Legal Question in Consumer Law in Virginia

Mistake on Car Title

About 1/2 year ago, I went to my car dealer because I was sure I had almost paid off my car. This is the point when I found out that his receptionist had not been keeping the books and he had to get rid of her. He said that I still owed over 1/2 of what I was paying for the car. That was outrageous! I gave him the car and didn't pay anything else. About a month ago, he called to tell me that she had made a mistake on the title, too. She had given the car to me. The car was in my name completely. He wants me to come and sign the car over to him so that he can sell it. I don't want to because I believe that I should get something for it since I paid so much ... It's not my fault that they didn't keep the books.


Asked on 12/29/06, 1:10 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

Re: Mistake on Car Title

You should gather whatever records you may still have of your car payments and in concert with the workings of your best recollection, reconstruct a payment history for the vehicle.

When you are satisfied that you have put together in writing the best history that you can reconstruct of your payments on this particular vehicle, then go see the car dealer and tell him that you will sign the title over to him if he refunds to you

the amount of these payments discounted by the estimated value you received by having the car to drive during the time period that it was in your possession.

However, if the dealer can offer credible and convincing proof that in fact the payments that you made represented no more than the fair rental value of the vehicle during the period while it was in your posession and you were operating it, then you should realistically expect nothing to be refunded to you by the dealer and, furthermore, you should then agree to sign the title over to him and be done with the matter.

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Answered on 12/29/06, 4:22 pm


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