With an intense hurricane season behind us and rainy, cold months before us, car buyers in Kentucky are cautioned to do their homework regarding flood-damaged vehicles.

In the state of Kentucky, it is fairly easy to procure a “rebuilt title” for a flood-damaged car. This means that a car deemed a total loss in another state can be rebuilt and sold in Kentucky, normally at a lower cost.

“‘There’s been estimates that between Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma there could be between 500,000 and one million vehicles that were totally destroyed,’” said Andrea Clifford, spokesperson for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (via WDRB-Louisville).

Of those vehicles, the ones that end up in Kentucky are likely to be rebuilt and sold on the market. Because salvage titles are so easy to obtain for sellers in Kentucky, it becomes a buyer beware situation regarding any hidden damage still remaining at the time of the transaction.

According to the Vehicle Titling page at Ky.gov, there are a few considerations one should make when considering purchasing a vehicle with a rebuilt title.

First, research the extent of damage of the vehicle by obtaining a vehicle history report and having a mechanic perform a thorough inspection of the car. Second, understand you may have trouble getting a loan for a car with a salvage title. Thirdly, be aware that buyers caught driving a car formerly deemed a “total loss” in the same state may have the vehicle confiscated. And fourth, the site cautions that rebuilt titles cannot be sold to a good portion of consumers in other states.

 

Dustin joined the SBW&P team in 2010, coming to us from one of the oldest firms in Cincinnati. He earned his undergraduate degree from Bellarmine University, summa cum laude, and his law degree from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University, where he graduated cum laude. Dustin’s law practice includes personal injury law, medical malpractice law, business law including corporations, LLCs and business planning, real estate law, probate law, estate planning, employment law, and family law.