A motor vehicle is a passenger car, truck, motorcycle, or other vehicle that is allowed to travel on Pennsylvania highways. All vehicles must be considered, whether they are inspected, licensed, unlicensed, or not presently working.
Example: An off-road or motocross motorcycle is not considered to be a motor vehicle. It must be counted as personal property for GA-related categories and excluded as recreational equipment for SSI-related categories.
The owner of a vehicle is the individual whose name appears on the title or the owner's card.
The CAO will exclude one motor vehicle owned by a member or members of each applicant/recipient group or by an applicant or recipient and his or her spouse. 55 Pa. Code § 178.67
If the applicant/recipient group owns only one motor vehicle, the information will be recorded, but no further action is needed.
If the applicant/recipient group owns more than one motor vehicle, the CAO will count the equity value of each vehicle, as follows:
Find out how much the vehicle could be sold for (the fair market value).
Subtract the amount owed from the fair market value. Proof of the amount owed can be gotten from the financial institution that issued the loan. Use only the amount actually borrowed (the principal portion of the loan), not the interest.
NOTE: Deduct the amount owed even if the loan for a motor vehicle is in another individual's name.
Record the identifying information for each vehicle in the case record.
Do not include the vehicle with the greatest equity value.
Find out the equity value for vehicles that are not excluded.
Count the total equity value of all other vehicles as a resource.
The fair market value of a vehicle may be confirmed by a written statement from a car dealer or from a car wholesale book (commonly called the “Blue Book” or “Red Book”). The average wholesale price should be used when figuring the fair market value.
If the book value is used, the CAO will give the individual the chance to disagree with the amount. A vehicle that has extremely high mileage, body damage, or some other defect may be worth less than the book value. If the owner thinks that the vehicle is worth less than the book price, the CAO can suggest that the individual get proof of its fair market value. The individual can get a written estimate from a car dealer or loan department of a financial institution as proof. The CAO must record the information in the case record and keep papers for three years from the date of the decision.
Updated February 14, 2012, Replacing February 8, 2002