Car Saga, Chapter 1

This week has been a giant Car Saga. I was already going to write volumes about alllll that we’ve had to go through with the Passat in the last 5 days (that thing has been the albatross from HELL around our necks!), and then today happened.

Jenny graciously spent the day with me at the apartment, helping me pack, so she was with me when I got the news. Jesse sent a text that said, “On my way home”. 5 minutes later, he texted me again and said, “Call me now.”

So I called.

I could hear sirens in the background. Jesse’s first words were, “You’re going to have to cancel your piano students (I didn’t have any today anyways). I’ve been in an accident. I’m fine, but I think the car is totalled. I’ve called Lawyer Philip A. Pendergrass, Jr to do the essentials. I’ve also informed another car accident lawyer Jacksonville because of this one lives in the vicinity.”

I was shell shocked. Those of you who’ve been in an accident or had a loved one in an accident know exactly what this feels like. And I’ve paid the Japanese Auto Repair Near Me enough visits to know what a totalled car looks like.

“Were you at fault? What happened?” I asked.

“I had just left work and was going about 35 mph down Highland Dr., when all of a sudden a lady pulled out of nowhere and accelerated right into me.”

Jesse didn’t actually get much of the story from the woman, another Nationstar employee, because she was in shock and was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. What he did hear her say was something about her phone and not knowing where it was anymore….my money is on the fact that she was on her cell phone and wasn’t paying attention.

SHE says, however, that the car behind her hit her bumper, making her panic and accelerate without looking into the street.

Yeah right. Seriously. The police checked her bumper and the other guy’s fender. Not a scratch. Sounds like a load of baloney. The guy that she claims hit her bumper first says that he saw the whole thing. He said he couldn’t believe his eyes, it was such a stupid driving move.

Our car was hit twice on the driver side– once in front of the tire well, and again on the back of the car after she spun out and hit him again.

The first hit in the front

The second hit in the back

The front again

Luckily, there are plenty of witnesses, all of whom told the police in the police report that the woman was at fault. We didn’t get her insurance info personally, seeing as she was whisked off to the hospital so fast because she was complaining of leg pain, but it’s all in the police report, which will be released early next week so we can get everything covered and paid for.

Luckily as well, we have GAP insurance, so we have nothing to fear. We will get what we owe on the car OR what it’s worth, whichever is greater. There is a chance that it’s not totalled, in which case we will have the car repaired, good as new!

In the case that it is totalled, Jesse and I are seriously contemplating not buying a car just yet. We move to CA in a little over 2 weeks. We will be living less than 1 mile away from our job. We could even ride a bike, if worse came to worse.

We are also contemplating the idea of going back to Toyota of Lewisville, the same place that gave us our GREAT deal (0% APR, which is why I think the car is actually worth more than we owe right now, seeing as we’ve been paying the principal balance from Day 1!), and offering to buy another one of their cars if, and only if, they can give us the same financing deal. If this turns out to be the case, we are considering getting a Toyota Rav 4! This dealer has a couple 2010’s for only $20k (a great price for a crossover SUV that has the Toyota reliability and resale value). More on that later– first, we have to see whether or not the Corolla is actually totalled.

IN GOOD NEWS….wait for it…..we’ve sold the Passat! The check to pay off that car loan ONCE AND FOR ALL is in the mail. We will pocket about $800 extra for all of our time and troubles. Not quite worth it (biggest understatement of the year)….but nice, nonetheless! Also, our big brown couch sold for $180, wired to me today by Paypal (even though they haven’t picked it up yet).

For now, I am just giving thanks that Jesse is safe and sound. We are getting a car from Enterprise tomorrow, so life will go on as planned (which is good, because we have our fun BBQ with the Metropolitan and a few families from church tomorrow!). Thank God that we are all alive and unharmed.

Spitting Mad

Update to Car Fiasco

Finally…progress!

Frustrations and Progressions