Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Maryland

Discrimination

My husband bought a new car 2 weeks ago, they sent him home with the car and said they would call him when he was to come back and sign the final papers. He went back on 4/28/04 and they told him that he needed me to sign. The loan was already approved. He picked me up and we went back together. WHen the finance lady saw us together (he is black and I am white), she said that she would not do the deal. She asked me to come into her office and she told me that she ''didn't have to deal with people like us''. She then screamed for me to get out of her office. I did, and they made me, my husband and my 5 year old son find our own way home. I have already filed complaints with corporate Pontiac, Md Commission on Human Relations, BBB, and the Attorney Generals Office. I contacted the newspapers and I got a phone call this evening from the new car sales manager and he said that since I called the media they would not help me at all and that they sell cars now and will continue to sell cars no matter what I do. Where do I go from here? It seems like they are going to keep blowing me off.


Asked on 4/29/04, 7:54 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Michael Worsham Michael C. Worsham, Esq.

Re: Discrimination

It is hard to believe this happened. Your story describes a blatant violation of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race in credit applications. It also likely violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act, civil rights law, and other consumer laws. Under the FCRA the dealer who pulled your spouse's credit report has 30 days to inform your spouse of the basis of their credit denial decision and other information, including your rights under the FCRA. They likely will not do this, at which point they will have violated the FCRA. It depends on what you goal is as to what to do next. It is also not clear whether you have physical possession of the car at this point.

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Answered on 4/30/04, 2:02 am


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