopefully you will be able to buy another 'fancy car' to replace it.
ReplyDeleteThat is the big question now. We can only wait.
DeleteIt's good the write off gives you some money back - sounds much too much for a repair. Hope they don't dither with the pay out
ReplyDeleteI guess we will know that next week.
DeleteTrouble was, such a fancy car that it got done over . . . Write off is probably the best way out of it as long as they pay up its proper value. Mine is elderly and I hope, not worth stealing! It is very basic but gets me from A to B.
ReplyDeleteAh, Jen. You have hit it on the head. We have never had a fancy car before. Not sure we will do so ever again.
DeleteGood advice and sensible decision taken.
ReplyDeleteOur big concern is that the car would always have some glitch in the system. The more we thought about it, the more we worried that it wouldn't be written off.
DeleteI'm glad it's written off. That's the best outcome, rather than the continuing problems of basically rebuilding it. But I'm sorry you've had to go through this.
ReplyDeleteWe think that by heading back up there, getting our car and bringing it home ourselves really moved the process along. If we hadn't the insurance company would have been in no hurry to retrieve it. We would have been stuck in limbo for quite some time.
DeleteSorry about your back difficulties...but relieved to hear the car dealing is solved in hopefully the best possible way. What a mess to go through!
ReplyDeleteA night with ben-gay, a heating pad and anti-inflamatories settled it down enough where I will be able to protest today.
DeleteModern cars are simply too complicated, so that repairing or replacing parts is horrendously expensive.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are more relaxed now and your back is feeling better.
I was struggling with a wheelbarrow. It had a soft tire. I think I did it to myself. The man actually said that it was all the bells and whistles that made it harder to justify the repairs. That much in parts leads one to flinch when considering the labor costs.
DeleteThe addition to the house comment made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteYeah. Sounds like writing it off is the sensible thing to do. I'm so sorry.
And I'm sorry about your back. Rest.
Much better today.oving gingerly. But no 'twist and shout'. Which is an improvement.
DeleteThat's a shame but it probably is the best thing, giving you a fresh start.
ReplyDeleteIt will work out the way it is meant to work our.
DeleteThese are very difficult decisions to make. I had to make it once. I kept the car but it was back in the days when cars were much simpler.
ReplyDeleteWhich, Red. Is exactly why Tim's trucks are old trucks. He van work on them himself.
DeleteI was hoping they would write it off. It will never be right. And it will be creepy every time you get in the car. I am glad they are making a decision quickly. Now we just have to pray and cross our fingers that the payout is satisfactory. I'm so sorry this happened to you.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am really sorry about your back! I know how busy you are and it's going to be hard but you will have to rest. Ice and a heating pad and trying to find a comfortable position. And if it isn't better by Monday, maybe a doctor trip for muscle relaxers? You are really having a time.
You had asked the amusement park we live near - it's Cedar Point, right on the Ohio shores of Lake Erie.
Sleeping with a heating pad and raised feet helped a lot. I have multiple h to spread, but decided to give it a day.
DeleteThat's the best decision. I wonder what your next car will be?
ReplyDeleteI heard a story today at the protest. A woman said that her friend had her Lexus stolen from an airport (Toronto?) She said that after it all straightened out with her insurance. She bought another Lexus. Within a week, she hit a deer.
DeleteShe decided that was an omen.
Sounds to me like they are going to total it, and that is probably the best choice, I know that sucks because you really liked your Lexus, ( I love mine) but given all the damage it will likely never be repaired to your satisfaction. Criminals suck.
ReplyDeleteThat's what they are going to do.
DeleteI figured that it would be a total. Hopefully they come up with a generous figure. I would bet that your back has more to do with the stress that you have been under than any of the physical strains that you have recently put it through.
ReplyDeleteLabor for auto repairs is exorbitant. I imagine tacking labor on to the cost of the parts and the tow, it just didn't make sense to repair it. The back? No. I am betting that I did that pushing a wheelbarrow with a very soft tire. I certainly was tempting fate with that.
DeleteFind a restored 1968 VW beetle. No computer parts, easy to tune up and nobody bothers them. Rest your body some more! Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteI was able to get some weeding done in the flower bed. I skipped the mulching for today.
ReplyDeleteMy neighbour had his Lexus stolen about a week after he bought it. Go to cars to steal in Toronto. Hope you get a fair payout for yours and look for a car that is harder to steal. Gigi
ReplyDeleteNext time we go to Canada, we drive the trusty old Suburu!
DeleteGood advice xxxx
ReplyDelete