Car loan..car accident..no insurance

[Anonymous]

So this is a tough situation that I've been trying to find advice on. Last year I was going through a very rough time, recently separated veteran and having a hard time making ends meet. I got a few months behind on my car note and my insurance lapsed. I ended up getting into a car accident. I don't know if the car was considered a total loss, but I don't think the damage was that severe. I still owed about $20,000 on the car. However, me being young and dumb, I left the car at the tow shop and just went about my life. I've never received one call or email from my finance company. They've never sent any mail to my mom's address. The loan isn't even on my credit. The last car payment I made was in January 2016 and I crashed my car in April 2016. Why isn't it on my credit? What should I expect? Please help!

[medicgrrl]

Many times a lender will put insurance on the car if it has lapsed and then add it to your bill. You may have gotten lucky on this. Who was the lender?

[Anonymous]

Santander. After reading their reviews, it doesn't seem like them to not come after me.

[Anonymous]

So you've been without this car for over a year, say 16 months and haven't addressed it until now?  Has your car been sitting in a shop for 16 months?

[Anonymous]

I was scared and didn't know how to address it at that time. I was just waiting for the finance company to reach out to me so I could handle it at that point but they never did. It was at the tow yard, not a repair shop.

[medicgrrl]

You can start with DMV to see what's happened with the title. Tow yard or finance company may have repossessed and sold it.

[Anonymous]

Tow companies can also crush it and sell it for scrap to recover the cost of unpaid tow bill. I'd start with the tow company and find out what happended to it, if its not in the yard its likely gone for good.

[Anonymous]

I would think after over a year that it's long gone at this point.

[Anonymous]

I'm not worried about getting the car back. Just wondering why the finance company hasn't reached out or why it's not on my credit.