posted 03-16-2002 04:43 PM               

Anyway, my mother borrowed it to take my aunt to Jackson, Tn. for her chemotherapy treatment and they had just driven about 5 miles out of Union City when they hit a patch of ice on a railway bridge and they skidded sideways a little, right over the hill. Before she could get straightened up again and continue on, a SANDERSON's truck (Sanderson's of Kenton, Tn.) came over the hill doing about 65 mph and instead of going around her, he hit her broadside. There was plenty of room to go around here, plenty of warning, plenty of time. If he'd had his eyes on the road at all he'd have seen them in plenty of time, maybe not to stop, but to avoid a collision. (I visited the site and it's only 1 mile from where I now live). But... as luck would have it, he didn't TRY to avoid the accident. Maybe he was stoned or something, who knows.

The THP said that the car was totaled, and I had insurance and everything. But... someone at the Ford Place out here, the mechanic, said he could fix it. It had over $2,000 damages, but he said he could fix it like new. It was KNOCKED OFF ITS' FRAME, but HE said he could fix it.

Well, to make a VERY long story short, he didn't fix anything. It was all cosmetic. Since I was a woman, he fixed the tape deck, radio and gave it a quickie paint job (any amateur could see where he covered up stuff).
My insurance company (HAIRSTON-DURHAM-BRUNDIGE) paid him to fix this car and I didn't get to drive it until I handed over the check from the Ins.Co.

When I got into it for the first time, it emitted a steam or smoke from the vents, the steering column was still broken (everytime I turned the steering wheel it was like going over a huge bump in the road and it would 'pop.' Nothing was fixed - it leaked oil, gasoline, transmission fluid, etc. I called them back and they told me that it was fixed. I told them that any idiot who drove it, (me included, I guess) KNEW it was not like it was supposed to be. I mean, I've driven everything from a little Honda 90 motorcycle to a 2-Ton Dump Truck!!!

They picked it up to work on it and the next thing I knew they sold it for $50., saying that was all it was worth, even though they'd done over $2,000 in work on it, supposedly.

The next thing I knew they had taken $3,400. out of my checking account for what I still owed on the car (the rest was interest). They had turned the account over to a collection agency (I didn't know THAT either!) They said they had gotten judgment on it and that I'd signed a paper saying I'd be in court for this hearing. (I didn't sign ANYTHING!!!)

Now I find out that this same collection agency still has the balance of the car that I still supposedly owe them. The Ford Motor Company turned it over to the Collection Agency, took MY money and cheated the Collection Agency out of their 40%. So, the collection agency says I still owe the original amount on the car!!!! This is NUTS. I've turned over accounts to the collection agency for them to try and collect for me (overdue rents & damages to mobile homes and houses) but they've only collected something like $15. for us.

How can they say that I still owe this when the person who turned the debt over to them has already collected it, plus interest. What, they're gonna say I still owe it until ANOTHER $2,000 in interest adds up??? There must be SOMETHING consumers can do to avoid being ripped off by Mechanics, Collection Agencies, Auto Dealerships, etc. Can anyone say that someone else owes them money, whether they do or not? I've ALWAYS paid my bills!!! I've only had 1 late charge added to one of my bills in the last 20 years.