Lienholder still hasn't gotten their check — how long is this supposed to take??

I went through almost the exact same thing last year. My lender didn't post the payoff for almost three weeks after the insurance company claimed they sent it. What finally worked for me was calling the insurance company and specifically asking them for the check number and the date it was cut, then calling the lender back with that info so they could actually search for it on their end. Turned out the check had arrived but hadn't been processed yet — it was just sitting in a queue. Hang in there, it usually does get resolved.

I'd push the insurance company harder than you probably think is necessary. Ask them point blank: was it sent via regular mail or certified? If it was just regular mail with no tracking, that's on them and they should be willing to reissue if it's been more than 10 business days. Don't let them keep telling you 'it's in the mail' without getting something more concrete.

Honestly, from the inside, those lienholder checks sometimes got batched and mailed separately from the claimant checks, and occasionally they'd sit in an outbox for a few extra days before actually leaving the building. The 'we sent it' response sometimes just means 'we generated it.' Ask them for proof of mailing — a lot of companies can pull that. If they can't confirm it actually left their office, that's a red flag.

A couple of practical things worth knowing: most states require insurers to pay out total loss claims within a set number of days after settlement is reached — usually somewhere between 5 and 30 days depending on the state. If that deadline has passed, you may actually have grounds to file a complaint with your state's Department of Insurance. It's free to do and sometimes it lights a fire under people way faster than another phone call. Also, keep a log of every call — date, time, who you spoke to, what they said.

This kind of financial limbo is genuinely stressful on top of everything else you're already dealing with after an accident. Make sure you're not letting the anxiety spiral — do what you can each day (one call, one email) and then try to step away from it. The check will almost certainly land, but your stress levels matter too.

Keep making your minimum loan payment until the lien is closed. I know it feels wrong, but a late payment hit on your credit is harder to fix than getting reimbursed later. Document everything and request reimbursement from the insurance company for any extra payment you have to make because of their delay. They should cover it.

Quick question — did you actually confirm your payoff amount with the lender before the insurance company cut the check? Sometimes there's a discrepancy between what the insurer thinks is owed and the actual payoff figure, and the lender won't process it if the amounts don't match. That could be why nothing is moving.

Ugh, this sounds so frustrating. You're already dealing with losing your car and now you have to chase down two giant companies to talk to each other? That's exhausting. I hope it gets sorted out soon — sounds like you're handling it really well even though it's a mess.