Pinnacle Auto Appraisers' Blog
Keeping the auto appraising industry up to date with important auto industry and appraiser information.
Florida Diminished Value Law - Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville
Diminished Value Appraisals
There are two primary cases that address the notion of damages in the diminished value context. The seminal case is that of Siegle vs. Progressive Consumer's Insurance Company, 819 So.2d 732 (Florida 2002). The Siegle case, which was heard in fr
Beware Of New Year's Car Theft
Car Industry RSS
Heading out for New Year's Eve? Not only should drivers take care not to drive after too many tipples, they should take extra precautions against thieves. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NCIB) re...Original link
Total Loss Appraisal/Claims
Total Loss Appraisals
You do have the right to dispute the insurance company's offer. If you are not satisfied with the settlement amount, please contact us. You are entitled to fair market value of your vehicle. More often than not, the insurance compa
Must-See JCVD: Jean-Claude Van Damme Performs "Epic" Splits To Demonstrate Volvo's Dynamic Steering
To help demonstrate the precision of Volvo's dynamic steering systems available in its commercial trucks, the Swedish automaker has enlisted the limber talents of Jean-Claude Van Damme. Performing with the determination and skill that could only be mustered by an aging action star with a massive mortgage payment, the short film, entitled "The Epic Split," opens with Van Damme perched between two Volvo trucks with the horizon in the background. And then it gets interesting.
Wearing a look of peaceful concentration, Van Damme references his past troubles in characteristic Zen-like Franglais over Enya's "Only Time". When the lens widens, it delivers what those in in the biz call the "epiphany moment," revealing that he is balanced precariously atop the side mirrors of two Volvo trucks traveling in reverse. Just when it appears that things couldn't get any more awesome, the shot goes even wider, the trucks begin to part, and the Muscles from Brussels performs one of his trademark flexibility demonstrations. And in the process, reconfirming his status as the leader in celluloid martial arts, and showcasing a set of groin muscles that would be the envy of everyone in the Detroit Red Wings locker room.
First Drive: 2015 Volvo S60 / V60 / XC60 With New Drive-E Four-Cylinder Engine Auto Show: Volvo Concept Coupe Long-Term Road Test Wrap-Up: 2012 Volvo S60 T6 AWD
To achieve such stability, Volvo's new dynamic steering system employs an electronically controlled electric motor that is adjusted roughly 2000 times a second, creating highly precise steering with minimal driver input. Volvo swears on a stack of umlauts that the stunt is 100-percent real, so we anxiously await rebuttal stunts from Chuck Norris and Steven Seagal.
More holidays to celebrate — or ignore
Holiday season is upon us, and whether or not you like it, people are in celebratory moods everywhere. Everyone is familiar with the big three — Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day. But were you aware you may be missing out on the Hoodie Hoo Day festivities?
That's right, Hoodie Hoo Day is a real, copyrighted holiday, celebrated on Feb. 20. People run outside at high noon, raise their hands in the air, and yell, "Hoodie Hoo!" It's set aside as a day to chase away winter blahs, and bring in spring. After all, everyone in the northern hemisphere is sick and tired of winter at this point and a little crazy being cooped up inside not seeing much sun. Also, if your neighbor sees you running around the yard, waving your hands and yelling, "Hoodie Hoo!," they'll probably think twice about stealing your Sunday paper.
There are a lot of "National" days listed in the archives as holidays, but did you know for something to actually become a National Day, it requires an act of Congress? I have it on good authority the current congress has only approved one National Day during this term, but "National Impede the Progress of a Nation Day" is geared up and ready to be printed on the calendar next year. (This may be a fabrication, as my D.C. sources are unreliable and possibly infected with rabies, at best.)
Although it's unclear exactly how to decorate for Dunce Day, Nov. 8 was the day to do it. Dunce Day is all about learning and celebrates the term dunce and dunce caps. The date marks the death (Nov. 8, 1308) of medieval scholar Duns Scotus of Duns, Scotland, inventor of the infamous dunce cap. Duns Scotus believed cone-shaped hats increased learning potential. He believed knowledge would flow from the point of the cap, down and into the head of the wearer, making the person smarter. (Hey, what do you expect? It was 1308: Wikipedia was in its infancy.) Thankfully, Duns went to his grave before his hat became a punishment, and left us a strange legacy to celebrate. If you're into that kind of thing.
