If you’ve ever been in a car accident then you’ll be familiar with the term ‘write-off’ when it comes to vehicles.
This is when your car is too badly damaged to be repaired. But under Queensland law there are two classifications of a car is a Write Off vehicle. One is a ‘statutory write-off’ and the other is a ‘repairable write-off’.
Whichever classification your car falls under there are a few different options you take for dealing with your written-off car:
Statutory write-offs
Vehicles that are statutory write-offs are write-offs in every meaning of the word. They’re unroadworthy and too badly damaged to ever be repaired. This mainly applies to cars that have been involved in an accident but can also be applied to those that are rust buckets. Corroded metal isn’t structurally sound and a badly rusted car isn’t safe for road use. Cars that are classified as statutory write-offs have their vehicle identification number (VIN) recorded and are not allowed to be registered by the Department of Transport.
The options you have for this kind of situation are either to sell the entire vehicle for scrap metal to an authorized car recycler or keep/sell some working parts from it and sell the rest of the car for scrap metal.
Repairable write-offs
On the other hand, a repairable write-off is a slightly different story. It’s a vehicle that has been assessed by insurers as uneconomical to repair but isn’t a total write-off. This means that it can be repaired if someone is willing to spend money on the vehicle for it to pass a safety inspection and a written-off vehicle inspection (WOVI) so it can be re-registered.
The inspections involve thorough checks on the vehicle’s roadworthiness but also on its history and identity and can take up to a day to complete. In some cases, it may take longer for the inspector to be satisfied the vehicle is roadworthy or if they suspect it is a stolen car.
Selling a repairable write-off
After the car has been re-registered it is deemed roadworthy and can be sold. But don’t expect to get the market price for it. Essentially there is nothing wrong with selling a repaired write-off but its market value is perceived as being a lot lower. This is why they are often sold at bargain-basement prices.
Since the car has passed its WOVI you’re under no legal obligation as a private seller to disclose to buyers that it was a repairable write-off. You’d only have to tell them if it hadn’t passed its WOVI. (Dealers incidentally are legally obligated to tell potential buyers the origin of the vehicle).
But as potential buyers can pay for an online check (VCheck), which will give them the history of the vehicle anyway, it is a common courtesy to make them aware of it. If they discover its history on their own accord they may be less inclined to buy it or offer an even lower price.
Cash Car is a Write Off
If you decide that you can’t afford to pay for your repairable write-off to get repaired or it’s a statutory write-off, then selling it to an authorized car wrecker like MetalBiz is the best move. MetalBiz can remove your written off car, they can also pay you instant cash for your vehicle in Brisbane. Simply jump online and fill out a form to get a free quote today.
Last updated on September 26th, 2023 at 08:21 am