ICBC admits it made an error when it sold Vernon man’s car

VERNON — Todd Kowalchuk has an axe to grind with ICBC.

The Vernon man’s problems with the crown corporation began shortly after Kowlchuk’s daughter wrecked his Mazda 3 when she hit a cow a few months ago.

The car was a write-off.

Seeing that it wasn’t his daughter’s fault, Kowalchuk figured he would be able to replace the value of the car.

But it didn’t quite turn out that way. For starters, he received two offers from two separate adjusters — a man and woman.

“Why they switched adjusters I don’t know. And her (adjuster) offer was $1,000 less than what he had offered,” Kowalchuk said.

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Kowalchuk and ICBC went back and forth for weeks, but couldn’t come to a settlement. Then one day, Kowalchuk said he got a call from ICBC to come pick up his car and tow it back to his place because there was no room for it at the salvage yard. But the car was gone.

“The car wasn’t there. So I asked where the car was. They started looking on their computer and said my car had been sold,” Kowalchuk said.

Kowalchuk claims ICBC refused to tell him when the vehicle was sold or who bought it despite it being in his name.

Kowalchuk refused to sign anything including the settlement cheque but caved in.

“So finally I signed and I put down that I was coerced and that my vehicle had been sold from under me — stolen as far as I’m concerned because it was in my name, still insured in my name, still a lien against it and registered to me,” Kowalchuk said.

ICBC has admits that it made a mistake by selling Kowalchuk’s vehicle stating in an email to Global Okanagan: “Unfortunately, this was done in error. Our policy is to not release vehicles for salvage until the salvage release form is signed by the customer. Unfortunately, in this case, that did not happen.”

It goes on to say that in the end, Kowalchuk got his money, even though Kowlchuk says it’s not the amount he was asking for.

Kowalchuk has yet to receive an apology from ICBC and even if he did, it wouldn’t mean much.

“Sorry is not going to cut it now. Because now that I’m going to the media, now they’re sorry? I never got an apology before.”