Smoke and Heat Damage

[toljohn]

I have a 2011 Massey Ferguson 1648 tractor with cab, 4WD. I recently had it taken to my dealer in NC. They were investigating a minor problem on the display panel. They had moved the tractor into the building, and that same night, the building caught on fire. A portion of the floor collapsed and the fire burned for an undetermined amount of time before it was discovered, but probably at least 1 hour. There were 3 other tractors in the building, and over $100,000.00 of parts, transmission fluid, oil, etc. Heavy black smoke filled all spaces, and not only covered the exterior, but the interior of my tractor. The temperature of the fire was estimated to be greater than 2000 degrees.

Preliminary cleaning has had poor results, both interior and exterior. They have not yet begun going through the rest of the tractor. From what I have read, there is potential for damage to all electronic components, i.e. circuit boards and computers and electrical terminals due to soot scale and corrosion. I understand that there is also a danger of metal fatigue/failure due to prolonged heat exposure. Since of fire of involving plastics, oils, and transmission fluids would produce known carcinogens, could these ever be fully removed, since all surfaces inside the cab are not available for cleaning?

I would appreciate suggestions from anyone who has experience in this area. I believe the tractor should be totaled, and a fair market value for a 2011 Massey Ferguson tractor with cab should be paid by the insurance company. It has been kept in a closed building since I Purchased the tractor new in 2001. It has less than 500 total hours of use. Can anyone help me with this?

John Tolhurst

 

[coldsteelva]

Sorry about the bad luck. The dealerships liability insurance should be handling all parts of this incident. Contact the dealership, get their insurance information, file a claim for property damage and go from there. Tractors do not depreciate like cars so, although you may not get your full purchase price back, you can use the information on TractorHouse, TractorData to find some pricing for similar units around the country. This is not going to be like hitting the lottery. They should make you whole without much kicking and screaming, but you're not going to get extra.

 

[PILOON]

Sorry to hear of your plight.
Hopefully they settle in short order as around here (not tractor related) settling up building fires seems to linger for darn close to a year.
That is for about 5 'totals' that I am aware of.
Insurers like to collect but hate paying out or so it seems.

 

[RjCorazza]

Sorry to hear...
Hard to say how much heat the tractor was actually exposed to, but that would be my major concern. I'm not an insurance expert, but I suspect the dealer will have to deal with the insurance company and they likely won't even talk to you. Best to voice your concerns in no uncertain terms to the dealer that you feel it should either be totalled, or returned in the same condition that it arrived (NO SOOT ANYWHERE should get their attention).
Hope it works out for you.

 

[toljohn]

I just found out today that the tractor was in the building with the fire for at least 2 1/2 to 3 hours before the fire was extinguished.

 

[Reb954]

Have you talked to your insurance company yet? If you have insurance on the tractor, your insurance will coordinate with the dealers insurance.

 

[PILOON]

Let your insurance negotiate 4 U.
Leave it to experts. Sue or otherwise hold them responsible. Your not at fault here, actually U are in the driver's seat.
Your attorney can also sue for 'lack of use' I would imagine. Better still if you are commercial you have a great case.
\From what I read I'd never accept your tractor back. IMHO it is SCRAP.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I've been involved in recovering vehicles from fires, but not tractors. It would be my opinion that your tractor is now totaled. Way too many things to deal with. All your "soft" parts are trash, belts, hoses, wiring (insulation on the wires), gauges, interior of cab, tires, etc. If your tractor was close to the hot spot of the fire, then a bunch of your "hard" parts are also trash, fuel system (pump and injectors), sheet metal, cab glass, hydraulic valves/rams, and I would suspect even your iron castings (engine, manifolds, transaxle case) if you were right in the middle of the inferno.

In auto fires, the insurance almost always totals the vehicle, because there's no way to certify the structural integrity of the frame and body after a fire, due to how hot the fire burns.

I would expect your tractor is a total loss, and you'll be getting a check. Hopefully the dealer can work out a loaner for you until the mess is settled and your check arrives.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have often wondered. Do some establishments not specify that anything left on premises is at owners risk? Therefore, you have to have the insurance. I would be interested to know. Because, a dealer may have fifty thousand dollars worth of tractors in there one day and three million dollars worth of tractors and combines in there another day. How would the insurance company handle that, and put a figure on their risk? It could also leave them wide open to fraud.

 

[toljohn]

Thanks to all. I noticed in my original post that I mis-typed the date I bought the tractor, it was 2011. Hopefully the insurance company will total this tractor and give me fair market value for it. I would rather not sue them because I would rather not sue anybody, but may have to. Thanks for confirming my original suspicions regarding potential hidden damage.

 

[crashz]

Sorry for your loss. Maybe your dealer has something comparable on the lot that wasn't damaged. I'm sure that they will want to help you out as much as save face. They will also be hurting for business if a major source of income like their repair shop is gone. Hopefully this helps to recover for you both.