Dec. 21 is marked on the calendar as Forefather's Day, and commemorates the pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock in 1620. They left England for the New World to escape religious persecution. After a late fall start, the Mayflower set sail and landed at Plymouth Rock, Mass., just before Christmas.
Best Christmas song ever?
The potentials are many, from "I'll be home for Christmas" to "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch" -- tell us yours toward building a top 10 list to put up for a vote this season. . .
Forefather's Day was first celebrated in Plymouth in 1769, when a group of descendants gathered to have a feast in honor of the pilgrims. This group shared a meal together, which included many native American delicacies.
Uh, wait a minute. Doesn't this sound familiar?
Research indicates this holiday is celebrated mostly in the New England states, so if you're from the Nor'east, you have the privilege of two Thanksgivings. But don't refer to them as such in Massachusetts, as the Boston Historical Society testily replied when asked the difference, "Two distinctly different holidays, celebrating two distinctly different things. Thanksgiving celebrates harvest and bounty while Forefather's Day celebrates the people brave enough to make the journey to the New World." So there. Now you know.
National Bird Day is celebrated on Jan. 5 and is not to be confused with just regular ol' Bird Day, which is May 4. Of course you could go all out and celebrate the trifecta of bird worship, capping your avian festivities off with International Migratory Bird Day, observed on the second Saturday in May. The only clear explanation of why in the heck there are three days a year set aside to celebrate birds is that people love birds. Birdwatching is the most popular of all hobbies. It's true — it says so on the internet, although I'd venture to say there are a lot of people who would disagree. Regardless, Bird Day is the oldest of the three days set aside to recognize birds. According to the U.S. Library of Congress, Bird Day was first observed on May 4, 1894, and was started by Superintendent Charles Almanzo Babcock. By 1910, Bird Day was widely celebrated, often in conjunction with Arbor Day. Mostly because birds and trees kind of go together, but also because they both promote conservation and stewardship of nature.
One last odd day of note might be National Handwriting Day, celebrated on Jan. 23 as an opportunity to reintroduce yourself to a pen or pencil and a piece of paper. In this day of computers, more and more information, notes, and letters are sent back and forth via a keyboard and cyberspace. National Handwriting Day was established by the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association, way back in 1977, with a clear motive: to promote the use and purchase of pens, pencils and paper. The date was chosen because this is the birthday of John Hancock, the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence. Suggested ways to celebrate may be writing a note or letter to someone. I have a great idea – celebrate this year by sending a handwritten card to one of our soldiers in Afghanistan. I just so happen to have an address: Holiday Mail for Heroes, P.O. Box 5456, Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456.
And while you're thinking about holidays, tell us what your favorite is here.
Matt Crafton hoping to cap big year for ThorSport Racing with NASCAR Truck Series title: Family-owned team has already won the ARCA championship
Appraiser & Auto Industry News
Things are continuing to go well for Ohio-based ThorSport Racing, a family-owned team that fields championship-winning entries in NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series and in ARCA's premier stock car series.
We Run Chevrolet's Revised 2014 Malibu 2.0L Turbo Through a . . . Tur 'Bu Test!
A pseudo trend is unfolding among new models introduced to middling success: They're being quickly returned to their respective senders for quick-fire updates. Honda recently bucked industry practice by reconstituting its 2012 Civic sedan for 2013—and the coupe for 2014—well short of the typical three-year mid-cycle refresh protocol. Chevrolet also found itself in the plastic surgery clinic after the 2013 Malibu was met with flagging sales and a "meh" from the critical press, us included. And so the company rejiggered the sedan just one year later. To assess the effectiveness of the changes for 2014, we got our hands on an up-level LTZ Turbo model for a test. READ MORE ››
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