Originally Posted by yrralis1

Get the car fixed . Then trade it in . Don't live with worry and doubt . Even if they fix it correctly you will always know that at some time any hint of a glitch will bring up all the stress of this moment . In the case of my friend his insurance did not even cover him as they had clauses in his contract . When my car was submereged I was young (23), was not wealthy, and only had PIP and liability (bare minimum imsurance) so I did not even make a claim. In fact the savings in cost to insure me as a 23 year old for full coverage premium paid my next car . Then I began getting more insurance as i got older. Every car I know after water damage is never the same . In fact when I see low mileage cars at indepedent lots .. water damage is the first thought that comes to mind when I see a clean car fax.

You will lose 10K on your car plus you will have to pay retail for a new car . I know it's painful but its (IMO) the way to change a negative into a positive . In fact this time around you can get every aspect of the car exactly the way you want and the memory of that last car will fade .

Originally Posted by Cattman

Have you considered filing a Diminished Value Claim?

Not sure what the laws are in FL, or how it relates to non-collision events, but the best resource is Richard Hixenbaugh, Collision Claim Associates, (770) 887-7626. He is here in ATL, but can refer you to a partner in FL. His site is: www.collisionclaims.com. Top notch.
Good luck, and keep us posted.
CATTMAN

Originally Posted by RUFLUV

My suggestion is to immediately gather as much documentation as possible regarding the extent of the flood. If you did not take good photos of the high water perhaps you can go back to the parking garage and get sone shots of the "high water marks" on the concrete walls or columns. Measure the actual distance so you can show how far under your vehicle was. I would also get weather info and try to find out the names of anyone else who suffered a loss there. You must demand a total loss payout from your insurance company and if they balk HIRE A LAWYER. The insurance company is not motivated to pay you off if the car can be cosmetically repaired. Amazingly, almost all insurance companies do not report flood damage to Carfax or other serrvices, so the only way the subsequent consumer can find out about it is if the seller is honest or if the car was an insurance buyout "total loss" and the title gets branded. As it happens, Florida does require insurance flood loss buyouts to get a re-issued "flood title" but this only lessens the insurance companies motiovation to pay you in full because then they end up with an essentially worthless flood car.DO NOT LET THE ADJUSTER BULLY YOU INTO KEEPING THE CAR IF THE ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER COMPONENTS GOT WET! You will regret it. The Porsche warranty will not cover the problems you will have later. You may even heve to sue the owner/operator of the garage but what ever you do dont just settle for a deal to"fix the car".

Originally Posted by spudz5

thanks for the advice. a report was made at the mall but they are unwilling to release a report to me. it seems to me they are trying to make it difficult and that if a report was to be released it needs to be reviewed first by their lawyers. they did state that if the insurance needs it, they would provide information. i was able to get on their letterhead a hand written note stating my name, date of incident, case number, and the contact person there (risk manager for the mall).

My question is: is the mall liable? do i let the insurance company handle the situation and should the mall be liable at least for my deductible ($1000). thanks.