Senior regulator calls out MPI after accusing him of stealing personal car – Winnipeg Free Press

A senior Winnipeg employee says Manitoba's public insurance adjuster unfairly replaced his car's ignition after he accused him of stealing his personal car.

A 65-year-old woman lost her keys while unloading groceries from her car in mid-February, but she had a spare set. On March 3, his car was stolen from the parking lot of the elderly home where he lives. He was able to locate the car on his own using GPS, and after reporting the theft to the police, the car was towed to the MPI lot. Only the numbers were stolen.

He said the regulator said it would take MPI about a month to reach its report and offered no other details. Exasperated, he paid to have the plates replaced and called a local garage to have his car looked at. After the garage contacted the adjuster, he said the adjuster called him and accused him of orchestrating the theft of his car.

“He calls me and pulls me out, says I'm not going to do this … he says, 'We can't do anything until we check it with you and get the story from you, and how do I know you did.' Are you going to arrange for him to be taken to a family member or friend and hidden?'” said Dianna, who asked not to be identified this week.

“Excuse me? I said, “I'm a 65-year-old brother.”

After several calls, MPI agreed to have the car towed to the garage on March 22nd. He said he won't know until the garage completes a safety inspection, and even if the car isn't damaged, his insurance won't cover ignition recoding. Make sure the uncaught thief can't come back and steal the car.

“Now they want me to replace the keys and the ignition, but they won't help me pay for it because they think I arranged for it to be stolen,” Dianna said.

He said that even though he had lost the useful life and that the garage did not need to repair the car, he was told that his claim was closed because he took his car to the garage instead of waiting for MPI.

An MPI spokeswoman declined to comment on the specifics, but said the Crown corporation would consider recoding the ignition and replacing the keys when the keys are stolen.

“Each case is considered on the merits of the complaint,” Christy Reeds said in an email.

Questions remained unanswered about how Dianna's claim could be resolved.

“After the end of the investigation, specific decisions on coverage with the customer will be reviewed. Depending on the insurance coverage chosen by the consumer, there may be a waiver of the deductible and loss of use coverage in the event of a general theft claim,” he said.

According to John Vernaus, president of Vernaus Autobody, even though Dianna took her car to a shop that was not accredited by MPI, she still has a case to have the repairs covered by her insurance.

“I would go to the supervisor and I would say, 'If it gets stolen again, now you're responsible because I did everything I could,'” he said Monday. “They have to pay for it. And what happens when the car is stolen?”

Recoding a vehicle's ignition can cost anywhere from $200 to $500, but it can be more depending on the vehicle, Vernaus said.

Auto shops are less likely to accept stolen vehicles, Vernaus said, because the burden of proof is on the shop to prove that drivers aren't seeking free repairs other than theft damage. Mistakes can cause garages to lose their accreditation, he said.

Meanwhile, Dianna said she's not sure what her next steps will be. For added security, he bought a lock for the steering wheel.

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