Va Auto Grant

[edanaisc2]

hi to all,

I am new to this forum and just wanted to post a question about the va auto grant. I was already awarded this grant and went on to buy my vehicle, but then came the problem: now the dealer is calling about and is asking when will they get the check for the $11,000 from the grant.

I was wondering if anybody could fill me in on how long it takes for the VA to send the dealer the payment because I had given the dealer a check for them to hold until they get the payment from the VA and I am a bit worried that the dealer will cash my personal check.

Any info on this is greatly appreciated. :)

[Rivermomma]

Va has approved auto grant and it has been faxed in.  How long before dealer receives their money or anything to move this deal along. 

[broncovet]

I recommend you give the dealer the VA toll free number, and go with the dealer to call the VA. They will likely give the dealer the run around, just like they do Veterans.

Maybe the dealer can use his money to pressure the VA into doing what they are supposed to do.

[Pete53]

If it were me I would go to the VARO and ask to talk to the person in charge of paying. How long has it been? Now only is the VA a deadbeat it makes us into deadbeats also

[ZenArcher]

I just bought a wheelchair accessible van with the grant last month. The dealer I worked with has dealt with the VA grant several times in the past. According to them it usually takes 2 - 3 months for the grant to be paid. I'm willing to bet that this varies dependent on the regional office though.

[buickx]

Having been thru this in 2007... you have to send in the form you got with your approval letter to the va to have them stamp it, then you give the stamped form to the dealer... it took six months for me to get the form back stamped from the va when I first sent it in.....the dealer got his money in about a week..

[Teac]

It has been ten years since I used the grant but it took only three weeks for the dealer to get his money. Recently however, I purchased a new van and it took the va 2 1/2 months to reinburse me for my adaptive equipment ( which based on past experience is a long time).

[LarryJ]

This may be a little bit "off topic" kinda, but maybe no.

Do you folks all have your "auto grant" because of loss of an appendage? Or do any of you have your "auto grant" due to loss of USE of?

The reason I ask is that my old car (1991 Volvo) is standard transmission and now I have a full leg brace on my left leg (SC'd) and it makes it impossible to drive this car. What do I do? Can I get an "auto grant" because of this. And how do I get declared "loss of use of"? I'm getting tired of having to "bum" other peoples cars when I want to go somewhere.

That's usually why I'm hanging around here, on hadit.

[john999]

In my city some car dealers felt sorry for some Iraq/Afghanistan vets and bought them new vans with all the devices to help them be transported since they are in wheelchairs. These vets got charity and everyone slapped themselves on the back. Why is charity necessary for these guys? You have to be insane to volunteer for combat duty in America.

[sixthscents]

Larry the VA views Loss of use and Loss of as being the same. So, Loss of use of any appendage is the same as if it were amputated.

CFR 38, 3.350

(2) Foot and hand.

(i) Loss of use of a hand or a foot will be held to exist when no effective function remains other than that which would be equally well served by an amputation stump at the site of election below elbow or knee with use of a suitable prosthetic appliance. The determination will be made on the basis of the actual remaining function, whether the acts of grasping, manipulation, etc., in the case of the hand, or of balance, propulsion, etc., in the case of the foot, could be accomplished equally well by an amputation stump with prosthesis; for example:

and you can read the rest... but if you have established "Loss of use" of a foot, you qualify for the adaptive grant. I would wait a bit though as there is a bill in Congress that will raise the grant from $11K to $38K... go to Thomas and look it up. It's going to pass.

[sixthscents]

Oh, if you haven't filed for loss of use of the foot, the AFO (ankle foot orthotic) you wear is very GOOD evidence for the claim. Obviously you have foot-drop etc. So the claim should be relatively easy to file. (Mine was anyway with the same situation except for 2 AFO's)

feel free to email me at sixthscents@hotmail.com and I will give you my phone number and help you with filing if you need it.

Edited June 19, 2009 by sixthscents (see edit history)

[wflewellen]

The VA still takes 2-3 months to pay and it SUCKKKKKKKS! By time you get the check either the dealer had to sell the car or He cancels the sale. Then to make it worst is that when the check gets there you can't use it. SOOOOOOO you have to send it back to the treasury and start all over again!!!!!!SMH!!!!!! DANG SHAME!!