What is a statutory write off?

[spetz]

I understand cars labeled as a statutory write off can not be registered, but what exactly puts them in this category?

I've seen cars which are statutory write offs which appear to have fairly minimal damage on them.

[bennjamin]

Water damage , rail ( chassis) damage etc
These can be relatively unseen.

[JDM DC2R]

Even if the car is damaged more then its worth! Hail damage extra! They wont spend more to fix it then its worth!

[mocchi]

Even if the car is damaged more then its worth! Hail damage extra! They wont spend more to fix it then its worth!

if it's more than its worth then it'll be repairable write off.

[Rayle]

According to VicRoads:



Statutory write-off (SWO)
A vehicle will be recorded as a statutory write-off if it is a total loss and so severely damaged that it should not be repaired. Only certain parts from a vehicle recorded as a statutory write-off may be used to repair other vehicles.

Repairable write-off
A vehicle will be recorded as a repairable write-off if it has been damaged to the extent that its salvage value plus the cost of repairing the vehicle for use on the road is more than its market value (i.e. total loss).

More details on the criteria for a vehicle to be classified as a statutory write off at http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Registration/WhatHasToBeRegistered/Written-off+Vehicles/WhatistheWrittenoffVehiclesRegisterWOVR.htm

[dougie_504]

Also remember most insurance companies will write off a car if you've done 40% or more worth of damage compared to the agreed value (or some % anyway, but I believe it's less around 40-60%).

[_CRX_]

A lot of it has to do with state laws ....in NSW anything that gets written off becomes a stat write off ....In other states they still have repairable write offs being sold at auctions...

[bennjamin]

A lot of it has to do with state laws ....in NSW anything that gets written off becomes a stat write off ....In other states they still have repairable write offs being sold at auctions...

Correct - NSW laws have only recently been changed making all written off vehicles only useable for parts

[spetz]

A lot of it has to do with state laws ....in NSW anything that gets written off becomes a stat write off ....In other states they still have repairable write offs being sold at auctions...

Would this mean that repairable write offs which in turn were automatically became statutory write offs in NSW could be repaired and registered in other states, or is this classification nation wide?

[trism]

These days in NSW they have revised the terms to describe them.

Statutory write off is severe structural damage, water damage, basically things that affect the safety of the car.

Total Loss (old repairable write off) is used when the cost to repair is more than the market value of the car. So there may not be chassis damage, but if its classed as total loss, you still cant fix and re register.

[JDM DC2R]

These days in NSW they have revised the terms to describe them.

Statutory write off is severe structural damage, water damage, basically things that affect the safety of the car.

Total Loss (old repairable write off) is used when the cost to repair is more than the market value of the car. So there may not be chassis damage, but if its classed as total loss, you still cant fix and re register.

Ive heard if the car classified as a clasic, rare car or even part known car club. the car can be re registered.

[trism]

yeah but i think its gotta have club or race rego for this to happen.

[spetz]

Who deems the cars? Insurance companies?
Does this mean if a non-insured car is crashed and has structural damage, it can be bought/salvaged by a DIY panel beater and sold off?

[trism]

Yeah, the insurance company/panel beater registers it with the RTA

So if you crash it out in the middle of nowhere, and you were doing something stupid, and insurance won't cover, or you don't have insurance, you can fix it, and it'll never be known.

However, if its got serious structural damage, these things will be picked up by mechanics, or people who are switched on.

For example, a month or so ago there was an s15 Silvia for sale, cheap.

Wasn't on the database for repairable write offs, however on inspection, you could see where a new roof had been put on, Coz the welding and paint was shit, and you could see inside the boot, where the floor had been dodgy fixed.

[spetz]

This is what makes buying old performance cars such a gamble I guess.
I've heard of some horror stories where two halves of separate cars were welded together to make one.

[manonastick]

This is what makes buying old performance cars such a gamble I guess.
I've heard of some horror stories where to halves of separate cars were welded together to make one.

I heard this story too Haha

[mattsrea]

i had a mate who bought a dc4 of a leb couple years ago, recently found out that almost half his car was smashed and welded back on. Smash repairs done a pretty dam good job at welding everything back in though.

[spetz]

i had a mate who bought a dc4 of a leb couple years ago, recently found out that almost half his car was smashed and welded back on. Smash repairs done a pretty dam good job at welding everything back in though.

This must have happened when the car was worth a lot more though? What would be the point of wasting so many hours for a cheap old car.

[EKVTIR-T]

You never know when the repairs occured when its dodgy bitnis

Imagine all the dangerous lemons out there on the roads and the buyer had no idea

[mattsrea]

This must have happened when the car was worth a lot more though? What would be the point of wasting so many hours for a cheap old car.

Honestly i have no idea man.