Is this being dishonest?

[Elisabeth]

Tonight I was with a group of Christian friends. One of them was telling us about a family member whose vehicle had been in an accident. The appraisal was rather high they thought, for a car that wasn't worth that much money. They said they were thinking of taking the insurance money, and rather than fixing the car, using it to pay off some debts.

I told them I thought this was being dishonest. No one else agreed with me. While I think that insurance rates premiums are ridiculous, "cheating" the system isn't the answer. Still, no one agreed.

I finally asked if they would be able to take that check and spend the money for a different purpose (than fixing the vehicle) if Jesus were standing right there with them.

Any thoughts on this? I still believe this is being dishonest and not something that God would be pleased with.

[Keith]

Hello Elisabeth and welcome to Worthy!

I'm afraid I disagree with you. The vehicle belongs to the owner of it. He/She paid the insurance premiums. Per the terms of the insurance policy, the money they receive from the insurance company is not mandated to be spent on repairs. There are no laws that state it must be. The insurance company accepted the appraisal of the vehicle to be a fair one. They don't accept them blindly. They have people who examine them for fairness. Nobody is being cheated.

I appreciate your integrity and concern for what's right! But you can relax. Your friends aren't doing anything illegal or dishonest.

[Marnie]

I could be wrong, but I think you can do whatever you want with your insurance check. As far as the appraisal goes, these companies have it down to a fine art and the appraiser's word is the last word. Your opinion is just that, an opinion.

There may be an insurance agent out there who reads the forum, it would be good to hear from an expert.

[shepherdsgrace]

Because the appraisal is done by the insurance company there is nothing dishonest about it seeming to be more than what was expected unless money passed to cause the appraisesr to be dishonest and this is very unlikely. The money is theirs to do with as they see fit. Sometimes we simply need to understand how a system works.

[Elisabeth]

I'm very glad to get these responses!

I've always believed that doing these kinds of things drove up the cost of our premiums, and somehow we were "cheating."

That's why I came to a Christian message forum!

Thanks!

[Guest christiansontheclock]

Yeah, I've been on the other end - had to pay for damage to a car back when I was in school (wasn't w/ a car, we slid across the hood, but that is another story in itself). The owner did not get the car fixed but pocketed the money. I pitched a fit about it and learned that they can do whatever they want with it...

Good that you checked though!

[chicagoburbite]

Once, an insurance appraiser said it would cost X to repair water damage in my house, but I found someone who could do it LOT cheaper. Afraid I would get in trouble, I called the insurance company and told them it only cost 1/2 of what they gave me.. did i have to return the difference. They said absolutely not. It was mine to keep Praise the Lord for homeowner's insurance (besides the fact that it's cheap)

[Guest torahdelight]

Hello Elisabeth and welcome to Worthy!

I'm afraid I disagree with you. The vehicle belongs to the owner of it. He/She paid the insurance premiums. Per the terms of the insurance policy, the money they receive from the insurance company is not mandated to be spent on repairs. There are no laws that state it must be. The insurance company accepted the appraisal of the vehicle to be a fair one. They don't accept them blindly. They have people who examine them for fairness. Nobody is being cheated.

I appreciate your integrity and concern for what's right! But you can relax. Your friends aren't doing anything illegal or dishonest.

Ditto. I affirm everything you said. Welcome Elisabeth

[Keith]

I'm very glad to get these responses!

I've always believed that doing these kinds of things drove up the cost of our premiums, and somehow we were "cheating."

That's why I came to a Christian message forum!

Thanks!

I'm so glad we could set your mind at ease! Hope to hear more from you on the boards!

[Guest stevej]

In some cases the insurance company may require an owner to give up possession if the car is totaled. Most of the time they will give a reduced check and allow you to keep the vehicle. What you described is not dishonest because it is built into and accounted for in the rates you pay.

We are glad you are here at Worthy. Come visit us in chat sometime! http://www.worthychat.com